# Places
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/places/documentation/index.md

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###### For more details, visit the [Mastercard Places Product Page](https://developer.mastercard.com/places/product/places/index.md) to explore more on the key features, advanced use cases, and delivery options.

## Overview {#overview}

##### Service Description {#service-description}

Places is Mastercard's comprehensive global point-of-interest dataset, delivering the most accurate and current snapshot
of merchant locations accepting Mastercard, both in brick-and-mortar stores and eCommerce. Places provides the essential
data for clients to power the programs and solutions they develop for their customers and internal needs.

Places data is sourced from anonymized transaction data using the Mastercard payments network, cleansed with proprietary
data cleansing rules, and matched to best-in-class third-party location listings. Mastercard then appends unique metadata
and merchant attributes derived from the transaction data. As a point-of-interest dataset, Places is a market leader due to:

* **Freshness** - Mastercard sees when a store opens/closes/changes faster than other data sources
* **Completeness** - Mastercard is one of the few truly global directories of merchants for both brick \& mortar and ecommerce
* **Accuracy** - With decades of experience managing merchant data quality, overall dataset accuracy is unmatched

## How it Works {#how-it-works}

The Places Search feature allows you to fetch a list of locations based on specific criteria you provide. A common
application of this feature is performing a "near me" search within a consumer application. For example, by inputting a
user's latitude and longitude, Places can generate a list of the ten nearest department stores that accept contactless payments.
Diagram placesOverview

## Next Steps {#next-steps}

To get more familiar with our Places API you can check out the [API Reference Page](https://developer.mastercard.com/places/documentation/api-reference/index.md).
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## Evaluate using real data {#evaluate-using-real-data}

#### Service Overview {#service-overview}

Want to access production data before committing? Our **Free Trial Access** gives you **28 days** to explore and evaluate our API with up to **10.000 free
calls** -- no upfront commitment required.

#### Developer Account Requirements {#developer-account-requirements}

Before requesting access, we recommend the following steps:

1. [Create developer account](https://developer.mastercard.com/account/sign-up) **using your company email**, if you do not already have one.
2. **Start a new project** to access to Test API sandbox.
3. **Explore the Test API sandbox** to understand how our responses work.

#### Get Started Quickly {#get-started-quickly}

1. **Navigate to your project dashboard** using the button below.   
   From there, select the project you created for sandbox testing, then click the **Request Production Access** button located on the right side of the screen and complete the request form.
2. **Sign our Terms \& Conditions** (T\&Cs), included in our follow-up validation email.
3. **Access and evaluate production data**, made available once we review the signed T\&Cs.

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