# Onboarding Checklist
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/places/documentation/tutorials-and-guides/onboarding-checklist/index.md

This guide outlines the end-to-end process, expected time frames, and requirements for moving your Places API integration from the Sandbox environment to Production.

The end-to-end process from Sandbox to Production follows this sequence:

1. **Sandbox Testing Complete:** Validate your integration works correctly against the Sandbox environment.
2. **Submit Production Request:** Provide your CID or company details for company verification, plan selection, sign the free trial agreement digitally or consent for enterprise plan. See [Request Production Access](https://developer.mastercard.com/places/documentation/quick-start-guide/index.md#go-live)
3. **Legal Contract:** Sign legal agreement shared by Mastercard regional representatives.
4. **Review \& Approval:** Mastercard will verify your eligibility and submitted information.
5. **Billing Setup:** No billing setup is required for the free trial period. For the Enterprise Plan, share invoicing details with you Mastercard regional representatives for billing setup. An invoice is generated and sent to your billing contact as per agreed cadence.
6. **Production Credentials Issued:** Upon production access approval, you will receive a confirmation mail.
7. **Go Live:** Update your integration to use the production base URL: `https://api.mastercard.com/location-intelligence/places-locator/`

## Prerequisite {#prerequisite}

* Completed integration and testing in the Sandbox environment with a 100% success rate.
* A Mastercard Developers account created using an enterprise email domain (Mastercard will not permit production access for accounts using personal email address domains)

## Step 1: Company verification using Company ID(CID) or Company details {#step-1-company-verification-using-company-idcid-or-company-details}

Company verification is one of the prerequisites required before you can request Production access for Places API. This step is required for Mastercard's risk policies and regulatory compliance. If you are an existing Mastercard customer and do not know your CID, you can find it by logging into [Mastercard Connect](https://www.mastercardconnect.com).

If you are not currently a Mastercard customer you can begin the process by searching via the company details like Company name, address, city, state, country \& postal code and select the company matching your company details and request for verification. Upon submission, a company verification request will be sent for review. Once your company has been verified, the Production access button will be enabled. Know more about the [company verification process](https://developer.mastercard.com/platform/documentation/account-management/company-verification/#3-complete-verification)

## Step 2: Request Production Access {#step-2-request-production-access}

Once you have completed your Sandbox testing and company is verified, you can initiate with production access request. Follow these steps to request production access:

1. **Select a Plan:** Review the plan and choose the one that best fits your requirements (Free or Enterprise Plan).
2. **Provide Service Details:** When requesting production access, you need to provide:
   * Your Industry segment
   * Your Job title
   * Describe your use case
3. **Legal Agreement:** To access Places API in production, a signed contract with Mastercard is required. For Free trial plan, you can sign the Data evaluation agreement digitally directly within the production access request submission. For Enterprise plan, a Mastercard regional representative will contact you with the contract, including pricing details. If you have not heard from a Mastercard representative within 2-3 days, please reach out to your organization's Account Manager. If you do not one your organization's Account Manager, please reach out to Support and specify your request access to an Enterprise Plan. The contracting process can begin either before or after submitting a production access request; however, access is only approved once the contract is fully executed.
4. **Create Project Key:** The key alias and keystore password for the PKCS#12 keystore of your project.
5. **Submit:** The Mastercard team receives your request and begins the review process.

## Expected Timeframes {#expected-timeframes}

|     Stage/Plan      |                                                Expected Time Frame                                                 |
|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sandbox Environment | Instant upon project creation                                                                                      |
| Free Plan           | Within 2 business days of receiving production access request, subject to signing appropriate free trial agreement |
| Enterprise Plan     | Within 2 business days of receiving production access request, subject to signing the license agreement            |

Note: Timeframes may vary depending on the completeness of your submitted information and your organization's existing Mastercard relationship.

## Escalation Paths {#escalation-paths}

If your production access request is delayed or you need assistance at any stage:

* General API Support: Reach out via [APISupport@mastercard.com](mailto:APISupport@mastercard.com).
* Your Mastercard Representative: If you have an assigned Account Manager, contact them directly for priority escalation. Include your project name, CID, and a description of the issue when reaching out.