> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.revolv3.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started with Revolv3

> Your first guide to integrating with the Revolv3 API. Covers authentication, sandbox testing, and making your first API call successfully.

Welcome to the **Revolv3 Developer Hub**, your central resource for integrating payment processing into your application. Whether you're building an e-commerce site, a subscription service, or any application that needs to accept payments, this documentation will help you get up and running.

## What is Revolv3?

Revolv3 is a payment processing platform that acts as a smart layer between your application and multiple payment processors (the companies that actually move money between banks). Think of it like a universal translator for payments — instead of integrating directly with each payment processor (which can be complex and time-consuming), you integrate once with Revolv3, and we handle routing transactions to the right processor, managing retries, and optimizing for success rates.

**Why use a payment platform instead of integrating directly?**

* **Multiple processors**: If one processor is down or declines a transaction, Revolv3 can automatically try another one (called "fallback routing")
* **Simplified integration**: One API instead of learning multiple processor APIs
* **Better success rates**: Intelligent routing helps get more transactions approved
* **Security**: We handle sensitive payment data securely and help you stay compliant with industry standards

## Understanding Payment Processing Basics

If you're new to payment processing, here's what happens when a customer makes a purchase:

1. **Your app sends a payment request** to Revolv3 with the customer's payment details (card number, amount, etc.)
2. **Revolv3 routes the request** to a payment processor (like WorldPay, Nuvei, TSYS, Adyen, or others)
3. **The processor checks with the bank** to see if the customer has funds and approves the transaction
4. **Money moves** from the customer's account to your merchant account (this can take a few days to "settle")
5. **You get a response** telling you whether the payment succeeded or failed

The whole process usually takes just a few seconds, though some payment types (like [ACH bank transfers](/docs/core-concepts/paymentmethod/ach-direct-debit)) can take several business days to complete.

## About Revolv3's APIs

Revolv3 offers a comprehensive suite of APIs that let you:

* **Process payments** — Accept one-time payments, subscriptions, and installments
* **Store payment methods** — Securely save customer cards or bank accounts for future use (called "[tokenization](/docs/appendix/appendix-revolv3#tokenization)")
* **Handle refunds** — Issue full or partial refunds when customers return items
* **Manage subscriptions** — Set up recurring billing for services or products
* **Track everything** — Get detailed information about transactions, invoices, and payment attempts

To streamline your integration, our documentation includes:

* **Quickstart Guides** — Get up and running quickly with step-by-step examples
* **API Reference** — Complete details on every endpoint, request format, and response structure
* **Core Concepts** — Understand how payments, invoices, subscriptions, and other features work
* **Best Practices** — Learn how to optimize your payment flows and handle edge cases

## Your API Environment

Revolv3 provides two environments for development and production:

* **Sandbox** (`api-sandbox.revolv3.com`) — Use this for testing. It works just like production but uses test data and doesn't move real money.
* **Production** (`api.revolv3.com`) — Use this for live transactions with real customers and real money.

> **Important**: Always test thoroughly in sandbox before using production. Never use production API keys in your development environment.

Throughout this documentation, you'll see `{{Api Root}}` in code examples. Replace this with the appropriate base URL based on which environment you're using.

## 5-Minute Quickstart

This quickstart walks through the simplest sandbox flow:

1. Obtain a sandbox token
2. Create a payment with a sandbox test card
3. Receive the response

This example uses:

* **Sandbox API root**: `https://api-sandbox.revolv3.com`
* **Authentication header**: `x-revolv3-token`
* **Flow**: sandbox token -> direct sale request -> payment response

### Step 1: Obtain a Sandbox Token

First, create or copy a **Developer Static Token** from the sandbox portal:

1. Sign in to `portal-sandbox.revolv3.com`
2. Go to **Settings -> Integration Profile**
3. Open **Developer Static Tokens**
4. Create a token and keep it secure

You'll send that value in the `x-revolv3-token` header on every API request.

If you need the full walkthrough, see [**Authentication**](/docs/authentication-security/merchant-access-token).

### Step 2: Create a Payment

Submit a sale directly in sandbox using a test card:

```bash theme={null}
curl --location 'https://api-sandbox.revolv3.com/api/Payments/sale' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'x-revolv3-token: YOUR_SANDBOX_STATIC_TOKEN' \
  --data '{
    "NetworkProcessing": {
      "ProcessingType": "initialInstallment",
      "OriginalNetworkTransactionId": null
    },
    "CustomerId": null,
    "PaymentMethod": {
      "BillingAddress": {
        "AddressLine1": "100 Main Street",
        "AddressLine2": "",
        "City": "Santa Ana",
        "State": "CA",
        "PostalCode": "90000",
        "Country": "US"
      },
      "BillingFullName": "John Smith",
      "CreditCard": {
        "PaymentAccountNumber": "4111111111111111",
        "ExpirationDate": "1030",
        "SecurityCode": "123"
      }
    },
    "Invoice": {
      "MerchantInvoiceRefId": "QUICKSTART-ORDER-1001",
      "Amount": {
        "Value": 1.03
      }
    }
  }'
```

This is the fastest way to test a sale in sandbox because it combines the card details and payment request in a single API call. If you want to store and reuse cards later, see [**Create a Payment Method**](/docs/core-concepts/paymentmethod/paymentmethod-guide).

For a deeper walkthrough of the payment flow, see [**Step-by-step "Make a Payment" example**](/docs/getting-started/make-a-payment).

### Step 3: Receive the Response

If the payment succeeds, you'll receive a response similar to this:

```json theme={null}
{
  "InvoiceId": 575950,
  "MerchantInvoiceRefId": "QUICKSTART-ORDER-1001",
  "NetworkTransactionId": "295845970297960",
  "InvoiceStatus": "Paid",
  "InvoiceAttemptStatus": "Success",
  "Message": "Approved",
  "Amount": {
    "Currency": "USD",
    "Value": 1.03
  },
  "PaymentMethodId": 16336,
  "PaymentMethodTypeId": 1,
  "ResponseCode": "000"
}
```

The main fields to check are:

* `InvoiceAttemptStatus` -> confirms whether the payment attempt succeeded
* `Message` -> human-readable processor result
* `InvoiceId` -> Revolv3's invoice identifier for lookup and support
* `NetworkTransactionId` -> important for reconciliation and disputes
* `PaymentMethodId` -> the tokenized payment method created from this successful sale, which you can store for future reuse

## Related Guides

* [**Authentication**](/docs/authentication-security/merchant-access-token) -> Get your sandbox static token and required headers
* [**Step-by-step "Make a Payment" example**](/docs/getting-started/make-a-payment) -> Learn the full payment request and response
* [**Create a Payment Method**](/docs/core-concepts/paymentmethod/paymentmethod-guide) -> Tokenize and reuse cards securely

## Next Steps

Ready to start integrating? Here's a suggested path:

1. [**Authentication**](/docs/authentication-security/merchant-access-token) — Get your sandbox credentials and request headers in one place
2. [**Make a Payment**](/docs/getting-started/make-a-payment) — Process your first test transaction
3. [**Core Concepts**](/docs/core-concepts/paymentmethod/paymentmethod-guide) — Learn about payment methods, invoices, and subscriptions
4. [**API Reference**](https://docs.revolv3.com/api-reference/) — Explore all available endpoints

If you're already familiar with payment processing, you can jump straight to the [API Reference](https://docs.revolv3.com/api-reference/) for complete endpoint documentation.

***