Getting Started

Start processing payments in 4 Easy Steps

Your Merchant Application → Implementation → Testing → Launch & Get Paid

Step 1: Your Merchant Application

The first step is to complete your merchant application so you can get your Merchant Account set up and get ready to receive payments. We need to get your business fully underwritten so that we can legally process payments for you. To get started, create your sandbox account.

Step 2: Implementation

After you have submitted your merchant application, you can really get started. You should determine if you prefer to use our Payment API or BlueSnap Checkout.

Payment API

We designed the BlueSnap Payment API for easy implementation and out-of-the-box global payment processing. It supports credit and debit card payments, ACH/ECP, SEPA Direct Debit, digital wallets, and Paypal. Design your own checkout form and use our Hosted Payment Fields to securely capture your shoppers' data.

BlueSnap Checkout

BlueSnap Checkout is a simple, elegant UI built on top of our Payment API. Integration requires minimal coding, keeps your PCI burden to the lowest SAQ-A, and is optimized for every device, including mobile, so your shoppers experience a frictionless checkout experience from anywhere.

Step 3: Testing

Production and Sandbox Environments



At BlueSnap we have two environments. The production environment is where your account accepts live payments. The sandbox environment is a test environment that is almost identical to production. In the sandbox, you can make changes without any effect on the production environment. This makes it a great place to explore all functionality available through BlueSnap and perform any necessary testing for your integration.



To begin testing in the sandbox, try out our Payment APIs or set up your account in the Merchant Portal.



Note: These two environments are not linked in any way. Sandbox users, products, and transactions do not get transferred to production.

Payment API

If you're using the Payment API, you can find examples for each API request and response in the developer documentation. For example, refer to the examples for Auth Capture.
In general, we recommend you at least complete a test for each of the following:

• Authorization-only — (if your implementation supports this) This API call is generally used to perform card validation. It is also useful if you’re selling physical goods and need to account for the delay between your shopper's payment and your ability to ship the goods.
• Capture — If you have support for an auth only, this is how you then capture the transaction based on the authorization.
• Combined Auth/Capture — This is a single step to complete 1 and 2 above.
• Refund

Additionally, if you’re using our Payment API, we also recommend:

• Create a vaulted shopper
• Retrieve a vaulted shopper
• Update a vaulted shopper

BlueSnap Checkout

We recommend walking through your entire checkout flow to verify the customer experience is properly set up. In addition, test a sale and a refund for each payment type you plan to offer. We also provide test card numbers you can use with your testing.

Consider the following for your checkout flow:

• Post-Purchase: When your shoppers have completed their purchase, what should they see next? Be sure to set the Callback URL (the page where your customers are directed after their purchase). Merchants using BlueSnap Checkout can enter a URL in the Page Design settings.

• Configure your Payment Facilitator settings (required): If your business is located in the US, CA, UK, or EU, your checkout page must display the required disclosures and policies. Refer to Payment Facilitator Settings.

Step 4: Launch and Get Paid!

Finally, you are ready to launch your site and get paid.