# Prerequisite API calls
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/index.md

> Run the API requests in the sequence below before submitting a purchase request to create a VCN. These API requests return the information necessary to submit a request for a VCN.

| Order |                                                                                         Request                                                                                          |    Input    |                                                           Output                                                           |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1     | [getDataSource](https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/getdatasource/index.md)                                              | None        | * Data Source ID * Data Source \[Name\]                                                                                    |
| 2     | [getCompanies](https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/getcompanies/index.md)                                                | None        | * ID * Company Name * Issuer Name                                                                                          |
| 3     | [getRealCards](https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/getrealcards/index.md)                                                | Company ID  | * RCN ID * RCN Alias                                                                                                       |
| 4     | [getCompanyPurchaseTemplates](https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/getcompanypurchasetemplates/index.md)                  | Company ID  | * Template ID * Template Name * Template Description                                                                       |
| 5     | [getCompanyPurchaseTemplateDetailRequest](https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/getcompanypurchasetemplatedetail/index.md) | Template ID | * Template ID * Template Name * Template Description <br /> Define: * Purchase Type (MCCs) * Controls * Custom Data Fields |
| 6     | [getSuppliers](https://developer.mastercard.com/iccp/documentation/05_api_reference/soap_api/configuration-details/getsuppliers/index.md)                                                | Company ID  | * Supplier ID * Supplier Name                                                                                              |

Note: The getSuppliers request is not applicable to ICMP.

### Descriptions {#descriptions}

|      Item      |                                      Description                                       |
|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Data Source ID | Use to create purchase requests.                                                       |
| Company ID     | ID of companies that you can access.                                                   |
| RCN ID         | Unique in the platform.                                                                |
| RCN Alias      | Free text. Not forced to be unique, but helps to avoid confusion in the GUI drop down. |
| Template ID    | Unique in the platform.                                                                |
| Supplier ID    | Unique in the platform.                                                                |