Visa Alias Directory Service

Simplify the push payment experience. Link and resolve an Alias to a payment credential.

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Getting Started with Visa Alias Directory Service

Alias Directory 2.0

Alias Directory offers capabilities for clients to link Aliases to payment credentials. An Alias is an identifier such as mobile number or email address that can be used in place of sensitive payment credentials details. A payment credential could be a card or bank account. Additional payment credential types, like wallet, can be added in the future. The Alias Directory provides services for clients to manage the lifecycle of an Alias and to resolve an Alias to receive the associated payment credential.

The documentation in this page is for Alias Directory 2.0. Clients who are using Alias Directory 1.0 can find the technical documentation here. 

Key enhancements in Visa Alias Directory Service 2.0

  • Support for bank accounts as payment credentials. 
  • Deployment flexibility for data localization requirements
  • Enhanced reporting APIs
  • Batch Processing APIs
  • Directory Network Manager connectivity for Remote Directories

Availability

The following table lists the regional availability for Visa Alias Directory. 

North America Asia-Pacific Europe CEMEA LAC Notes
    KEY
  • Available in entire region
  • Not available
  • See notes for available countries

Key Functionalities

Linking Aliases to Payment Credentials

An Alias Directory provides the flexibility to map different Aliases, such as phone and email, to a payment credential. 

Infographic demonstrating credential and alias types that can be linked together by Visa Alias Directory Service. Examples of payment credentials are bank accounts, cards, and digital wallets. Examples of Alias types are emails, national IDs, mobile numbers, and merchant IDs.

Alias Resolution

A client can use Visa Alias Directory Service to improve the consumer experience during push payments. For example, a Visa client can provide Visa Alias Directory Service with an Alias and receive the payment credential linked to that Alias (e.g., card or bank account). This credential can then be used in a push payment. 

Infographic demonstrating how Visa Alias Directory works.

Directory Network Manager

Alias Directory offers the capability to connect to remote directories via a component called Directory Network Manager. Directory Network Manager has the capability to query available remote directories with an Alias and retrieve the associated payment details, if available. 

Infographic demonstrating third party directories being connected by the component called Directory Network Manager.

Directory Network Manager Marketing Video

Directory Network Manager Marketing Video

Directory Network Manager

Potential benefits to participating remote directories:

  • Simple integration: If third party directories have existing APIs that allow for Alias resolution, Directory Network Manager can connect to the client's existing APIs. Otherwise, third party directories can use Directory Network Manager's standard API specification for integration. 
  • Data Ownership: Participation as a remote directory allows clients to maintain the data in their own environment, while still participating in the network.
  • Potential for new volumes: Benefit from Visa's reach of originating institutions that could potentially drive new payment volumes to the third party directory.

 

Implementation Overview

1. Pre-Implementation

Estimated duration: 1-2 weeks

Key Activities: 

  • Visa provides technical briefing overview
  • Client submits Visa Alias Directory Service Program Registration Form
  • Client conducts applicable legal or privacy reviews
  • Client provides solution architecture and UI / UX design
  • Visa and Client define implementation plan

2. API Implementation

Estimated duration: 4-8 weeks

Key Activities:

  • Client completes self-testing test cases

3. User Experience Design

Estimated duration: 4-8 weeks

Key Activities: 

  • Finalize UI / UX screens. This is done in parallel with API implementation

4. General Availability

Estimated duration: 4-6 weeks

Key Activities: 

  • Client submits executed contract document
  • Client is promoted to Production environment
  • Client Pilot Phase (optional)
  • Client marketing / promotion materials are ready
  • Client customer support is ready
  • Launch Service

Next Steps

  • When you are ready to use the Visa Alias Directory Service APIs, please create a project and add Visa Alias Directory Service. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
  • Go to Working with Visa APIs to learn about the end-to-end process around engaging with our APIs.
  • Check out our DeveloperTools if you need help on integrating with APIs or simply ask a question on our Community forum.
  • Please refer to this tutorial and Postman collection to quickly enable Message Level Encryption for our APIs.

Contact Us

To reach the product office, please reach out to [email protected]