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

# Introduction

> Learn about the Carbon Business API, its features, and how it enables seamless integration of financial services into your applications.

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  <img className="block dark:hidden" src="https://mintcdn.com/carbonmicrofinancebank/uOs9-Uj0x_TahtAF/images/hero-light.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=uOs9-Uj0x_TahtAF&q=85&s=2ee8b59e4c4926feba7f1cf24e04505d" alt="Hero Light" width="2292" height="1388" data-path="images/hero-light.png" />

  <img className="hidden dark:block" src="https://mintcdn.com/carbonmicrofinancebank/uOs9-Uj0x_TahtAF/images/hero-dark.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=uOs9-Uj0x_TahtAF&q=85&s=7152ad91d1b785b03c0933a67154bd56" alt="Hero Dark" width="2292" height="1388" data-path="images/hero-dark.png" />
</Frame>

# Carbon Business API

<Note>
  Welcome to the Carbon Business API documentation. This API enables businesses to integrate financial services into their applications with ease.
</Note>

## Overview

The Carbon Business API enables developers and businesses to integrate financial services into their applications seamlessly. With a feature-rich set of endpoints, you can manage accounts, transactions, payouts, and more.

### Key Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Account Management" icon="bank">
    Create and manage virtual accounts for your customers with dynamic or static account numbers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Transaction Handling" icon="money-bill-transfer">
    Retrieve and verify transactions with real-time status updates and comprehensive filtering.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payouts" icon="paper-plane">
    Initiate and track payouts to beneficiaries with detailed transaction monitoring.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Banking Services" icon="building-columns">
    Resolve account details and fetch comprehensive bank information across Nigeria.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhook Notifications" icon="bell">
    Receive real-time updates on account and transaction events for immediate processing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Customer Management" icon="users">
    Comprehensive customer lifecycle management with KYC and business verification.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Your Account">
    Sign up for a Carbon Business account and get access to the developer dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get API Keys">
    Generate your API keys from the developer portal for both Sandbox and Live environments.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make Your First Request">
    Start with our quickstart guide to make your first API call and create a virtual account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Up Webhooks">
    Configure webhook endpoints to receive real-time notifications about transactions.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Use Cases

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="E-commerce Platforms">
    Accept payments through virtual accounts, handle refunds, and manage customer transactions seamlessly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Fintech Applications">
    Build digital wallets, payment processing systems, and financial management tools.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="SaaS Platforms">
    Integrate payment collection for subscriptions, handle marketplace transactions, and automate payouts.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Marketplace Solutions">
    Manage multi-party transactions, escrow services, and automated commission distributions.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Quick Example

<CodeGroup>
  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const response = await fetch('https://carbonapistagingsecure.getcarbon.co/baas/api/v1/accounts', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'apikey': 'your-api-key',
      'x-carbon-key': 'your-carbon-key',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      account_type: 'static',
      third_party: true,
      customer_id: 'customer-uuid'
    })
  });

  const account = await response.json();
  console.log('Account created:', account);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  url = 'https://carbonapistagingsecure.getcarbon.co/baas/api/v1/accounts'
  headers = {
      'apikey': 'your-api-key',
      'x-carbon-key': 'your-carbon-key',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }

  data = {
      'account_type': 'static',
      'third_party': True,
      'customer_id': 'customer-uuid'
  }

  response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)
  account = response.json()
  print('Account created:', account)
  ```

  ```curl cURL theme={null}
  curl -X POST https://carbonapistagingsecure.getcarbon.co/baas/api/v1/accounts \
    -H "apikey: your-api-key" \
    -H "x-carbon-key: your-carbon-key" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "account_type": "static",
      "third_party": true,
      "customer_id": "customer-uuid"
    }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## API Specifications

<Info>
  **Base URL:** `https://carbonapistagingsecure.getcarbon.co/baas/api` (Sandbox)\
  **Authentication:** API Key + x-carbon-key headers\
  **Response Format:** JSON\
  **Rate Limits:** Contact support for current limits
</Info>

## Ready to Get Started?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Start Building" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Jump into our quickstart guide to create your first virtual account and start processing transactions.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="book" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Explore our comprehensive API documentation with detailed endpoint specifications.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>