Third-party payment interfaces

A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

• receiving, via a network interface through a telecommunications network, from a client computing system, a client application, the client application modified via a software development kit (SDK) that is received by the client computing system from an external service provider computing system that is independent from the client computing system and that administers funds to be used to make a set of one or more payments, the SKD including an application programming interface (API) bank comprising a plurality of APIs and causing modification of a GUI of the client application such that a visually-perceptible active link presented by the client application allows a user to access at least one of the plurality of APIs from within the client application to initiate API calls to and from the external service provider computing system;
• presenting, via one or more user interfaces, the GUI of the client application, the GUI requesting information on the set of one or more payments to be processed by the external service provider computing system;
• accepting from a first user, via the one or more user interfaces, the requested information on the set of payments;
• transmitting, via the network interface through the telecommunications network, the information to the client computing system;
• presenting, via the one or more user interfaces, the visually-perceptible active link that is activatable using the one or more user interfaces to submit the set of payments for approval via a second computing device;
• receiving a signal from the one or more user interfaces indicating activation of the link;
• in response to receiving the signal, transmitting, via the network interface, a first command to the client computing system commanding the client computing system to make a submit-payment application programming interface (API) call to the external service provider computing system and to accompany the submit-payment API call with a security token that:
• (i) is generated by and received from the external service provider computer system;
• (ii) is unique to the client computing system and a second user who is registered with the external service provider computing system as having payment approval rights;
• (iii) identifies the client computing system and indicates that the client computing system is authorized to submit API calls to the external service provider computing system via an API gateway;
• and
• (iv) includes login credentials used by the second user to enable the external service provider computing system to process the set of payments, wherein:
• the set of payments are submitted for approval from within an operating environment of the client application without interacting with an operating environment of an application or website of the external service provider computing system that processes the payments, and
• the submit-payment API call causes the set of payments to be made available for approval, via the second computing device, by the second user who is registered with the external service provider computing system as having payment approval rights;
• presenting, via the e or more user interfaces, a visually-perceptible display element indicating that the set of payments has been submitted for approval;
• transmitting, via the network interface, a second command to the client computing system commanding the client computing system to make a view-payment API call to the external service provider computing system, wherein the view-payment API call includes the security token;
• receiving, directly from the external service provider computing system via the network interface, and in response to the view-payment API call of the client computing system to the external service provider computing system, a status that approval was received at the external service provider computing system from the second computing device;
• and
• presenting, via the one or more user interfaces, a second visually-perceptible display element indicating that the set of payments has been approved.

A client computing system comprising:

• a network interface configured to communicate data with a first computing device, a second computing device, and an external service provider computing system via a telecommunications network;
• and
• a processor and a memory having stored thereon instructions configured to cause the processor to:
• receive, from the external service provider computing system via the network interface, a software development kit (SDK), the SDK including an application programming interface (API) bank comprising a plurality of APIs, the SDK causing modification of a graphical user interface (GUI) of a client application such that a first visually-perceptible link presented by the client application allows a user to access at least one of the plurality of APIs from within the client application;
• receive, from the external service provider computing system via the network interface, a security token generated by the external service provider computing system and transmitted to the client computing system following approval of a request to integrate payment functionality provided by the external service provider computing system into a client application, wherein the security token:
• (i) is unique to the client computing system and a second user who is registered with the external service provider computing system as having payment approval rights;
• (ii) identifies the client computing system and indicates that the client computing system is authorized to submit API calls to the external service provider computing system via an API gateway;
• and
• (iii) includes login credentials used by the second user to enable the external service provider computing system to process the set of payments;
• receive, from the first computing device running the client application, through the network interface, information on a set of one or more payments to be made using funds administered by the external service provider computing system, wherein the client application receives the information via the GUI requesting the information;
• receive, through the network interface, a first indication from the first computing device that the set of payments is to be submitted for approval, wherein the first indication is transmitted by the first computing device to the client computing system in response to activation of the visually-perceptible link, the link being activatable via one or more user interfaces of the first computing device to submit the set of payments for approval via the second computing device;
• in response to receiving the first indication, transmit, via the network interface, a submit-payment (API) call to the external service provider computing system along with the security token, wherein the submit-payment API call causes the set of payments to be made available for approval, via the second computing device, by a second user who is registered with the external service provider computing system as having payment approval rights;
• transmit, via the network interface, to the first computing device, a confirmation that the set of payments have been submitted to the external service provider computing system for approval, wherein the client application is configured to cause the client computing system to make the submit-payment API call without interacting with an operating environment of an application or website of the external service provider computing system;
• receive, via the network interface, a second indication from the first computing device running the client application, to make a view-payment API call to the external service provider computing system, wherein the view-payment API call includes the security token;
• in response to the receiving of the second indication, transmit, via the network interface, to the external service provider computing system, the view-payment API call, the view-payment API call prompting the external service provider computing system to transmit, directly from the external service provider computing system to the first computing device, a status that approval was received at the external service provider computing system from the second computing device, the status causing the first computing system to present, via one or more user interfaces, a second visually-perceptible display element indicating that the set of payments has been approved.