Lemonway API

What is an API?

An API(Application Programming Interface) is a software-to-software interface. APIs provide a secure and standardized way for applications to work together. They deliver the information or functionality requested without user intervention.

ℹ️

Note

The word Application refers to any software with a distinct function. An interface can be considered as a contract of service between two applications.

How do APIs work?

An API functions as a controlled access point or interface that provides a set of rules, protocols, and definitions that enable external parties to request specific information or perform certain tasks. It allows applications to communicate through requests and share information with each other. APIs deliver one application’s request to another and return a response in real time.

If the server - the application providing the resource - can do what the requesting application asked, then the API will send back the resource needed or a status code.

Sometimes the server can not respond to the request: perhaps a resource does not exist, or it does not have permission to access it. In this case, the API returns an error message.

Controlling access to the API server is crucial. It reduces the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Rather than give you all of our program’s information or code, Lemonway's API provides you only with data made available to external users.

What is an API Call?

An API call is the process of a client application submitting a request to a server's API. An API call also comprises everything that happens after the request is submitted. This includes when the API retrieves information from the server and delivers it back to the client.

What is a Request Method?

To carry out basic functions, developers typically make a request to the API, specifying what information or functionality they need. The communication between the client and server is dictated by Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) rules. They include details such as the URL, method, headers, and parameters.

By convention, standardized methods are defined in all-uppercase ASCII letters, because they might be used as a gateway to object-based systems with case-sensitive method names. The four request methods (standardized) for a server that we use are:

The API receives the request and processes it based on the specified parameters. Then, it retrieves the necessary data or performs the requested action. This may involve querying a database, accessing external services, or executing certain functions within the API's code.

Once the API has processed the request and obtained the desired data or completed the requested action, it generates a response. This response typically includes an HTTP status code to indicate whether the request was successful or encountered an error. It also includes the requested data, if applicable.

The API then sends the response back to the requesting application, which can be another software system or a developer's code. The requesting application can now use the data or functionality provided by the API to perform further operations or present the information to the end user.

👍

An API analogy

Ordering a meal at a restaurant:

• The Kitchen: Think of a restaurant. The kitchen is like the computer's back-end, where all the work happens. The cooks are like the computer's brain, making the meals.

• The Customer: You're a customer. You choose your food from the menu and tell the waiter. You do not talk to the cooks directly.

• The Waiter: The waiter is like an API in a computer. They take your order to the cooks and bring your food back.

• The Role of an API: This is just like an API, which lets different parts of a computer talk to each other without directly connecting. It makes everything work together smoothly.

What can Lemonway's API do?

Lemonway's Webservice API is a set of tools and protocols that allow marketplaces to integrate Lemonway's payment and money transfer services into their own applications, platforms, or websites. It provides a secure and efficient way to interact with Lemonway's payment infrastructure in a programmed way

Lemonway's API operates on such a request-response model. Developers can send HTTP requests to specific endpoints, following the defined API structure, and receive corresponding responses in a predefined format, such as JSON or XML. These requests and responses contain relevant data and instructions to perform various payment-related operations, such as creating accounts, initiating transactions, retrieving transaction history, and managing user profiles.

Lemonway's API offers a wide range of functionalities and features, catering to different payment needs. Some common use cases of Lemonway's API include:

• Payment Processing: the API can securely process payments, enabling marketplace users and clients to make transactions using various payment methods such as credit cards, bank transfers, cheques, and PayPal...
• Money Transfers: The API allows for seamless money transfers between users and clients, facilitating peer-to-peer payments, Money-In and Money-Out.
• Account Management: Lemonway's API allows for creating and managing user accounts, verifying user identities, and handling user profiles, to ensure account security and
• Transaction Monitoring: Lemonway provides access to real-time transaction monitoring and reporting, through different tools, enabling our Partners to track payment activities, perform fraud checks, and generate customized reports.
• Compliance and Regulation: In order to ensure adherence to financial regulations and compliance with French and European laws, Lemonway's API incorporates compliance features such as including fast and automatic Know Your Customer (KYC) calls and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks. The API tracks the red flags and Lemonway investigates any suspicious Wallet.