# Introduction (/docs)

Creddot is a payments platform for Nigerian businesses. The API gives your servers the same tools your team uses in the [Creddot dashboard](https://business.creddot.com): collect payments by card, bank transfer and USSD, pay out to any Nigerian bank account, sell airtime, data, electricity and TV, and bill customers with invoices, payment links and subscriptions.

## Choose how to integrate [#choose-how-to-integrate]

<Cards>
  <Card title="Hosted checkout" href="/docs/guides/accept-payments" icon={<ShoppingCart />}>
    Recommended. Create a checkout session, send the customer to it, and get told when they pay. Card details never touch your servers.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Payment links and invoices" href="/docs/guides/payment-links-invoices" icon={<Link />}>
    No checkout page to build: share a link or email an invoice that the customer pays online.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Server-side collections" href="/docs/guides/bank-transfer-ussd" icon={<Landmark />}>
    Bank transfer and USSD from your own interface, when you already show payment instructions yourself.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Subscriptions" href="/docs/guides/subscriptions" icon={<Repeat />}>
    Plans, renewals, reminders and lapsed customers, handled for you.
  </Card>
</Cards>

## How it works [#how-it-works]

1. **Get API keys** from the dashboard under Settings, then API Keys and Webhooks. You get a separate pair for test mode and live mode. See [Authentication](/docs/authentication).
2. **Build against test mode.** Test keys move test money only, so you can try every flow safely. See [Test mode](/docs/test-mode).
3. **Listen for webhooks.** Creddot tells your server when a payment succeeds or fails. See [Webhooks](/docs/guides/webhooks).
4. **Go live** by switching to live keys once your business is verified. See [Go live](/docs/guides/go-live).

## Base URL [#base-url]

```txt
https://api.creddot.com/api/v1
```

All requests use HTTPS and JSON. Whether a request is in test or live mode is decided by the key you use, not by the URL.

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