Credentials
Credentials are unique access keys that identify an integration in your account. They are linked to the applicationEntity registered in Mercado Pago that identifies an integration and stores its settings and credentials.View integration data you created for your integration.
How you obtain and manage them varies depending on the integrated product.
Types of credentials
Credentials are divided into test credentials and production credentials. Use the credentials for the environment in which you are working, and replace them only when moving from testing to production.
Test credentials
Test credentials let you configure and validate the integration without processing real payments. They are created automatically with the application.
To view them, follow these steps:
- Go to Integrations and select the application.
- Select Test in the environment selector at the top of the screen.
- Access the credentials in either of the following ways:
- In Home, locate the Credentials block.
- In the side menu, select Credentials.
In both cases, you will find the Public Key and Access Token for the test environment, with options to copy them.
| Type | Description |
| Public Key | Public key used in the frontend to initialize the integration and protect the data sent to Mercado Pago. |
| Access Token | Private key used in the backend to authenticate requests to Mercado Pago APIs. It must never be shared or exposed in the frontend. |
For these integrations, the test Access Token starts with the APP_USR prefix. Before copying a credential, verify that the selector displays the Test environment.
On the Credentials screen, you will also find a separate block with the test account details and an option to manage it.
Production credentials
Production credentials let you process real payments. Before using them, you must activate the application's production environment.
To activate the production environment and obtain the credentials, follow these steps:
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Go to Integrations and select the application.
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Click Credentials in the side menu.
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Select Production in the environment selector and click Activate production environment.
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Enter your business sector and website.
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Accept the Privacy Statement and the Terms and Conditions. Then, click Activate.
After activating the environment, you will find the production credentials available for the application: Public Key, Access Token, Client ID, and Client Secret. Replace the test Public Key and Access Token with the production credentials before processing real operations.
The Public Key and Access Token are used to integrate payments. The Client ID and Client Secret are mainly used in integrations that implement OAuth, especially through the Client Credentials flow.
| Type | Description |
| Public Key | Public key linked to an application and used in the frontend to initialize the integration during real transactions. |
| Access Token | Private production key used in the backend to authenticate requests to Mercado Pago APIs. It must never be shared or exposed in the frontend. |
| Client ID | Unique identifier that represents the application in integrations that implement OAuth. |
| Client Secret | Private key used with the Client ID to authenticate the application. It must never be shared or exposed in the frontend. |
Before copying a credential, verify that the selector displays the Production environment.
Share credentials
If someone else is helping you integrate Mercado Pago products, you can securely share the application's credentials with them.
To start the process, follow these steps:
- Go to Integrations, select the application, and click Credentials in the side menu.
- Select the Test or Production environment.
- In the Share credentials with a developer section, click Share credentials.
You can undo this action by removing the account that received the credentials and renewing them.