Getting Started

Welcome to the LakiPay API documentation. This guide will help you integrate LakiPay payment solutions into your application quickly and securely.

Quick Overview

LakiPay provides a unified payment gateway supporting multiple payment methods including MPESA, TELEBIRR, CBE, ETHSWITCH, and international payments via CYBERSOURCE. Our RESTful API is simple to integrate and supports both local (ETB) and international (USD) currencies.

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using an API key. Your API key must be included in the request headers.

API Key Format

Include your API key in the X-API-Key header:

X-API-Key: your-api-key-here

Security Note

Never expose your API key in client-side code or public repositories. Always keep your API keys secure and rotate them regularly.

Getting Your API Key

1Log in to your LakiPay merchant dashboard
2Navigate to Settings → API Keys
3Generate a new API key or use an existing one
4Copy the key and store it securely

Launch Requirements

Complete the following onboarding checkpoints to unlock live processing and API access.

Sign Up & Phone Verification

Step 1

Details needed

Phone number (e.g., +251 912345678)
Title, first/last name
Password and hint

1. Fill the signup form and accept the account agreement.

2. Submit and enter the 6-digit OTP sent via SMS (Resend if needed).

3. Once verified, continue directly to Business Approval.

Open Signup

Need a walkthrough? Visit the Resource Center onboarding guide for visuals and tips.

Business Approval

Step 2

Business Details

TIN, legal/trading names, registration number
Industry, business type, established date
Website URL and loyalty certificate (if any)

Personal & Documents

Contact info: full name, email, phone, address
Upload TIN certificate & business license (required)
Optional betting certificate for gaming businesses

SLA: 1–2 business days. You receive an email once the review is complete.

Grab the KYC requirements checklist from the Resource Center to keep your documents organized.

Generate API Keys

Step 3

1. Go to Settings → API Keys and click Create New API Key.

2. Name it (e.g., “My Web App - Production”) and add optional description.

3. Choose capabilities (process payments, withdraw funds) before creating.

4. Copy the secret key immediately—it’s only shown once. Store securely.

Manage API access

Need a printable go-live tracker? Open the Integration Checklist for a themed, printer-friendly worksheet.

Quick Start Guide

Follow these steps to make your first payment request:

Step 1: Set Up Your Environment

Ensure you have your API key ready and the base URL for the LakiPay API:

Base URL: https://api.lakipay.co
API Version: v2

Step 2: Make Your First Payment

Here's a simple cURL example to process a payment using your PUBLICKEY:SECRETKEY combination:

curl -X POST https://api.lakipay.co/api/v2/payment/direct \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-publickey:your-secretkey" \
  -d '{
    "amount": 100.00,
    "currency": "ETB",
    "phone_number": "251911234567",
    "medium": "MPESA",
    "description": "Payment for order #12345",
    "reference": "ORDER-12345",
    "callback_url": "https://yourwebsite.com/webhook"
  }'

Step 3: Handle the Response

A successful response will look like this:

{
  "status": "SUCCESS",
  "message": "Payment initiated successfully",
  "data": {
    "transaction_id": "TXN-123456789",
    "reference": "ORDER-12345",
    "amount": 100.00,
    "currency": "ETB",
    "status": "PENDING"
  }
}

Step 4: Receive Webhook Notifications

Configure your webhook endpoint to receive real-time payment status updates. See the Webhooks documentation for details.