Credentials
Credentials are unique access keys that we use to identify an integration in your account. They are directly linked to the application you created for that integration and will allow you to develop your project with the best Mercado Pago security measures.
Types of credentials
Credentials are divided into two types: production credentials and test credentials. Below, we explain what they are about.
Production credentials
Production credentials are a set of keys that allow you to receive real payments in stores and other applications.
When accessing production credentials, the following credential pairs will be displayed: Public Key and Access Token, as well as Client ID and Client Secret.
Public Key and Access Token
The Public Key and Access Token credentials are used, not necessarily together, in integrations made with Mercado Pago payment solutions. They are directly linked to the application you created, so each credential pair is unique for each integration.
| Type | Description |
| Public Key | The application's public key is generally used in the frontend. It allows, for example, access to information about payment methods and encrypt card data. |
| Access Token | Application's private key that should always be used in the backend to generate payments. It is essential to keep this information safe on your servers. |
For more information on which credentials will be needed for your integration, see the documentation of the solution being integrated.
Client ID and Client Secret
The Client ID and Client Secret credentials are used primarily in integrations that use OAuth as a protocol for obtaining private information from Mercado Pago accounts. In particular, they are used during the Client Credentials flow (grant type), which allows you to access a resource on your own behalf and obtain an Access Token without user interaction.
They may also be required in some older integrations with e-commerce platforms.
| Type | Description |
| Client ID | Unique identifier that represents your integration. |
| Client Secret | Private key used in some plugins to generate payments. It is extremely important to keep this information secure on your servers and not allow access to any user of the system or intruder. |
Get credentials
Mercado Pago credentials are created from a Mercado Pago application. That is, they are directly linked to the applicationEntity registered in Mercado Pago that acts as an identifier to manage your integrations. For more information, see the documentation on [Application details](/developers/es/docs/your-integrations/application-details).Application details that you created through Your integrations.
Below, learn how to get the credentials.
- In the upper right corner of Mercado Pago Developers, click Log in and fill in the required data with the information corresponding to your Mercado Pago account. Then, click on the Your integrations button located in the upper right corner.
- Access your application or create one if you have not already done so.
- You will find your credentials under the title Testing > Test credentials or Production > Production credentials, in the menu located on the left side of the screen.
Activate production credentials
To obtain production credentials, you must activate them by completing some information about your business. Follow the steps below:
- Go to Your integrations and select an application.
- Go to the Production credentials section in the left side menu. You will find the Public Key and the Access Token of the test user.
- In the Industry field, select from the drop-down menu the industry or category to which the business you are integrating belongs.
- In the Website (required) field, complete with the URL of your business website.
- Accept the Privacy Statement and the Terms and Conditions. Fill in the reCAPTCHA and click on Activate production credentials.
When accessing production credentials, the following credential pairs will be displayed: Public Key and Access Token, as well as Client ID and Client Secret.
Share credentials
If you are developing for someone else or receiving help in the integration or configuration of your stores, you can securely share the credentials with another Mercado Pago account.
You can share credentials up to a maximum of 10 times. If you reach this limit, you must delete old permissions, without impacting already configured integrations.
In addition, if for security reasons you no longer want to share your credentials, you can cancel access.
Below, we show you how to share credentials.
- In the upper right corner of Mercado Pago Developers, click Log in and enter the required data with the information corresponding to your Mercado Pago account. Then, click on the Your integrations button located in the upper right corner.
- Access the application of the integration for which you need to share the credentials.
- Go to the Testing or Production section, depending on the type of credential you want to share. Remember that to access production credentials, you must activate them. If you don't know how to activate them, go to Activate production credentials.
- Once you select the credentials, go to the Share credentials with a developer section and click on the Share Credentials button.
- Enter the email address of the person you want to grant access to. Remember: it is mandatory that the email address is associated with a Mercado Pago account.
Renew credentials
You can renew your production credentials for security reasons or any other relevant reason.
To renew a credential pair, follow the steps below.
- Access your production credentials through Your integrations.
- Select the credential pair you want to renew. These can be Public Key and Access Token or Client ID and Client Secret. Keep in mind that both credentials in the pair you choose will be renewed.
- Click on the three dots located to the right of the credential you want to renew and select Renew. Click on Renew now to confirm the change.
Ready, your credentials have been renewed.