> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.bumxpress.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Make your first authenticated request to the Bumxpress Business merchant API.

## Base URL

```text theme={null}
https://api.business.bumxpress.com
```

All merchant API requests and responses use JSON.

## Prerequisites

* A Bumxpress Business merchant account
* A merchant API key and secret from the dashboard
* A unique `Idempotency-Key` for each create request

<Warning>
  Copy your API secret when it is created. The dashboard shows it once and cannot display it again later.
</Warning>

## Make a request

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create API credentials">
    Open the merchant dashboard and create an API key.

    You will use the public key as `X-Api-Key` and the secret as `X-Api-Secret`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a customer">
    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST "https://api.business.bumxpress.com/customers" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -H "X-Api-Key: bmx_pk_xxx" \
      -H "X-Api-Secret: bmx_sk_xxx" \
      -H "Idempotency-Key: customer_001" \
      -d '{
        "first_name": "Amina",
        "last_name": "Ndongo",
        "phone": "+237670000000",
        "country_code": "CM"
      }'
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a quote">
    Generate a payin, payout, or transfer quote before initiating money movement.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST "https://api.business.bumxpress.com/quotes/payin" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -H "X-Api-Key: bmx_pk_xxx" \
      -H "X-Api-Secret: bmx_sk_xxx" \
      -H "Idempotency-Key: quote_payin_001" \
      -d '{
        "country_code": "CM",
        "operator_code": "CM_MTN_MOMO",
        "rail_type": "mobile_money",
        "send_amount": "10000",
        "send_currency": "XAF"
      }'
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the payment">
    Use the quote ID from the quote response when creating a payin, payout, or transfer.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key-round" href="/guides/authentication">
    Send the required merchant API headers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Mobile money payin" icon="smartphone" href="/guides/mobile-money-payin">
    Walk through a complete mobile money collection.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>