I have the a) problem and have yet to find a solution that doesn't involve (manually) sending a fixed-format file with transfer orders to the bank we work with.

I have the a) problem and have yet to find a solution that doesn't involve (manually) sending a fixed-format file with transfer orders to the bank we work with...transfers within the EU are free, though, but this is the bank's policy (due to competition, of course). A simple RESTful API that can be used for ACH transfers across countries or even continents would be killer, given the current options...