Authentication

Choose how your integration authenticates to the Payabli API
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Applies to:Developers

Payabli supports two ways to authenticate API requests. Payabli recommends OAuth2 Bearer tokens for all new integrations, because they’re short-lived, permission-scoped, and backed by credentials you can rotate. Some endpoints accept only OAuth2, and each endpoint’s API reference shows the authentication methods it accepts. The requestToken API token still works everywhere else, so existing integrations don’t need to migrate.

API tokenOAuth2 Bearer token
Sent asrequestToken headerAuthorization: Bearer header
LifetimeLong-lived (1–24 months)Short-lived (hours; see expires_in)
How you get itCreate it in the Payabli PortalExchange a client ID and secret at the token endpoint
Use it whenYou want a long-lived credential with minimal setup, or you’re maintaining an existing requestToken integration.You want short-lived, rotatable, permission-scoped credentials.