Testing Mobile Money APIs Before Compliance

Every African developer trying to integrate mobile money runs into the same wall: compliance. Before you can even see documentation or touch a sandbox, you're asked to submit forms, wait for weeks, and deal with endless bureaucracy. By the time you're granted access, you’ve lost momentum—and possibly your client.

So how do you actually start building today?

The Traditional Problem

What Usually Happens

1. Find provider docs (or realize they’re locked)
2. Submit compliance paperwork
3. Wait 2–8 weeks
4. Receive partial docs
5. Request sandbox access (more paperwork)
6. Finally test (months later)

Why This Kills Momentum

• You can’t build a working prototype to show investors or clients
• Timelines balloon because you don’t know how APIs behave
• Stakeholders lose trust when you can’t demo anything
• You only discover integration issues after it’s too late

The FundKit Shortcut

With FundKit, you skip the waiting game. We give you instant sandbox environments for MTN, Airtel, M-Pesa, and more—no compliance required.

1. Instant Sandbox Access

import { PaymentClient } from "@fundkit/core";

const client = new PaymentClient({
  apiKey: "sk_test_your_key",
  environment: "sandbox",
  providers: ["mtn", "airtel", "mpesa", "easypay"],
});

### 2. Virtual Mobile Money Network

You can test transactions without touching real money.

```javascript
const payment = await client.collection({
  provider: "mtn",
  amount: 5000,
  currency: "UGX",
  accountNumber: "+256700000000",
  description: "Test payment",
});

console.log(payment.status); // pending, completed, failed
```

### 3. Realistic Simulations

- Real provider-like responses
- Error scenarios (network failures, invalid numbers)
- Full transaction lifecycles
- Webhook callbacks for end-to-end testing

## Quick Start Guide

### Step 1: Install the SDK

```bash
npm install @fundkit/core
```

### Step 2: Initialize the Client

```javascript
const client = new PaymentClient({
  apiKey: process.env.FUNDKIT_SANDBOX_KEY,
  environment: "sandbox",
  providers: ["mtn", "airtel", "mpesa"],
});
```

### Step 3: Run a Test Collection

```javascript
async function testCollection() {
  const payment = await client.collection({
    provider: "mtn",
    amount: 1000,
    currency: "UGX",
    accountNumber: "+256700000000",
    description: "Sandbox payment",
  });

  console.log("Payment created:", payment.id, payment.status);
}
```

### Step 4: Simulate Errors

```javascript
try {
  await client.collection({
    provider: "mtn",
    amount: 1000,
    currency: "UGX",
    accountNumber: "invalid_number",
  });
} catch (error) {
  console.log("Expected error:", error.message);
}
```

## Advanced Testing

- **Webhook Testing**: simulate callbacks to your server
- **Batch Payments**: send multiple collections across providers
- **Edge Cases**: test insufficient balance or invalid accounts

## Going Live

When compliance is approved, just swap your keys and environment:

```javascript
const client = new PaymentClient({
  apiKey: "sk_live_your_key",
  environment: "production",
  providers: {
    mtn: { apiKey: "your_mtn_key" },
    airtel: { apiKey: "your_airtel_key" },
    mpesa: {
      consumerKey: "your_mpesa_consumer_key",
      consumerSecret: "your_mpesa_consumer_secret",
    },
  },
});
```

## Why This Matters

- **Prototype immediately** → no waiting on compliance
- **Plan better** → accurate development timelines
- **Impress stakeholders** → working demos early
- **Reduce risk** → catch errors before production

## Get Started Free

You don’t need to wait for compliance to start building. With FundKit, you can spin up a sandbox in minutes and test mobile money integrations end-to-end.

[Start testing today →](https://fundkit.dev/login)

---

### Resources

- [API Docs](https://docs.fundkit.dev)
- [Examples](https://docs.fundkit.dev/examples)
- [Provider Guides](https://docs.fundkit.dev/providers)
- [Webhook Testing](https://docs.fundkit.dev/webhooks)