BBVA: How APIs Transform Customer Experience

Carmela Gómez Castelao of BBVA explained how APIs are fundamentally transforming the relationship between banks, partners, and customers. While it’s easy to see an API as just a piece of code, Gómez emphasised that they are, in fact, the digital infrastructure enabling a new era of seamless, embedded financial services.

She stressed that modern customers don’t want unnecessary interruptions when managing payments or financing. Whether paying an electricity bill, checking out on an e-commerce site, or accessing financing options, people want the ability to complete the entire journey in context, without logging into a separate banking app or re-entering information.

APIs make this possible by acting as secure digital bridges, allowing banking services to be integrated directly into third-party websites and apps. These bridges maintain the same level of reliability and safety a customer expects from their own bank, ensuring trust while enabling fluid experiences.

However, Gómez highlighted that technology is only half the story. Regulation, particularly around consent and data sharing, plays a crucial role in enabling embedded finance. As partners and banks exchange information — from customer ratings to account details — explicit customer authorisation becomes essential. Regulators recognise the value of open banking, but they expect clarity, transparency, and full customer control over shared data.

This shift marks a fundamental change in the banking paradigm. Financial services are no longer accessed exclusively through the bank’s own front door. Instead, banks are becoming part of broader digital ecosystems — invisible, secure, and ever-present — meeting customers exactly where they are.

For BBVA, APIs represent far more than a technical tool. They are the foundation of anywhere, anytime finance, enabling partner-driven innovation while preserving the trust and safety customers rely on.