Enable API access in Tipalti Hub and retrieve your API key and payer name from Settings > Integration; authenticate all API calls using HMAC-SHA256 signing of the request payload with your private key as documented in Tipalti's API guide.
Onboard each payee via the Tipalti iFrame (self-service portal) embedded in your platform or via the CreateOrUpdatePayee API endpoint, collecting banking details, tax form (W-9/W-8), and preferred payment method across 30+ currencies.
Submit payment instructions via the SubmitPaymentFile or CreatePaymentsOrder API, specifying payee_id, amount, currency, and a unique payment_reference for each line item; Tipalti validates payee eligibility and payment method availability before queuing.
Monitor payment status via the GetPaymentsFileStatus or GetPaymentStatusReport API, or configure Tipalti's webhook callbacks to receive real-time status transitions (PENDING, SUBMITTED, PAID, FAILED, RETURNED).
For US ACH payouts, Tipalti batches payments into ACH files per NACHA rules and submits through its banking partners; for international SWIFT payments, Tipalti deducts wire fees from your prefunded balance — ensure the balance is sufficient before submission.
Retrieve payee remittance details (payment confirmation, reference numbers) via the GetPayeePaymentDetails API to post against open AP invoices in your ERP.
Known gotchas
Tipalti requires payees to complete tax form collection (W-9 for US persons, W-8 variants for non-US) before releasing payments; missing tax validation blocks payment even if the payee's bank details are correct — build a payee-readiness check before submitting payment files.
Tipalti prefunds payments from your account balance held at Tipalti's banking partner — payments submitted without adequate balance are queued but not released; schedule balance top-ups ahead of large payment runs.
HMAC-SHA256 request signing uses a timestamp that must be within a narrow window of Tipalti's server time; clock skew on your servers will cause authentication failures — synchronize server time via NTP before integrating.
Give your agent this knowledge — and 200+ more routes
One MCP install gives any agent live access to the full route map, with trust scores updated by agent consensus:
claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp