Development
Learn how to integrate with Mavapay API in a test environment
Environment Overview
Mavapay provides two distinct environments for your integration:
Staging Environment
The staging environment is designed for development and testing. Key characteristics:
- Base URL:
https://staging.api.mavapay.co/api/v1
- Uses Bitcoin’s Signet network for Lightning Network transactions
- All Lightning invoices are test invoices (prefixed with
lntbs
) - Generated coins are not spendable or transferable
- Simulated bank transfers and mobile money transactions
- No real funds involved
- Test API keys required
- Webhook notifications work identically to production
Production Environment
The production environment is for live transactions:
- Base URL:
https://api.mavapay.co/api/v1
- Uses the main Bitcoin Lightning Network
- Real funds are involved
- Requires completed KYC verification
- Live bank transfers and mobile money transactions
- Production API keys required
Never use production API keys in staging or staging API keys in production. Always test thoroughly in staging before moving to production.
Getting Started with Staging
Prerequisites
- Create a Mavapay account
- Get your test API keys
- Complete basic account setup
Testing Features
Lightning Network Payments
- All invoices are generated on Bitcoin’s Signet network
- Test invoices are prefixed with
lntbs
- Example test invoice:
Bank Transfers
Test different scenarios with:
- Mock bank account numbers
- Various response states (success/failure)
- Different currencies (NGN, KES, ZAR)
Mobile Money
Test mobile money features using:
- Test phone numbers
- Simulated provider responses
- All supported providers (M-PESA, etc.)
Error Scenarios
The staging environment allows testing various error cases:
- Insufficient funds
- Network timeouts
- Rate limit exceeded
- Invalid API key
- Invalid request
Webhooks in Staging
Webhook notifications work identically to production:
- Configure your webhook URL in the API reference
- Receive notifications for all test transactions
- Test your webhook handling code
Use tools like webhook.site or ngrok for local webhook testing.
Moving to Production
Before going live:
- Complete all integration testing in staging
- Verify webhook handling
- Complete KYC verification
- Request production API keys
- Update API endpoints to production URLs
- Test with small amounts initially
Support
Need help during development?
- Check our API Reference
- Join our Discord community
- Email support at info@mavapay.co
The staging environment is reset periodically. Don’t rely on staging data persistence for long-term testing.