Top APIs for an e-commerce application (2024 update)

Introduction:

From streamlining and safeguarding the new user onboarding experience to payment processes, one of the ways that developers can consider going for (in order to save time and keep their applications leaner) is through the use of (pre-built) APIs. When designed and implemented carefully, third party APIs can help transform the overall customer experience, automate certain critical processes, and integrate powerful functionalities and solutions into an e-commerce application without the need to design or build them from scratch.

In this blog, we wanted to bring together some of the most popular and useful APIs in different categories. We consider these APIs to be instrumental for anyone working on some sort of e-commerce application development. Of course, this list is by no means comprehensive or absolute. Do you have some favorite APIs that we haven't included? Let us know.

List of E-Commerce APIs:

Customer Onboarding APIs:

They say that a successful beginning is half the battle. In an e-commerce application, this beginning is the user registration and onboarding process. Creating a smooth onboarding process is crucial for attracting and retaining customers. The following APIs can play a role here:

Validate DNS Email (including disposable email): Getting fake users, or users with disposable emails can be annoying and it can harm the health of your data while at the same time make you waste your time with meaningless follow ups. This is why ensuring that users sign up with a valid email address is fundamental. ApyHub’s DNS Email Validation API allows you to check whether the user’s credentials are valid to begin with. How many of your users have used a disposable email while signing up on your site?Find out now.

Documentation Page of ApyHub’s DNS Email Validation API
RPACPC API: The RPACPC API is there to provide identity verification of users, ensuring that only legitimate users are accessing an application. The e-commerce app can quickly and easily perform KYC with customer information such as name, address, and contact details.

RPACPS API Homepage
Currencies Dictionary: Global E-Commerce applications allow payments in multiple currencies. ApyHub’s Currency Dictionary API can provide a list of all officially listed currencies including currency symbols, values, and emojis. Incorporating this API in an e-commerce application can enable users to see the products and services in their preferred currency.

Documentation Page of ApyHub’s DNS Currency Dictionary API

Payment Processing APIs

The payment process is where the deal is sealed. As a developer, you can make it as simple and seamless as possible with these APIs:

Convert Currency to Multiple Currencies API: ApyHub’s Convert Currency to Multiple Currencies API allows the conversion of single source currency to multiple target currencies. Ideal for international transactions, allowing customers to see prices and make payments in their local currency.

Documentation Page of ApyHub’s Convert Currency to Multiple Currencies API
Stripe API: The Stripe API allows applications to accept payments online directly into their bank account from any part of the world. This API supports a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, direct debits, and newer forms like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Documentation Page of Stripe API
PayPal API: PayPal is one of the most widely used payment gateways, known for its ease of use and broad consumer acceptance. The PayPal API integrates easily into e-commerce platforms, enabling businesses to accept payments from both PayPal accounts and credit/debit cards without redirecting users away from their site.

PayPal’s Developer Portal Homepage

Marketplace APIs

Marketplaces are a great way to create visibility for a product and expand in new markets in a relatively easy way. Here are some APIs that can help you with this:

eBay API: The eBay API offers a wide range of functionalities for sellers, including the ability to list items on eBay, manage product inventory, set product prices and handle orders directly through your own platform. It also provides access to eBay's catalog, allowing for detailed product descriptions and comparisons.

eBay’s Developer Portal Homepage
Amazon Selling Partner API: The Selling Partner API allows access to data on orders, shipments, and payments. An e-commerce application using the SP-API can increase its selling efficiency, reduce labor requirements and improve response time to customers.

Amazon’s Selling Partner API Homepage
Walmart Marketplace Partners API: The Walmart Marketplace Partners API allows you to list your products on Walmart, manage your product inventory and process orders on these vast marketplaces, directly from your application.

Walmart’s Developer Portal Homepage

Shipping and Fulfillment APIs:

Efficient logistics is key to customer satisfaction and closing an order in a nice way. Here’s how you can optimize shipping and order fulfillment with APIs:

Generate Barcode/QR Code API: Streamline the packaging process by generating codes for easy tracking and management. ApyHub’s QR Code and Bar Code API can quickly generate codes for easy shipment tracking and management.

Looking to generate a personalized QR Code with a logo and branding?

ApyHub’s API Catalog Search Page
ShipEngine API. This ShipEngine API allows you to integrate with major carriers, enabling businesses to compare rates, generate shipping labels, and track shipments in real time.

ShipEngine's API Homepage
Validate Postcodes: Customers sometimes provide incorrect postal codes which leads to products getting misrouted from delivery partners and getting delayed in shipment. ApyHub currently provides Postcode Validation APIs for India and the UK. You can also try the FEDEX API that enables FedEx customers to validate postal codes and get the service commitments. It supports city, postal, country and Origin-Destination related lookups and the validations. It returns verified postal and location details in the reply.

ApyHub’s API Catalog Search Page

Taxes and Invoicing APIs:

The complexity of taxes and invoicing can be simplified with APIs as well:

Validate IFSC Code API: For regulatory compliances in countries like INDIA, all transactional data must be accurate and verifiable. ApyHub’s Validate IFSC Code API can help validate IFSC codes to ensure that transactions like payout or refunds conducted through the platform can be accurately reported and audited.

Documentation Page of ApyHub’s Validate IFSC Code
TaxJar Tax Calculator API:TaxJar is a modern cloud platform that automates sales tax compliance. They provide automatic preparation and submission of tax returns.

TaxJar’s Homepage
Invoice Generator API: An API that converts HTML to PDF can facilitate the generation of invoices and receipts directly from HTML templates. This capability allows for the customization of invoice designs, ensuring that they align with your brand identity while providing all necessary transaction details. ApyHub’s HTML to PDF API allows you to programmatically convert an HTML file to a PDF document that can be easily shared via email, and file-sharing services.

Documentation Page of ApyHub’s HTML to PDF API

How to choose the right e-commerce APIs?

Now that we had a look at some of the most popular APIs, I wanted to take a look at some of the key considerations for choosing the right API. Choosing the right API involves understanding your platform's specific needs and evaluating potential APIs based on several criteria. These are some criteria and best practices that can help to choose providers :

API's scalability: Look for an API that can handle your current business volume and scale as your business grows. It should support increased requests and data loads without compromising performance and should avoid potential bottlenecks during peak times.
Security measures: Security is paramount in e-commerce. Choose an API that offers robust security features to protect sensitive customer data and transactions. This includes encryption, secure authentication methods, and regular security updates
Ease of integration: The API you select should be easy to integrate with your existing systems and tech stack. It should offer compatibility with the languages and frameworks you use and not require extensive changes to your current setup.
Documentation and support: Good documentation is crucial for any API. It should be clear, comprehensive, and up-to-date, providing all the necessary information for developers to integrate and use the API effectively. Additionally, responsive support from the API provider can greatly assist in resolving any issues or queries that may arise during integration or operation.**
Compliance with regulations: Ensure the API complies with relevant e-commerce regulations and standards, such as PCI DSS for payment processing, GDPR for data protection in Europe, and other local laws affecting your business.**

Last thoughts:

E-commerce APIs are invaluable tools for businesses looking to quickly build functionalities. From saving development time and resources to improving scalability and customer experience, they offer a wide range of benefits. ApyHub provides a catalog of E-Commerce APIs under a single subscription with comprehensive documentation and an API Playground to test the functionalities beforehand.

Working on an e-commerce application?

What did you think of our list? Did we miss anything? Let us know!