Merchant Authentication Service

Overview

The Merchant Authentication Service generates secure credentials for accessing payment processor APIs using the Python SDK. These short-lived tokens provide secure access without storing secrets client-side.

Business Use Cases:

• Frontend SDKs - Generate tokens for client-side payment flows
• Wallet payments - Initialize Apple Pay, Google Pay sessions
• Session management - Maintain secure state across payment operations
• Multi-party payments - Secure delegated access

Operations

Operation	Description	Use When
create_access_token	Generate short-lived connector authentication token. Provides secure API access credentials.	Need temporary API access token
create_session_token	Create session token for payment processing. Maintains session state across operations.	Starting a multi-step payment flow
create_sdk_session_token	Initialize wallet payment sessions. Sets up Apple Pay, Google Pay context.	Enabling wallet payments

SDK Setup

from orchestratorx_prism import MerchantAuthenticationClient

auth_client = MerchantAuthenticationClient(
    connector='stripe',
    api_key='YOUR_API_KEY',
    environment='SANDBOX'
)

Common Patterns

Token Lifecycle

sequenceDiagram
    participant App as Your App
    participant CS as Prism
    participant PP as Payment Provider

    Note over App: Need temporary access
    App->>CS: create_access_token
    CS->>PP: Request token
    PP-->>CS: Return short-lived token
    CS-->>App: Return access_token
    Note over App: Use token for API calls
    App->>PP: API call with token
    PP-->>App: API response
    Note over App: Token expires

Flow Explanation:

1. Request token - Call create_access_token when you need temporary access.

2. Use token - Include the token in API calls to the connector.

3. Token expires - Tokens are short-lived; request new ones as needed.

Security Best Practices

• Never store tokens long-term
• Use tokens immediately after creation
• Handle token expiration gracefully
• Use HTTPS for all token transmissions

Next Steps

• Payment Service - Use tokens for payment operations
• Payment Method Authentication Service - 3D Secure authentication