Set up a sandbox environment

Prerequisites

A client account in the sandbox environment — see Create a client account
API credentials for the sandbox — see Obtain API credentials

Step 1: Use the sandbox base URL

All sandbox requests use the development base URL.

Environment	Base URL
Sandbox	`https://api.dev.paradisegateway.net`
Production	`https://api.paradisegateway.net`

Set the base URL in your application's configuration so you can switch between environments without changing code.

export PARADISE_API_URL="https://api.dev.paradisegateway.net"

Step 2: Store your sandbox API key

Retrieve your sandbox API key (see Obtain API credentials) and store it as an environment variable.

export PARADISE_API_KEY="eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."

Never commit credentials

Add environment variable files (.env, .env.local) to .gitignore. Do not hard-code API keys in source code.

Step 3: Use test card numbers

The sandbox accepts specific test card numbers that simulate various outcomes. Real card numbers are rejected in the sandbox.

Cards that approve

Card number	Brand	CVV	Expiry
`4111111111111111`	Visa	Any 3 digits	Any future date
`4111111111111234`	Visa	Any 3 digits	Any future date
`5500000000005678`	Mastercard	Any 3 digits	Any future date

Cards that decline

Card number	Brand	Simulated result
`4000000000000002`	Visa	Decline — insufficient funds
`4000000000000069`	Visa	Decline — expired card
`4000000000000127`	Visa	Decline — CVV mismatch

Test bank accounts

Routing number	Account number	Account type	Result
`021000021`	`9876543210`	`checking`	Approved
`021000021`	`0000000001`	`checking`	Return — insufficient funds

Step 4: Send a test transaction

Verify your sandbox setup by processing a test sale.

curl -X POST \
  $PARADISE_API_URL/v1/transactions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "APIKEY: $PARADISE_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "type": "card_sale",
    "amount": 1999,
    "payment_method": {
      "type": "card",
      "pan": "4111111111111111",
      "expiry_month": "12",
      "expiry_year": "2028",
      "cardholder_name": "Test User",
      "cvv": "123",
      "address_line1": "123 Test St",
      "zip": "10001"
    }
  }'

A successful response returns transaction_state: authorized and response_code: "00".

{
  "id": "TRANSACTION-06OSTESTXYZ123456789ABCDE",
  "object": "transaction",
  "type": "card_sale",
  "transaction_state": "authorized",
  "response_status": "Approved",
  "response_code": "00",
  "response_message": "The API request is approved.",
  "amount": 1999,
  "correlation_id": "d4e5f6a7-b8c9-0123-def0-123456789abc"
}

Step 5: Test error scenarios

Exercise your error handling by testing common failure cases.

Scenario	How to trigger	Expected result
Declined transaction	Use decline test card `4000000000000002`	`response_status: Declined`
Invalid card	Send an invalid PAN like `1234567890123456`	`422 Validation failed`
Missing required field	Omit `amount`	`400 Bad Request`
Invalid API key	Use `APIKEY: invalid`	`401 Unauthorized`
Non-existent transaction	`GET /v1/transactions/TRANSACTION-DOESNOTEXIST`	`404 Not Found`

Sandbox vs. production differences

Behavior	Sandbox	Production
Processor connections	Simulated	Live TSYS / Vericheck
Real funds	No	Yes
Test cards accepted	Yes	No — real cards only
Settlement	Simulated batch closure	Real batch clearing
ACH returns	Simulated on schedule	Real ACH network timeline
Rate limits	Same as production	Standard limits

Switching to production

When your integration is tested and ready, switch to production.

Obtain production credentials — create a production client account and API key using the production base URL.
Update the base URL — change PARADISE_API_URL to https://api.paradisegateway.net.
Update the API key — replace your sandbox key with the production key.
Remove test card numbers — production rejects test cards.
Verify processor integrations — ensure live TSYS and/or Vericheck integrations are configured.

For a complete checklist, see Sandbox vs. production.

Before going live

Run your full test suite against the sandbox. Confirm that your error handling, retry logic, and webhook processing all work as expected before switching to production.

Next steps

Quickstart — send your first test sale
Sandbox vs. production — full environment comparison
Integration best practices — security, idempotency, and retry guidance