General Questions

What is ETAS?

The Embedded Transaction Account Solution (ETAS) is a Fifth Third Bank-sponsored embedded banking solution that enables fintechs, SaaS providers, and program managers to facilitate business payments through a bank-owned custodial (FBO) account structure without obtaining their own banking license.

For more information about ETAS architecture, onboarding activities, and implementation requirements, see the ETAS Quick Start Onboarding Guide.

How is ETAS different from EDAS?

The Embedded Transaction Account Solution (ETAS) is a simplified version of Embedded Deposit Account Solution (EDAS) designed to provide a more streamlined onboarding and implementation experience. ETAS focuses on reducing implementation complexity while maintaining core payment and operational capabilities.

For more information about supported payment rails and implementation considerations, see the API Integration Guide.

What payment rails are supported?

ETAS supports:

ACH
Wire Transfers
Book Transfers

Supported payment rails may vary depending on your program configuration.

Who maintains customer balances?

Clients are responsible for maintaining their own ledger solution and tracking customer balances and transaction activity. ETAS follows a "Bring Your Own Ledger" model.

Do clients receive their own bank account?

No. Funds are maintained in a Fifth Third Bank-owned FBO account structure. Customers do not receive direct bank accounts through ETAS.

Onboarding Questions

What are the primary implementation components?

ETAS onboarding consists of two primary technical workstreams:

API Integration
Batch File (DataMart) Integration Both integrations are typically completed in parallel.

For more information about ETAS architecture, onboarding activities, and implementation requirements, see the ETAS Quick Start Onboarding Guide, API Integration Guide, or the Batch File Integration Guide.

When does implementation begin?

Implementation typically begins after required agreements have been executed and onboarding activities have been initiated. Clients receive documentation and participate in technical walkthrough sessions before development work starts.

What technical resources are needed?

Typical implementation teams include:

Technical lead
Application developers
Data engineers
Security resources
QA/testing resources
Business stakeholders

How long does implementation take?

Implementation timelines vary depending on:

Payment rails selected
Internal development resources
Data availability
Testing requirements
Organizational readiness

Your implementation team will provide guidance during onboarding.

API Integration Questions

How do I obtain API credentials?

Credentials are provided during onboarding by the implementation team. Credentials typically include:

Client identifiers
API credentials
Sandbox access information
Endpoint details

How is authentication handled?

ETAS uses the same authentication framework utilized by other Newline API services. Clients are responsible for:

Securing credentials
Implementing token management
Managing token expiration
Protecting authentication secrets

For detailed authentication requirements and implementation guidance, see the API Integration Guide and Newline API Reference.

Can I test before going live?

Yes. All clients are required to complete:

Connectivity testing
Functional testing
Payment testing
Reconciliation testing
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) before production approval is granted.

Do all payment rails have to be implemented?

No. Clients only implement payment rails applicable to their approved ETAS program.

What happens if an API request fails?

Applications should implement appropriate error handling for:

Authentication failures
Validation errors
Connectivity interruptions
Processing failures
Timeout events

Refer to the API Integration Guide for implementation recommendations.

Batch File Integration Questions

What files are required for ETAS?

ETAS requires two primary files:

Business File
Transaction File These files are delivered through the approved SFTP channel.

What is the Business File used for?

The Business File provides information about businesses participating in the ETAS program and supports reporting, operational oversight, and monitoring processes.

What is the Transaction File used for?

The Transaction File provides transaction-level activity associated with the ETAS program and supports reporting, reconciliation, and operational monitoring.

How are files transmitted?

Files are transmitted using Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

Are file specifications available?

Yes. Business File and Transaction File specifications are provided as downloadable spreadsheet-based documents to support engineering and implementation teams.

Reconciliation Questions

Why is reconciliation required?

Reconciliation helps confirm that:

Ledger balances are accurate.
Transactions were processed correctly.
Reporting outputs align with source systems.
Operational controls are functioning as expected.

When should reconciliation occur?

Clients should perform reconciliation according to their internal operational processes and program requirements.

Typical reconciliation activities include:

Daily transaction balancing
Exception review
Variance investigation

What should I do if balances do not reconcile?

Review:

Source transactions
Submitted file contents
Processing results
Exception reports

If reconciliation discrepancies remain unresolved, contact your implementation or support team.

Support Questions

Who do I contact for implementation support?

Clients should contact their assigned Newline implementation team for assistance with:

Authentication
API integrations
SFTP setup
File specifications
Testing activities
Production onboarding

When should I contact support?

Contact support when:

Authentication is failing.
Files cannot be processed.
Connectivity cannot be established.
Transactions are not behaving as expected.
Reconciliation discrepancies are identified.

Is support available during testing?

Yes. Implementation teams assist throughout onboarding, testing, validation, and production readiness activities.

ETAS FAQs