# API Basics
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/business-payment-controls/documentation/api-basics/index.md

## API security {#api-security}

The section provides introductory information for integrating your application with the Business Payment Controls for SME API.
Note: For simplicity, we will refer to Business Payment Controls for SME as Business Payment Controls throughout the flows that follow.

### Client authentication {#client-authentication}

Mastercard uses OAuth 1.0a for authenticating your application. You can manage your authentication keys from your [Developer Dashboard](https://developer.mastercard.com/dashboard) after you create a project using Business Payment Controls.
Tip: Do you want to learn more about the authentication scheme Mastercard uses? Read our [Using OAuth 1.0a to Access Mastercard APIs](https://developer.mastercard.com/platform/documentation/security-and-authentication/using-oauth-1a-to-access-mastercard-apis/) guide.

## How to Consume the Business Payment Controls API {#how-to-consume-the-business-payment-controls-api}

Note: There are multiple ways of integrating with Business Payment Controls:

1. Using a generated API client (recommended)
2. Using a method of your choice

### Generating your own Business Payment Controls API client {#generating-your-own-business-payment-controls-api-client}

Create customizable API clients from the Business Payment Controls API specification. This approach offers more flexibility and is strongly recommended.

For this, please follow our [Generating and Configuring a Mastercard API Client](https://developer.mastercard.com/platform/documentation/security-and-authentication/generating-and-configuring-a-mastercard-api-client/) tutorial with the
[business-payment-controls-swagger.yaml](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/business-payment-controls/swagger/business-payment-controls-swagger.yaml) (213KB) API spec.

### Using a method of your choice {#using-a-method-of-your-choice}

My Service exposes a REST API: you are free to use the REST/HTTP client of your choice and can still leverage the Mastercard open-source [client libraries](https://developer.mastercard.com/platform/documentation/security-and-authentication/using-oauth-1a-to-access-mastercard-apis/#client-libraries) for signing your requests.

Refer to the Business Payment Controls [Reference application](https://developer.mastercard.com/business-payment-controls/documentation/reference-app/index.md).

### Environment domains {#environment-domains}

Mastercard provides a sandbox and a production environment. You should test your integration in a sandbox environment to validate its operation. After completing your testing in the Business Payment Controls sandbox, request access to the production environment to go live.
Note: The Sandbox environment URL for all new Business Payment Controls customers has been updated to <https://sandbox.apiedge.mastercard.com/commercial>. Existing customers currently using <https://mtf.apiedge.mastercard.com/commercial> will not be required to migrate, and this environment will continue to be fully supported.

| Environment name |                                                                             Description                                                                              |                        Link                         |
|------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Sandbox          | The pre-production test environment containing the latest pre-release version of the real APIs, intended for full integration testing prior to moving to production. | `https://sandbox.apiedge.mastercard.com/commercial` |
| Production       | The full production environment containing the latest production API release.                                                                                        | `https://apiedge.mastercard.com/commercial`         |

Access the environments using the following links:
* Sandbox
* Production

```xml
https://sandbox.apiedge.mastercard.com/commercial
```

```xml
https://apiedge.mastercard.com/commercial
```