Environments
VRP Billing provides sandbox and production environments with consistent API contracts. Use sandbox for development and automated testing; use production only once your integration passes certification.
Environment Matrix
| Capability | Sandbox | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Base URL | https://sandbox.api.vrpbilling.com/v1 |
https://api.vrpbilling.com/v1 |
| Authentication | API keys generated via sandbox Merchant Console | API keys generated via production Merchant Console |
| Real bank connectivity | Simulated bank responses | Live banking partners |
| Webhooks | Delivered to registered sandbox endpoints with X-VRP-Sandbox: true header |
Delivered to production endpoints |
| Rate limits | Same as production | Same as sandbox |
| Mandate evidence storage | Enabled (test files discarded after 30 days) | Enabled with long-term retention |
| Payouts | Simulated payout files downloadable via console | Real payouts to merchant bank account |
Feature Flags
Some features roll out gradually. Use the Changelog to monitor availability. When a feature flag is enabled for sandbox it propagates to production within seven days.
Certification Checklist
Before requesting production access, ensure:
- All mandate and payment flows pass automated tests in sandbox.
- Webhook endpoints validate signatures and return 2xx responses.
- Retry logic respects Rate Limits.
- Teams understand Idempotency requirements.
- Operational runbooks include contact points for escalations.
IP Allow Lists
If your infrastructure uses IP allow lists, add the following ranges:
- Sandbox:
203.0.113.0/28 - Production:
198.51.100.0/28
These ranges are subject to change; subscribe to status page notifications for updates.
Maintenance Windows
Scheduled maintenance occurs on the first Sunday of each month between 00:00 and 02:00 UTC. During this window API requests may return 503 Service Unavailable. Webhooks queued during maintenance are delivered automatically once service resumes.