Developer Quickstart

This guide walks you through accepting your first payment using Pursar’s Sandbox environment. You’ll learn how to authenticate with your test API key and trigger a Mobile Money or Card payment.

Step 1: Obtain your Sandbox API Key

In your Pursar Merchant Dashboard, navigate to Developers > API Keys to copy your test Secret Key:

sk_test_uLsofsae3tB9Izwgeuy0Mxbh4JIxUPSG

Step 2: Choose your Integration Path

Pursar offers two primary ways to collect payments:

Direct Mobile Money Charge

Trigger an instant USSD / STK push on the customer’s phone without redirecting them to a web page. Best for mobile apps, USSD menus, and custom checkout flows.

Hosted Checkout Sessions

Redirect customers to a secure, mobile-optimized checkout page supporting Mobile Money, Cards, and Bank Transfer with zero frontend code.

Step 3: Make your First API Request

Let’s initiate a direct Mobile Money charge for 25,000 XAF to an MTN Cameroon mobile wallet:

curl -X POST https://api.viarosandbox.com/v1/charges/mobile-money \
  -u sk_test_uLsofsae3tB9Izwgeuy0Mxbh4JIxUPSG: \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "amount": 25000,
    "currency": "XAF",
    "phone": "+237671234567",
    "customer_name": "Amara Diallo",
    "customer_email": "[email protected]",
    "description": "Quickstart Test License #101"
  }'

import requests

url = "https://api.viarosandbox.com/v1/charges/mobile-money"
auth = ("sk_test_uLsofsae3tB9Izwgeuy0Mxbh4JIxUPSG", "")

payload = {
    "amount": 25000,
    "currency": "XAF",
    "phone": "+237671234567",
    "customer_name": "Amara Diallo",
    "customer_email": "[email protected]",
    "description": "Quickstart Test License #101"
}

response = requests.post(url, auth=auth, json=payload)
print(response.json())

const axios = require('axios');

async function testCharge() {
  const response = await axios.post(
    'https://api.viarosandbox.com/v1/charges/mobile-money',
    {
      amount: 25000,
      currency: 'XAF',
      phone: '+237671234567',
      customer_name: 'Amara Diallo',
      customer_email: '[email protected]',
      description: 'Quickstart Test License #101'
    },
    {
      auth: {
        username: 'sk_test_uLsofsae3tB9Izwgeuy0Mxbh4JIxUPSG',
        password: ''
      }
    }
  );

  console.log(response.data);
}

testCharge();

Expected Response

In Sandbox mode, Pursar instantly simulates the telco response and transitions the charge to requires_action (or successful):

{
  "id": "tx_4a1b2c3d4e5f",
  "object": "charge",
  "status": "requires_action",
  "amount": 25000,
  "currency": "XAF",
  "customer_name": "Amara Diallo",
  "customer_email": "[email protected]",
  "description": "Quickstart Test License #101",
  "payment_method": {
    "type": "mobile_money",
    "network": "MTN",
    "phone": "+237671234567"
  },
  "next_action": {
    "type": "verify_with_phone",
    "instructions": "A push prompt has been sent to +237671234567. Authorize with your Mobile Money PIN."
  }
}

Step 4: Listen for Webhooks

To update your database and unlock digital products when payments succeed, register a webhook listener at POST /webhook_endpoints. Pursar delivers HMAC SHA-256 signed event payloads (charge.successful, payment_intent.succeeded). Check the Webhook Verification Guide for full signature validation examples in Python, Node.js, and PHP.

Getting Started

Payment Acceptance

Recurring & Subscriptions

Enterprise & Reliability

Step 1: Obtain your Sandbox API Key

Step 2: Choose your Integration Path

Direct Mobile Money Charge

Hosted Checkout Sessions

Step 3: Make your First API Request

Expected Response

Step 4: Listen for Webhooks

​Step 1: Obtain your Sandbox API Key

​Step 2: Choose your Integration Path

Direct Mobile Money Charge

Hosted Checkout Sessions

​Step 3: Make your First API Request

​Expected Response

​Step 4: Listen for Webhooks

Step 1: Obtain your Sandbox API Key

Step 2: Choose your Integration Path

Step 3: Make your First API Request

Expected Response

Step 4: Listen for Webhooks