> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kashimi.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> What the Kashimi API is, how it's designed, and the conventions it follows.

The Kashimi API is a REST API that enables licensed payment service providers to initiate bank-to-bank payments across Europe through a single integration. Rather than building and maintaining separate connections to each bank, you integrate once with Kashimi and get access to the full provider network.

## API design

* **Protocol** — HTTPS only. All requests must be made over TLS.
* **Format** — JSON request and response bodies throughout. Set `Content-Type: application/json` on all requests with a body.
* **Authentication** — Bearer token via OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials. Include it on every request:
  ```http theme={null}
  Authorization: Bearer <access_token>
  ```
* **IDs** — All resource identifiers are UUIDs (e.g. `paymentId`, `provider.Id`).
* **Timestamps** — All timestamps are in ISO 8601 format (`2024-01-15T10:30:00Z`).

## Base URLs

| Environment | Base URL                           |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Sandbox     | `https://api-sandbox.kashimi.tech` |
| Production  | `https://api.kashimi.tech`         |

## Versioning

The current API version is `v1`. The version is included in every endpoint path:

```
/api/v1/capabilities/providers
/api/v1/ob/payments
```

Breaking changes will be introduced under a new version prefix. You will be notified in advance before any version is deprecated.

## Rate limiting

If you exceed the allowed request rate, the API returns `429 Too Many Requests`. Implement exponential backoff and retry logic in your integration. Contact the Kashimi team if you need higher rate limits for your use case.

<Info>
  Ready to start building? Head to [Start Here](/api-reference/start_here) for prerequisites, credentials setup, and a step-by-step integration walkthrough.
</Info>