Keep these aspects in mind before you start:

1. Access to an account
2. Create an application
3. Access test credentials
4. Obtain your Access Token (OAuth)
5. Identify your integration (Sponsor ID)

To start integrating, you must have a Mercado Pago or Mercado Libre account.

You can sign in with an existing account or Create a new account.

Applications are registered entities within Mercado Pago that act as a unique identifier for managing the authentication and authorization of your integrations. In other words, they serve as the link between your development and Mercado Pago, and they constitute the first stage in carrying out the integration.

With them, you can access the necessary credentialsUnique access keys used to identify an integration in your account, linked to your application. For more information, access the link below.Credentials to interact with our APIs or specific services, as well as manage and organize your integration, which is why you must create an application for each Mercado Pago solution you integrate.

To create an application, follow the steps below.

1. In the upper right corner of Mercado Pago Developers, click on Login and enter the required information with the data for your Mercado Pago account.
2. Once you are logged in, in the upper right corner of Mercado Pago Developers, click on Create application if your account does not yet have any created applications, or go to "Your integrations" and select View all. There, click on Create application.
3. Once inside Your integrations, click on the Create application button.

4. Enter a name to identify your application. The limit is up to 50 alphanumeric characters.

After creating your application, test credentialsUnique access keys that identify an integration in your account, linked to your application. For more information, access the link below.Credentials will also be automatically created. Use the test credentials to perform all necessary configurations and validations in a secure test environment.

When accessing test credentials, the following credential pairs will be displayed: Public KeyPublic key used in the frontend to access information and encrypt data. You can access it through Your integrations > Application details > Tests > Test credentials. and the test Access TokenPrivate key of the application created in Mercado Pago, used in the backend. You can access it through Your integrations > Application details > Tests > Test credentials..

If you are an integrator that works with several retailers enabling them to operate with Mercado Pago, we recommend to perform the OAuth - authentication between accounts process. The process enables customers securely share personal data with a third-party system.

The Access Token is not shareable in any way other than through OAuth. You can learn more information about it reading our documentation.

When a Mercado Pago account is created, it is assigned wiyh a User ID, if they are users, or a Cust ID, if they are a seller. Both are unique IDs that are automatically generated, and will allow the integrations to be associated with each account by including them in the API requests.

When you make integrations for third parties, the sponsor_id parameter will allow you to identify the orders that are placed by your point of sale. You will have to send the Sponsor ID in the in-store orders API requests. Follow the instructions below to learn how to collect and send this information.

1. If you haven't done so yet, create an account on the Mercado Pago portal.
2. Obtain the user identification (Cust ID or User ID) of your account by accessing the details of the application that you have created earlier.
3. Include the User ID of your integrator account in the seller's Sponsor ID.
4. Submit the Sponsor ID on all QR transactions, as shown in our API Reference.