# Ascendant > Ascendant provides global payment and foreign exchange technology for businesses and financial institutions, helping them send, receive, convert, and manage money across more than 200 countries and territories. Ascendant combines global payments, FX, payee management, payment tracking, treasury capabilities, and API connectivity through its aPay platform. ## For Businesses - Business Payment Solutions: Manage international payments, foreign exchange, payees, approvals, and payment tracking through one connected platform. - Sending Payments: Pay international vendors, suppliers, contractors, and other beneficiaries using international wires, Global ACH, and in-country payment methods. - aPay: Create, approve, fund, send, and track global payments through Ascendant’s web-based payment platform. - Payee Management: Collect vendor banking information through a secure workflow and validate required payment data before money is sent. - FX Risk Management: Execute foreign exchange transactions and manage future currency exposure using spot transactions, forward contracts, and support from FX specialists. - Track 360: Track international payments from initiation through delivery and provide payment status visibility to senders and recipients. ##For Financial Institutions - Financial Institution Payment Solutions: Add international payment and FX capabilities without building and maintaining cross-border payment infrastructure internally. - Partner With Ascendant: Connect Ascendant’s payment infrastructure through APIs, white-label solutions, and other integration options. - aPay Pro: Provide business customers with international payment capabilities using Ascendant’s payment platform and infrastructure. - Payment APIs: Integrate global payment capabilities into existing banking, fintech, ERP, or treasury workflows. ##Global Payment Capabilities - International wires: Send cross-border bank payments through the SWIFT network. - Global ACH: Send cross-border payments through local banking and clearing systems to reduce intermediary banks and payment costs. - In-country payments: Deliver funds through domestic payment rails in supported countries even when the sender is located elsewhere. - Multi-currency payments: Send payments in more than 140 currencies across more than 200 countries and territories. - Virtual accounts: Receive supported foreign currencies without opening a traditional local bank account in each market. - Holding accounts: Hold supported foreign currencies for future payments or conversion instead of automatically converting incoming funds. - Payment file upload: Upload payment files from ERP or accounting systems for batch payment processing. - API connectivity: Connect payment workflows directly to ERP, banking, fintech, or treasury systems. - Payment scheduling: Schedule future payments through aPay. - Approval workflows: Configure payment approvals and controls before funds are released. ##Payment Accuracy and Vendor Management - Payee Management: Allow vendors and other payees to securely submit their own banking information instead of relying on email and manual data entry. - Payee Intelligence: Validate banking information against country and currency requirements before a payment is sent. - Payment validation: Identify missing or incorrect beneficiary information before money moves to reduce payment failures and returns. - Payment return rate: Ascendant’s Payee Intelligence helps keep payment return rates below 0.5%. ##Payment Tracking - Track 360: Provide real-time visibility into the status and journey of international payments. - SWIFT payment tracking: Track supported wire payments using SWIFT payment information. - Recipient visibility: Share payment status information with payees to reduce “where is my payment” inquiries. - Payment investigations: Ascendant’s payment team supports clients when payments require investigation, tracing, or resolution. ##Foreign Exchange and Treasury - FX Risk Management: Manage currency conversions and foreign exchange exposure alongside global payments. - Spot FX: Convert currencies at the current exchange rate for immediate or near-term settlement. - Forward contracts: Lock in an exchange rate for a future payment date to reduce exposure to currency movements. - Multi-currency management: Receive, hold, convert, and send supported foreign currencies through Ascendant’s payment infrastructure. - FX specialists: Work directly with Ascendant’s foreign exchange team on payment timing, currency conversion, and FX risk management. ##Integrations - API integration: Automate payment creation and related workflows by connecting Ascendant directly with existing systems. - ERP integration: Connect payment workflows with accounting and ERP systems to reduce manual entry and reconciliation work. - File integration: Upload or automatically transfer payment files for high-volume payment processing. - White-label integration: Embed Ascendant-powered international payment capabilities within a financial institution or partner experience. - Single sign-on: Connect users to Ascendant payment capabilities through existing authentication and internal systems. ##Security and Compliance - Compliance: Review Ascendant’s regulatory, security, compliance, and complaint-resolution information. - AML and KYC: Ascendant applies anti-money-laundering, customer verification, and sanctions controls as part of its payment infrastructure. - Payment data validation: Banking information is checked before payments are transmitted to reduce operational risk and payment failures. - Security controls: aPay supports multi-factor authentication, configurable approvals, and payment limits. - SOC certification: Ascendant maintains SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II certifications. ##Industries - Financial Institutions: International payment infrastructure for banks, credit unions, fintechs, and other financial institutions. - Agriculture & Farming: Global supplier payments and foreign exchange management for agricultural businesses. - Manufacturing: International supplier payments and FX management for manufacturers with global supply chains. - Professional Services: International vendor and contractor payments for professional services firms. - Travel & Hospitality: Cross-border supplier and property payments for travel and hospitality businesses. - Global Relocation: International payment workflows for relocation providers and globally distributed operations. - Food & Beverage: Supplier payments and currency management across international food and beverage supply chains. - Automotive: International supplier and parts payments for automotive businesses and manufacturers. - Wine & Spirits: International payments and FX management for wine and spirits importers, exporters, and distributors. ## Solutions - [Solutions overview](https://www.ascendant.world/payment-solutions): How Ascendant's connected platform handles payables, receivables, and FX in one place. - [Sending Payments](https://www.ascendant.world/international-payments/): Send domestic and international payments through global ACH, wires, and local rails via the aPay platform. - [Receiving Payments](https://www.ascendant.world/ar-automation): Automate incoming payments across ACH, lockbox, card, wire, and mobile through ETran by FTNI. - [Payee Management](https://www.ascendant.world/payee-management/): Securely collect and validate payee banking details before payments are sent. - [FX Risk Management](https://www.ascendant.world/fx-risk-management/): Manage currency exposure with forward contracts, multi-currency support, and dedicated FX specialists. - [Track 360 Payment Tracking](https://www.ascendant.world/track-360-payment-tracking): Track payments in real time from initiation to delivery, with shareable tracking links for recipients. ## Industries - [Financial Institutions](https://www.ascendant.world/finance-industry/): Offer modern international payments without building new infrastructure. - [Agriculture & Farming](https://www.ascendant.world/agriculture-industry/): Manage global supplier payments and currency exposure for agricultural trade. - [Manufacturing](https://www.ascendant.world/manufacturing): Simplify high-volume international payments across suppliers and distributors. - [Professional Services](https://www.ascendant.world/professional-services): Pay global vendors and contractors while reducing manual finance work. - [Travel & Hospitality](https://www.ascendant.world/travel-hospitality): Improve payment visibility for global supplier and property payments. - [Global Relocation](https://www.ascendant.world/relocation-industry/): Streamline relocation, payroll, and cross-border payments with fewer errors. - [Food & Beverage](https://www.ascendant.world/food-and-beverage/): Manage supplier payments and FX exposure across global food and beverage supply chains. - [Automotive](https://www.ascendant.world/automotive): Support global parts suppliers and manufacturing operations with cross-border payments. - [Wine & Spirits](https://www.ascendant.world/wine-and-spirits/): Cross-border payment support for wine and spirits importers and exporters. ## Company - [About Us](https://www.ascendant.world/about-us/): Ascendant's history, mission, and office locations. - [Partner With Us](https://www.ascendant.world/partner-with-us/): How financial institutions and fintechs can partner with Ascendant. - [FAQs](https://www.ascendant.world/faqs/): Answers to common questions about payments, security, integration, and pricing. - [Careers](https://www.ascendant.world/careers/): Open roles at Ascendant. - [Contact](https://www.ascendant.world/contact-us): Book a demo or speak with the team. ## Insights - [Insights](https://www.ascendant.world/insights): Market commentary, FX guides, and payment operations advice from Ascendant's team. - [Understanding Mark-to-Market and FX Forward Contracts](https://www.ascendant.world/insights/mark-to-market-forward-contracts-explained): How FX forward contracts protect against currency volatility. - [How Financial Institutions Can Offer Cross-Border Payments](https://www.ascendant.world/insights/how-financial-institutions-can-offer-cross-border-payments): What financial institutions need to offer fast, transparent international payments. - [How to Cut Cross-Border Payment Costs in 2026](https://www.ascendant.world/insights/how-to-cut-cross-border-payment-costs): Where hidden international payment costs come from and how to reduce them. - [Advantages of Paying Vendors in Local Currency vs. USD](https://www.ascendant.world/insights/advantages-of-paying-vendors-in-local-currency-vs.-usd): Why paying overseas vendors in their own currency can lower costs. ## Optional - [Compliance](https://www.ascendant.world/compliance/): SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II certification, regulatory disclosures, and complaint resolution. - [Track 360 overview (PDF)](https://www.ascendant.world/hubfs/Ascendant-Track-360.pdf): One-page summary of the real-time payment tracking tool.