Before you start
Please download the suggested API integration process flow document and use it as a reference when developing.
Kindly adhere to the Netcash brand guidelines when developing.
Programmers Guide
Refer to our Programmers guide for more detail on how to apply the required methodology in this document.
Ensure that the settings for developers are adhered to before you proceed with your implementation.
Web Service Methods
The list of Netcash web service methods can be found here.
Quick Start Guides
Quick Start Guides will help you understand this service and get you started.
Overview
The Netcash web service ‘NIWS_NIF’ used to send batched mandate account references to retrieve mandates electronically signed by the account holder.
The service is asynchronous and comprises 3 methods:
- BatchFileUpload (NIF file containing a list of Mandate account references)
- RequestFileUploadReport (Returns the result of the NIF file upload including any errors encountered)
- RetrieveMandatePDF (Returns a link to the Mandate PDF for the account references requested)
Request PDF by Account reference
NIWS_NIF is an asynchronous web service which exposes multiple methods. The method BatchFileUpload allows an external system to upload a batch file of mandate PDF requests.
Once you have built the file call:
Web service: https://ws.netcash.co.za/niws/niws_nif.svc
- Method: BatchFileUpload
- Service key: Debit order service key
Input
Requests to the web service are sent as strings
Example: public string BatchFileUpload(string ServiceKey, string File)
Output
Successful request
If the method call was successful and the file is being processed, the web service will return a file token which is used to retrieve the load report
Example: 20000000.2550236530.0483.2.2
Unsuccessful request
If the method call fails, the web service will return an error code:
| Code | Description |
| 100 | Authentication failure. Ensure that the service key in the method call is correct |
| 102 | Parameter error. One or more of the parameters in the string is incorrect |
| 200 | General code exception. Please contact Netcash Technical Support. |
Input file structure
Each file has the following mandatory records:
H – Header record identifies the upload and passes instructions to the Netcash server to determine the purpose of the file.
K – Key record must follow the header record. The key record describes the transaction records which follow. The format defined in the key record is used to validate the record structure and content.
T – Transaction records follow the key record. The fields in the transaction records must conform to the layout defined in the key.
F – Footer record must be the last record in the file and confirms that the file is complete.
Header record (H)
Every file must contain a header record as the first record in the file.
Record Structure
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Record Identifier | AN | “H” – Identifies the record as a header |
| 2 | Service Key | AN | GUID (Debit order service key) |
| 3 | Version | AN | 1 |
| 4 | Instruction | AN | RequestMandatePDF – Request signed mandates |
| 5 | Batch name | AN | Your batch identifier |
| 6 | Action date | N | CCYYMMDD Current date |
| 7 | Software vendor code | AN | Your software vendor code issued by Netcash. |
Example
H C74EF975-5429-4663-85FB-2A64CA0FB9EF 1 RequestMandatePDF My Test Batch 20201030 24ade73c-98cf-47b3-99be-cc7b867b3080
Key record (K)
The key record is mandatory and must appear in the file between the header record and the transaction records.
For RequestMandatePDF, only key 101 (Mandate reference) is required
Example
K 101
Transaction record (T)
There must be at least one transaction record in the file.
The transaction records must conform to the order of the fields as described in the key record.
(As stipulated in the key, only the account reference of the mandate is required in the T record)
Record structure
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 101 | Account reference | AN22 | The unique reference used to identify the mandate.
Minimum 2 Maximum 22 characters |
Footer record (F)
The footer record indicates that the complete file has been received. It must be the last record in the file. If the record is not present, the system will fail the file without processing any transaction records.
Record structure
| Field | Explanation |
| Record Identifier | “F” – Identifies the record as a footer |
| No of transactions | This is the count of all the ‘T’ records in the file. |
| Sum of amounts | 0 |
| End-of-file indicator | ‘9999’ – Indicates there are no more records. |
Example
F 2 0 9999
Retrieve Load report
You will need to request the load report using the file token received from the BatchFileUpload method call.
Input
Using the file token, call:
- Web service: https://ws.netcash.co.za/niws/niws_nif.svc
- Method: RequestFileUploadReport
- Service key: Debit Order service key
Requests to the web service are sent as strings
Example: public string RequestFileUploadReport(string ServiceKey, string FileToken)
Output
If the file submitted is in the correct format, the Load report header will contain “SUCCESSFUL”.
Any format errors detected in upload file will be reported.
File structure
The report is tab delimited with a linefeed character as line terminator.
Load report header
(occurs once at the start of each load report)
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Record identifier | AN8 | ###BEGIN |
| 2 | Batch name | AN | {your batch name} |
| 3 | Result of upload | A13 | SUCCESSFUL / UNSUCCESSFUL / SUCCESSFUL WITH ERRORS |
| 4 | Start time of report | AN8 | HH:MM AM/PM |
Load report message
(occurs multiple times – once per error record)
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Record identifier | AN8 | ###ERROR |
| 2 | Error message | AN | The error message |
Load report trailer
(occurs once – the last line in the report)
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Record identifier | AN6 | ###END |
| 2 | End time of report | AN8 | HH:MM AM/PM |
Retrieve Signed Mandates
You will need to retrieve the signed mandates using the file token received from the BatchFileUpload method call.
- Web service: https://ws.netcash.co.za/niws/niws_nif.svc
- Method: RetrieveMandatePDF
- Service key: Debit Order service key
Input
Requests to the web service are sent as strings
Example: public string RetrieveMandatePDF(string ServiceKey, string FileToken)
Output
The file returned contains a record for each mandate reference requested
File structure
The report is tab delimited with a linefeed character as line terminator.
File header
(occurs once at the start of the file)
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Record identifier | AN8 | ###BEGIN |
| 2 | Batch name | AN | {your batch name} |
Mandate records
(occurs multiple times – once per mandate reference)
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Account reference | AN22 | The unique reference supplied in the request |
| 2 | Mandate link ** | AN | Link to download the PDF (PdfUrl) |
File trailer
(occurs once – the last line in the report)
| Field | Name | Type | Value |
| 1 | Record identifier | AN6 | ###END |
** Note: To access the URL you will be required to supply your Debit Order service key
The format is {shortSurfURL}?PKey={DebitOrderServiceKey}
Example: https://short.surf/SPDxxx?PKey=3a9be0d4-9999-8888-7777-05bf64cac464
Netcash brand guidelines
Please refer to the Netcash brand guidelines here when using any logos, images, icons, labels, descriptions, and references to Netcash in your software.
Testing
See Testing section for more details. If you require any integration assistance contact our technical support team