Skip to main content
AgentCard runs test mode and live mode side by side on the same API. The mode is determined entirely by your API key prefix — not by a different URL or environment. Keys prefixed sk_test_ operate in test mode: they issue test cards with no real money ever charged.

​
Base URL

There is one base URL for all requests, in both test and live mode: 
https://api.agentcard.sh
Your API key decides the mode. For example, this lists your test cards because the key is a sk_test_ key: 
curl https://api.agentcard.sh/api/v1/cards \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_..."
Switching to a sk_live_ key against the same URL operates on real cards. Nothing else in your request changes.

​
Test mode vs live mode

Test modeLive mode
Base URLhttps://api.agentcard.shhttps://api.agentcard.sh
API key prefixsk_test_sk_live_
PaymentsSandbox (no real charges)Live (real charges)
CardsTest cards (no real charges)Real Visa cards
You never send a mode or sandbox field in your requests — the API infers it from the key and returns "mode": "test" (or "live") on the resources it creates.

​
Getting started

  1. Install the admin CLI and log in
  2. Create an organization and API key
  3. Use https://api.agentcard.sh as your base URL for all API calls
New API keys are sk_test_ keys by default, so you start in test mode with no extra configuration.
All examples in this documentation use api.agentcard.sh. Use a sk_test_ key while developing; swap in a sk_live_ key against the same URL when you’re ready to go live.

​
Going to production

When you’re ready to use real Visa cards:
  1. Subscribe to a paid plan — agent-cards-admin subscribe
  2. Switch to production mode — agent-cards-admin env production (requires an active subscription)
  3. Create a production API key — agent-cards-admin keys create (will produce sk_live_*)
  4. Swap the sk_test_ key in your integration for the sk_live_ key — the base URL stays https://api.agentcard.sh