Banking overview#

This guide is for implementers setting up banking information for cash transfer beneficiaries. You should know your program's payment channels but don't need programming knowledge.

Mental model#

Banking in OpenSPP has two layers:

Layer

What it does

Example

Bank

Financial institution definition

"PhilBank", "M-Pesa Agent"

Bank Account

Individual beneficiary account details

"Maria Santos - Account 1234567890"

Think of it like a payroll system: banks are the institutions you pay through, and bank accounts are where each employee receives their salary.

Key concepts#

Bank configuration#

Banks are managed at the system level:

Field

What it means

Name

Bank name

BIC/SWIFT

Bank identification code

Country

Bank's country

Bank account fields#

Each registrant can have one or more bank accounts:

Field

What it means

Bank

Which financial institution

Account Number

Account identifier

Account Holder

Name on the account

Account Type

Savings, Checking, Mobile Money, etc.

Mobile money#

For programs using mobile money:

  • Create the mobile money provider as a "Bank" (e.g., "M-Pesa", "GCash")

  • Use the phone number as the account number

  • Set account type to "Mobile Money"

Banks list showing configured financial institutions

Banks list showing configured financial institutions.#

Setting up banking#

Step 1: Configure banks#

  1. Navigate to bank configuration

  2. Add banks available in your program area

  3. Include mobile money providers if applicable

Step 2: Add beneficiary accounts#

  1. Open a registrant record

  2. In the banking section, add account details

  3. Select the bank, enter account number, and set account type

Common use cases#

Use case 1: Bank transfer program#

Goal: Pay beneficiaries via direct bank deposit.

Setup:

  1. Configure all partner banks

  2. Ensure each beneficiary has bank account details

  3. Use bank account data in payment processing

Use case 2: Mobile money program#

Goal: Pay beneficiaries via mobile wallet.

Setup:

  1. Add mobile money providers as banks (GCash, M-Pesa, etc.)

  2. Record phone numbers as account numbers

  3. Set account type to "Mobile Money"

Are You Stuck?#

Bank list is empty?

Banks need to be configured first. Add the financial institutions used in your program area.

Beneficiary has multiple accounts - which is used for payment?

The payment system typically uses the first active bank account. Mark the preferred account accordingly.

How do I validate bank account numbers?

OpenSPP stores the account number as-is. Validation depends on the payment gateway integration.

Mobile money vs bank account - how to distinguish?

Use the Account Type field. Set it to "Mobile Money" for mobile wallets and "Savings" or "Checking" for traditional bank accounts.

Next steps#