Payments at scale: how API-driven solutions support government disbursements

The complexity of large-scale public payments

Governments in Ireland and the UK process billions in public funds each year. As these payouts affect millions of citizens, expectations around speed, transparency, and accountability have grown, as reflected in reforms like the UK’s rebuilt Payment Practices Reporting Service.

To keep pace, public bodies are reviewing their government disbursement solutions to meet modern standards.

API-driven payment automation removes much of the manual work, while controls like multi-user authorisation help ensure payments reach the correct recipients. Fire’s API, for example, allows organisations to create batch disbursements, receive webhook notifications when funds arrive, and reconcile payments in real time, reducing processing time and lowering the risk of errors across complex payment flows.

Fire has already shown this approach works at scale in Ireland and the UK. GoodBox, for example, uses Fire’s webhooks to make same-day payouts to over 3,000 charities, while GRID and other partners have cut manual processing from 90 minutes to just 15 minutes a day. These examples demonstrate how pairing regulated financial services with a flexible, fully programmable API can support the secure, scalable payment flows required for government disbursements.

Legacy systems slowing down public payments

Across Ireland and the UK, public-sector departments and agencies are at different stages of digital maturity. According to the UK’s State of Digital Government review, only around half of public services currently offer a digital channel, meaning many payment processes continue to rely on a mix of legacy applications, spreadsheets, and banking interfaces.

As a result, disbursement requests often move through multiple systems with separate approval screens, routing rules, and reconciliation steps. These manual hand-offs add time and administrative effort, and increase the likelihood of errors.

How outdated systems slow down emergency payments

During emergency relief programmes, such as flood support payments in Ireland, public bodies continue to improve their digital processes, but many payments still involve multiple systems. Applications approved in one platform often need to be exported to spreadsheets, manually checked by finance teams, and then re-uploaded into a separate banking portal. Each hand-off adds time and risk, sometimes delaying funds by days or weeks, while increasing administrative effort and putting pressure on teams.

API-driven payment infrastructure removes these bottlenecks by connecting systems directly to verified data. Once approvals are complete, payments can be triggered automatically, with every step recorded for audit and reconciliation. This approach speeds up processing, reduces manual work, and provides clear oversight. Automation also helps public bodies modernise payment operations, supporting digital government initiatives and open banking while maintaining regulatory controls.

How Fire supports government disbursements

The Fire Payments API provides a secure foundation for scalable government disbursement solutions. It allows public and semi-state bodies to embed payments directly into their own systems, while maintaining clear oversight and control. The Fire Payments API brings together the core capabilities governments need to run large, regulated disbursement programmes efficiently and with full auditability.

Using Fire, organisations can:

• Send bulk or batch payments to thousands of recipients in a single run, reducing processing time from days to minutes.

• Set up multi-level approval workflows with clear records to support governance, compliance, and audit requirements.

• Verify recipient details and apply fraud checks to help prevent misdirected or duplicate payments, addressing the risk‑reduction goal highlighted by public‑sector fraud reviews.

A typical government grant payment workflow

1. The department approves a grant application in its case‑management system.

2. The system calls Fire’s CreateBatch endpoint.

3. The system creates a payment instruction (batchItem) by providing the list of approved recipients (name, IBAN or Sort Code/Account Number, amount).

4. Account verification runs automatically. Any invalid IBANs are flagged and returned for correction.

5. Once all payments are added, the batch is submitted via SubmitBatch.

6. Fire confirms processing through a specified callback URL.

7. (Optional) The batch enters a multi-level approval workflow, requiring approval from a finance officer and a senior manager.

8. Once fully approved, Fire sends the payments to the beneficiaries’ accounts.

9. The system checks batch status, updating the department’s dashboard in real time, with a green tick next to each recipient.

10. All actions — creation, verification, approvals, submission, and callbacks — are stored in an immutable audit log, accessible via API and Fire’s web portal.

Outcome: A transparent, efficient, and auditable end-to-end process that moves money quickly, reduces manual errors, and provides verifiable proof that funds have been delivered as promised.

Building trust through faster, accurate payments

Reliable payment processes make a real difference to public services. Clear visibility over payment flows and a full record of every step help departments show when grants or refunds were issued and received, supporting transparency, statutory reporting, and audit requirements.

Automation speeds up payments. Batch processing and multi-level approvals mean funds that once took days can now reach recipients within hours. Built-in verification reduces errors, misdirected payments, and fraud risk, while freeing staff from manual tasks so they can focus on higher-value work.

Faster delivery, fewer errors, and clear records strengthen public trust. Citizens receive funds on time, departments retain control, and auditors can track payments quickly, creating a more reliable and accountable approach to public-sector disbursements, even during high-volume periods such as grant cycles or relief programmes.

Fire: powering faster, secure government payments

Using Fire’s Payments API, public bodies can deliver the outcomes citizens expect: fast, reliable, and transparent payments that meet compliance requirements. Bulk payments can be created, approved, and sent in a single flow, ensuring grants, tax refunds, and emergency relief reach recipients in hours instead of days. Built‑in confirmation and verification of payee checks help prevent misdirected or fraudulent transfers by confirming that account details match the intended recipient before funds are sent. Every action is logged, approvals are tracked, and built‑in account checks prevent errors and strengthen fraud protection.

Fire’s infrastructure is scalable and already used by large financial institutions across Europe. Partners report manual processing time dropping from 1.5 hours to 15 minutes per day, with same-day payouts delivered at scale. From automated batch creation to real-time reconciliation, Fire replaces paper-heavy processes with a single, auditable workflow that aligns with public-sector fraud-prevention standards, supporting secure and scalable government disbursement solutions while maintaining control and public confidence.

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At Fire, we help public bodies streamline payments and manage large-scale disbursements efficiently. Regulated in both the UK and Ireland, we provide secure, API-driven government disbursement solutions that combine speed, transparency, and compliance. Looking to explore how Fire can help streamline disbursements for your department or public initiative? Contact our sales team for personalised guidance.