High performance airtime/data topup API and network agnostic logical PINs for Nigerian networks Airtel, Glo, 9Mobile and MTN

Cowrie Integrated Systems Limited is an NCC licensed Value Added Service provider of telecommunication products and services. Our Airtime REST API enables developers and service providers to dispense airtime/data plans/logical PINs from their applications. Send a request to info@cowriesys.com to signup for an account.

This repository documents the Airtime REST API and contains bindings for the following languages/platforms

• C#
• Java
• Javascript
• PHP
• Python

To start using the API immeadiately, download the code samples for your chosen platform. The remainder of this document provides the specification for the API and describes how it is implemented.

The airtime API is based on a HTTP/REST architecture. API clients issue HTTP GET requests with parameters specified in the query string. API responses use standard HTTP response codes with messages encoded in JSON format.

Security for the API is enforced through a combination of SSL and HMAC256 signatures. API requests are only accepted over HTTPS.

API client requests are authenticated and authorized using a supplied ClientId and ClientKey. For every request, the API client must include the ClientId and sign the request using the ClientKey.

The algorithm used to compute the signature is described as follows

1. Generate a nonce (it can be any unique string)
2. Concatenate the nonce and the query string including the question mark "?" {nonce}?net={net}&msisdn={msisdn}&amount={amount}&channel={channel}&xref={xref}
3. Convert the base64 encoded ClientKey to bytes
4. Instantiate a SHA256 object from the ClientKey bytes
5. Compute the SHA256 hash of the concatenated nonce and query string. The result yields the signature. Convert the signature to base64 format
6. Apply the ClientId, Signature and Nonce as HTTP headers

Request URL
https://api.cowriesys.com/airtime/Balance

Request Headers 
ClientId: me@client.com 
Signature: TAP2kgjhhodYUcawFIwsn2GSxjoyVvWWQDZMhHuMFFM= 
Nonce: 20151110202513869

A successful request will return the following JSON encoded response

HTTP 200 OK

{
    balance: 100000,
    discount: 4
}

Request URL
https://api.cowriesys.com/airtime/Credit?net=AIR&msisdn=2348124661601&amount=100&xref=7734c7da7687442

Request Headers 
ClientId: me@client.com 
Signature: TAP2kgjhhodYUcawFIwsn2GSxjoyVvWWQDZMhHuMFFM= 
Nonce: 20151110202513869

A successful request will return the following JSON encoded response

HTTP 200 OK

{
    id: "1253CBF19F431784E610",
    xref: "7734c7da7687442",
    message: "OK"
}

Request URL
https://api.cowriesys.com/data/Credit?net=AIR&msisdn=2348124661601&amount=100&xref=7734c7da7687442

Request Headers 
ClientId: me@client.com 
Signature: TAP2kgjhhodYUcawFIwsn2GSxjoyVvWWQDZMhHuMFFM= 
Nonce: 20151110202513869

A successful request will return the following JSON encoded response

HTTP 200 OK

{
    id: "1253CBF19F431784E610",
    net: "AIR",
    msisdn: "2348124661601",  
    amount: 100,  
    xref: "7734c7da7687442"
}

The net request parameter for the Credit and Data API methods should be set according to this table

The following data plans are available

Request URL
https://api.cowriesys.com/airtime/Check?reference=7734c7da7687442

Request Headers 
ClientId: me@client.com 
Signature: TAP2kgjhhodYUcawFIwsn2GSxjoyVvWWQDZMhHuMFFM= 
Nonce: 20151110202513869

A successful request will return the following JSON encoded response

HTTP 200 OK

{
    id: "1253CBF19F431784E610",
    net: "AIR",
    msisdn: "2348124661601",  
    amount: 100,  
    xref: "7734c7da7687442",
    status: "OK"
}

Request URL
https://api.cowriesys.com/pin/AllocateSingle?unit=110&type=AIRTIME&message=HappyNewYear&xref=20180101215933289

{
    "serial": "97054",
    "pin": "101436786399",
    "unit": 110,
    "fee": 0,
    "type": "AIRTIME",
    "xref": "20180101215933289",
    "message": "HappyNewYear"
}

A failed request will result in one of the following HTTP response error codes.