Send your first API request

Create your first test payment authorisation in 5 minutes

We’ll walk you through making your first API requests by creating and completing a Billing Request, which allows customers to securely authorise payments.

What you’ll need

A GoCardless Sandbox account and your API access token
A developer environment capable of making requests to the GoCardless API

Creating a billing request

A Billing Request enables you to collect all types of GoCardless payments. For now, we’ll handle a recurring, direct debit (mandate) request.

Copy your access token from the Developers page in the GoCardless dashboard.

ACCESS_TOKEN="your_access_token_here"

Create your first billing request by sending the request below

POST https://api.gocardless.com/billing_requests HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "billing_requests": {
    "mandate_request": {
      "scheme": "bacs"
    }
  }
}

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Location: /billing_requests/BRQ123
Content-Type: application/json
{
    "billing_requests": {
        "id": "BRQ123",
        "created_at": "2023-03-22T15:20:08.397Z",
        "status": "pending",
        "mandate_request": {
            "currency": "GBP",
            "scheme": "bacs",
            "links": {}
        },
    ...
}

Make a note of the billing request ID returned in the response - eg. BRQ123. This ID will be used when creating a payment link for your customer in the next step.

Creating a Billing Request Flow, powered with our GoCardless hosted payment pages, allows you to generate an authorisation link for collecting payments.

POST https://api.gocardless.com/billing_request_flows HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "billing_request_flows": {
    "links": {
      "billing_request": "your_billing_request_id"
    }
  }
}

HTTP/1.1 201 Created
Location: /billing_request_flows/BRF123456
Content-Type: application/json
{
  "billing_request_flows": {
    "id": "BRF123456",
    "authorisation_url": "https://pay.gocardless.com/billing/static/flow?id=BRF123456",
    "links": {
      "billing_request": "BRQ123"
    },
   ...
  }
}

Copy the authorisation_url from the response - you can share this with customers to complete the billing request. You can do this via a button on your website, SMS, email, or any other way you like.

Next Steps

Create a payment

Create your first test payment.

View docs

Partner integrations

As a partner, you can accept bank payments directly within your software. Connect to your users’ GoCardless accounts with OAuth 2.0, and we’ll process payments on your behalf.

View docs

Need help?

Connect as a partner

Send your first API request

Create your first test payment authorisation in 5 minutes

What you’ll need

Creating a billing request

Create your first billing request

Create your payment link

Customer completes billing request

View your first customer

Next Steps

Create a payment

Partner integrations