# Points Activity Service
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/points-activity-service/documentation/index.md

## Overview {#overview}

The Points Activity Service API provides a real-time update view of a consumer's point activity details that are available, on hold, earned, and redeemed at the household, customer, or account level (within a specific timeframe).

This service allows a consumer to transfer points between two accounts, fetch detailed points information, and adjust points details. Overall, this service provides a variety of useful information about the consumer's points activity.

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

The Points Activity Service API enables customers to get a snapshot view of their points for the various scenarios at the household, customer, or account level within a specific period. It also allows clients to adjust and transfer their points from one account to another.

The types of customers who will be benefiting from this service are Issuers and Merchants, and the target groups would be:

* Programs where the client is hosting the entire user experience through Mastercard Reward APIs.
* Programs where Mastercard is hosting the product offering (that is, the client is using Mastercard white-labeled solutions, products, etc.) but displaying the rewards point balance on a client-hosted platform.

Note: There is no service dependency if a customer has an opaque identifier like RANAC or RANCU to query the end points such as Points Activity Service, User Account Management, or Transactions API.

However, if the customer is not storing an opaque identifier, the user-management `/users/references/searches` endpoint is used to get the RANAC and RANCU using BAN or BCN. This creates a dependency to use the Points Activity Service or Transactions Service.

RANCU is a Random Customer Number and RANAC is a Random Account Number. Both are tokens meant to hide PCI (Personal Customer Information).

##### The following diagram shows a high-level flow between the Consumer, Customer, and the Points Activity Service API. {#the-following-diagram-shows-a-high-level-flow-between-the-consumer-customer-and-the-points-activity-service-api}

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/points-activity-service/uploads/how_it_works_tlp.png)

###### Execution Steps {#execution-steps}

1. The consumer signs into the customer's app.
2. The customer authenticates the consumer.
3. The customer sends a signed and/or encrypted request to the points activity service.
4. The Points Activity Service validates the request.
5. The Points Activity Service will perform the points activity.
6. The Points Activity Service sends the response.

### Good to Know {#good-to-know}

* We have created a [Reference Application](https://developer.mastercard.com/points-activity-service/documentation/reference-app/index.md) to get you started.
* Refer to the [Use Cases](https://developer.mastercard.com/points-activity-service/documentation/use-cases/index.md) for additional details on how the API works.
* Refer to the [Tutorials and Guides](https://developer.mastercard.com/points-activity-service/documentation/tutorials-and-guides/index.md) for additional guidance.

Tip: If you don't have a Mastercard representative, reach out for help from the [support page](https://developer.mastercard.com/points-activity-service/documentation/support/index.md#get-help).

## Next Steps {#next-steps}

When you are ready to use the APIs, refer to the [API Basics](https://developer.mastercard.com/points-activity-service/documentation/api-basics/index.md) page for API authentication, and environment details.