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

# Onboarding

> Register and manage the entities required for transaction processing.

The Alignet Processing Service Onboarding API registers and manages the entities required to process transactions.

## Entity hierarchy

```mermaid theme={"system"}
flowchart TD
    G["Gateway"] --> A["Acquirer"]
    A --> PF["Payment Facilitator"]
    PF --> M["Merchant"]
```

| Entity              | Can create                                      |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Gateway             | Acquirers, Payment Facilitators, and Merchants. |
| Acquirer            | Payment Facilitators and Merchants.             |
| Payment Facilitator | Merchants.                                      |
| Merchant            | No creation of child entities was specified.    |

## API domains

| Environment | URL                                       |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Development | `https://api.dev.alignet.io/onboarding/*` |
| Production  | `https://api.alignet.io/onboarding/*`     |

## Endpoints

| Method | Path                           | Description                     | Who can invoke it             |
| ------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `POST` | `/onboarding/gateways`         | Register a gateway.             | Admin.                        |
| `GET`  | `/onboarding/gateways/{code}`  | Retrieve a gateway.             | Admin, the Gateway itself.    |
| `PUT`  | `/onboarding/gateways/{code}`  | Update a gateway.               | Admin.                        |
| `POST` | `/onboarding/acquirers`        | Register an acquirer.           | Admin, Gateway.               |
| `GET`  | `/onboarding/acquirers/{code}` | Retrieve an acquirer.           | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer.     |
| `PUT`  | `/onboarding/acquirers/{code}` | Update an acquirer.             | Admin, Gateway.               |
| `POST` | `/onboarding/pfs`              | Register a payment facilitator. | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer.     |
| `GET`  | `/onboarding/pfs/{code}`       | Retrieve a PF.                  | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer, PF. |
| `PUT`  | `/onboarding/pfs/{code}`       | Update a PF.                    | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer.     |
| `POST` | `/onboarding/merchants`        | Register a merchant.            | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer, PF. |
| `GET`  | `/onboarding/merchants/{code}` | Retrieve a merchant.            | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer, PF. |
| `PUT`  | `/onboarding/merchants/{code}` | Update a merchant.              | Admin, Gateway, Acquirer, PF. |

## Credentials

When registering an entity, the API can generate OAuth credentials (`client_id` and `client_secret`) through the `generate_credentials` flag.

| Entity              | Credential generation                                          |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Gateway             | Always generated and required.                                 |
| Acquirer            | Configurable with `generate_credentials: "true"` or `"false"`. |
| Payment Facilitator | Configurable with `generate_credentials: "true"` or `"false"`. |
| Merchant            | Configurable with `generate_credentials: "true"` or `"false"`. |

<Warning>
  Credentials are displayed only once during registration. Store them securely.
</Warning>

## Registration flow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Register the Gateway">
    The Alignet Admin registers the Gateway. The Gateway receives its credentials.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register the Acquirers">
    The Gateway uses its credentials to register its Acquirers.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register the Payment Facilitators">
    The Gateway or Acquirer registers the Payment Facilitators, if applicable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Register the Merchants">
    The Gateway, Acquirer, or Payment Facilitator registers the Merchants.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## TransactionKeyDB synchronization

When each entity is registered through the Onboarding API, its regulatory data is automatically synchronized with TransactionKeyDB, the processing account, through EventBridge.

```mermaid theme={"system"}
flowchart LR
    O["Onboarding API<br/>Entity registration"] --> E["EventBridge"]
    E --> T["TransactionKeyDB<br/>Processing account"]
    T --> A["Authorization<br/>Acquirer and merchant data available"]
```

This synchronization makes the acquirer information, including BINs and institution codes, and merchant information available to the authorization flow without manual intervention.

## Onboarding guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication and security" icon="shield-halved" href="/en/onboarding/authentication-security">
    Review OAuth credential generation and secure storage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Gateway registration" icon="server" href="/en/onboarding/gateway">
    Review the operations available for Gateways.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Acquirer registration" icon="building-columns" href="/en/onboarding/acquirer">
    Review the operations available for Acquirers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Payment Facilitator registration" icon="network-wired" href="/en/onboarding/payment-facilitator">
    Review the operations available for Payment Facilitators.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Merchant registration" icon="store" href="/en/onboarding/merchant">
    Review the operations available for Merchants.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ecommerce authorization" icon="cart-shopping" href="/en/onboarding/ecommerce-authorization-flow">
    Review how Onboarding data becomes available to Ecommerce.
  </Card>

  <Card title="POS authorization" icon="credit-card" href="/en/onboarding/pos-authorization-flow">
    Review how Onboarding data becomes available to POS.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>