How to create a sandbox account on the Heartland Developer Portal

So you want to explore and potentially integrate with Heartland’s APIs, but you aren’t sure where to start. We’ve got you covered. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide for setting up a sandbox account on the Heartland Developer Portal. With this account, you’ll be able to access API keys, test integrations and explore all of our platform’s capabilities. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Access the developer portal

First, navigate to the Heartland Developer Portal. This portal is where you’ll obtain the login credentials or API keys you'll need to test out shopping cart plugins, configure custom integrations and more. But to gain access, you’ll need to follow the next step.

Step 2: Create your sandbox account

Once you’re on the Heartland Developer Portal homepage, go to the upper right-hand corner of the screen and click on the "Get Sandbox Account" button. You’ll be directed to a form where you’ll fill out a series of fields about yourself and your company.

Tip: Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory, so make sure to complete those before moving on.

Step 3: Select your integration options

Next, the form will ask you to choose the integration options that are most relevant to your project. Whether you’re looking to accept credit card payments, automate billing functionality, set up an online store with a plug-in to WooCommerce or accomplish something else, selecting the options you’re most interested in ensures you’ll get the correct API setup for your specific use case.

Step 4: Specify customer or partner status

In this section, you'll be asked whether you’re a current Heartland partner. If you are, click the checkbox and provide the necessary details. If you’re not yet a partner, no worries — just give us a little information about your integration needs so we can set you on the right path.

Step 5: Agree to terms

Before proceeding, review the linked Developer Agreement to ensure you understand the terms of creating a developer account. Once that’s done, let us know you’re not a robot by completing the CAPTCHA, then click the "Agree and Continue" button.

Step 6: Complete your registration

After that, your browser will refresh and you’ll be directed back to the main page. A confirmation banner will appear, indicating that your registration has been completed successfully. At this point, you should receive an email titled "Dev Portal Registration" from Heartland.

Pro tip: If you don’t see the email notification in your inbox after a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder to make sure it wasn’t filtered there by mistake.

Step 7: Activate your account

Once you locate the registration email, open it and click on the activation link inside. You’ll be directed to a page that confirms your new account has been activated successfully.

Step 8: Explore and build your integration

Now that your sandbox account is active and you have all the necessary permissions to access our offerings, you can browse the Heartland Developer Portal. Inside the portal, you’ll find all the tools and functionality you need, including comprehensive APIs with detailed documentation and real-time debugging tools.

We know there’s a lot to dig into, so here are a few steps to get your payments integration started:

• Discover solutions: Take a look at our range of solutions to see which integrations best meet your needs.
• Access SDK documentation: Navigate through our comprehensive SDK documentation to start building your integration using our knowledge base.
• Retrieve sandbox API keys: Click on "Get API Keys" to retrieve the necessary API credentials for your sandbox environment.
• Apple Pay® setup: If you plan on accepting Apple Pay, follow the provided setup instructions.
• Specialized services: For more complex services, like recurring payments or gift and loyalty programs, reach out to our specialty products team at [email protected].

Step 9: Test and certify

Once you’ve completed your integration, it’s time to test it out. Feel free to run as many tests as you’d like in our sandbox environment. Once you’re ready, your integration will need to pass our testing and certification process before going live.

Those steps can be found under our “Get Started” section on the left nav menu, and then selecting the “Testing & Certification” tab. From there, we’ll help make sure your integration is free of any bugs, security vulnerabilities or other issues so you can enter the production environment with confidence.

Pro tip #1: Testing and certification are not required when using our shopping cart plugins.

Pro tip #2: If you need help with the testing phase, feel free to reach out to our support team. Our dedicated developer experts and integration specialists are always on standby to ensure easy setup and smooth sailing.

Ready to get started?

If you made it this far, you’re ready to set up your new sandbox account and start integrating with Heartland’s APIs. Whatever you’re planning to achieve — driving more revenue, expanding customer offerings or leveling up your business — our goal is to make the process as simple and streamlined as possible for you with smart tools backed by reliable support.