Integrating Monieswitch with Mobile Apps (React Native & Flutter)

Who is this for?

Mobile developers using React Native or Flutter who want to accept payments, create payment links, or manage wallets with Monieswitch APIs.

Overview

This guide covers:

Setting up secure API integration architecture
Creating a backend proxy for Monieswitch APIs
Building mobile app clients that communicate with your backend
Creating payment links and handling responses
Security best practices for mobile payments
Error handling and user experience considerations

Prerequisites

Create Monieswitch Account

A Monieswitch account. Register at Monieswitch Dashboard.

Get API Key

API Key from your Monieswitch dashboard.

Set Up Development Environment

React Native or Flutter development environment set up.

Backend Service

A backend service (Node.js, Python, etc.) to securely handle Monieswitch API calls.

Architecture Overview

Mobile App → Your Backend API → Monieswitch APIs

Mobile apps should never communicate directly with Monieswitch APIs. Always use a secure backend to proxy requests and protect your API keys.

1. Backend Setup (Required)

First, set up your backend to handle Monieswitch API calls:

Environment Configuration

Add these to your backend .env file:

MONIESWITCH_BASE_URL=https://nini.monieswitch.com
MONIESWITCH_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
PORT=3000

Backend Implementation

server.js

require('dotenv').config();
const express = require('express');
const axios = require('axios');
const app = express();

app.use(express.json());

const BASE_URL = process.env.MONIESWITCH_BASE_URL;
const API_KEY = process.env.MONIESWITCH_API_KEY;

// Get merchant details
app.get('/api/monieswitch/merchant', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get(`${BASE_URL}/api/merchant`, {
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });
    res.json(response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Monieswitch API Error:', error.response?.data);
    res.status(error.response?.status || 500).json({
      error: 'Failed to fetch merchant details'
    });
  }
});

// Create payment link
app.post('/api/monieswitch/payment-links', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const { amount, currency, description, email } = req.body;

    // Validate required fields
    if (!amount || !currency || !email) {
      return res.status(400).json({
        error: 'Missing required fields: amount, currency, email'
      });
    }

    const payload = {
      amount: parseInt(amount),
      currency,
      description: description || 'Mobile payment',
      customer: { email }
    };

    const response = await axios.post(`${BASE_URL}/api/payment-links`, payload, {
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });

    res.json(response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Payment Link Error:', error.response?.data);
    res.status(error.response?.status || 500).json({
      error: 'Failed to create payment link'
    });
  }
});

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Backend server running on port ${PORT}`);
});

2. Mobile App Setup

Install HTTP Request Libraries

npm install axios
# For secure storage (optional)
npm install @react-native-async-storage/async-storage

Configure API Client

Create an API service file:

services/api.js

import axios from 'axios';

// Configure your backend URL
const BACKEND_BASE_URL = 'https://your-backend.com'; // Replace with your backend URL
// For local development: 'http://localhost:3000'

const apiClient = axios.create({
  baseURL: BACKEND_BASE_URL,
  timeout: 10000,
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
});

// Add request interceptor for logging
apiClient.interceptors.request.use(
  (config) => {
    console.log('API Request:', config.method?.toUpperCase(), config.url);
    return config;
  },
  (error) => Promise.reject(error)
);

// Add response interceptor for error handling
apiClient.interceptors.response.use(
  (response) => response,
  (error) => {
    console.error('API Error:', error.response?.data || error.message);
    return Promise.reject(error);
  }
);

export const monieswitchAPI = {
  // Get merchant details
  getMerchantDetails: async () => {
    try {
      const response = await apiClient.get('/api/monieswitch/merchant');
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      throw new Error(error.response?.data?.error || 'Failed to fetch merchant details');
    }
  },

  // Create payment link
  createPaymentLink: async (paymentData) => {
    try {
      const response = await apiClient.post('/api/monieswitch/payment-links', paymentData);
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      throw new Error(error.response?.data?.error || 'Failed to create payment link');
    }
  },
};

3. Using the API in Your App

Fetching Merchant Details

components/MerchantInfo.js

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { View, Text, ActivityIndicator, Alert } from 'react-native';
import { monieswitchAPI } from '../services/api';

const MerchantInfo = () => {
  const [merchantData, setMerchantData] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetchMerchantDetails();
  }, []);

  const fetchMerchantDetails = async () => {
    try {
      setLoading(true);
      const data = await monieswitchAPI.getMerchantDetails();
      setMerchantData(data);
    } catch (error) {
      Alert.alert('Error', error.message);
    } finally {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  };

  if (loading) {
    return (
      <View style={{ flex: 1, justifyContent: 'center', alignItems: 'center' }}>
        <ActivityIndicator size="large" />
      </View>
    );
  }

  return (
    <View>
      <Text>Merchant: {merchantData?.name}</Text>
      <Text>Email: {merchantData?.email}</Text>
    </View>
  );
};

export default MerchantInfo;

Creating Payment Links

components/PaymentLinkForm.js

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { View, Text, TextInput, TouchableOpacity, Alert, ActivityIndicator } from 'react-native';
import { monieswitchAPI } from '../services/api';

const PaymentLinkForm = () => {
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState({
    amount: '',
    currency: 'NGN',
    description: '',
    email: '',
  });
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);

  const handleInputChange = (field, value) => {
    setFormData(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: value }));
  };

  const createPaymentLink = async () => {
    if (!formData.amount || !formData.email) {
      Alert.alert('Error', 'Please fill in amount and email');
      return;
    }

    try {
      setLoading(true);
      const paymentData = {
        amount: parseInt(formData.amount),
        currency: formData.currency,
        description: formData.description || 'Mobile payment',
        email: formData.email,
      };

      const response = await monieswitchAPI.createPaymentLink(paymentData);

      Alert.alert(
        'Success',
        `Payment link created! URL: ${response.payment_url}`,
        [{ text: 'OK' }]
      );

      // Reset form
      setFormData({ amount: '', currency: 'NGN', description: '', email: '' });
    } catch (error) {
      Alert.alert('Error', error.message);
    } finally {
      setLoading(false);
    }
  };

  return (
    <View style={{ padding: 20 }}>
      <Text style={{ fontSize: 18, marginBottom: 20 }}>Create Payment Link</Text>

      <TextInput
        placeholder="Amount (e.g., 5000)"
        value={formData.amount}
        onChangeText={(value) => handleInputChange('amount', value)}
        keyboardType="numeric"
        style={{ borderWidth: 1, padding: 10, marginBottom: 10, borderRadius: 5 }}
      />

      <TextInput
        placeholder="Currency (e.g., NGN)"
        value={formData.currency}
        onChangeText={(value) => handleInputChange('currency', value)}
        style={{ borderWidth: 1, padding: 10, marginBottom: 10, borderRadius: 5 }}
      />

      <TextInput
        placeholder="Description (optional)"
        value={formData.description}
        onChangeText={(value) => handleInputChange('description', value)}
        style={{ borderWidth: 1, padding: 10, marginBottom: 10, borderRadius: 5 }}
      />

      <TextInput
        placeholder="Customer Email"
        value={formData.email}
        onChangeText={(value) => handleInputChange('email', value)}
        keyboardType="email-address"
        style={{ borderWidth: 1, padding: 10, marginBottom: 20, borderRadius: 5 }}
      />

      <TouchableOpacity
        onPress={createPaymentLink}
        disabled={loading}
        style={{
          backgroundColor: loading ? '#ccc' : '#007AFF',
          padding: 15,
          borderRadius: 5,
          alignItems: 'center'
        }}
      >
        {loading ? (
          <ActivityIndicator color="white" />
        ) : (
          <Text style={{ color: 'white', fontSize: 16 }}>Create Payment Link</Text>
        )}
      </TouchableOpacity>
    </View>
  );
};

export default PaymentLinkForm;

4. Error Handling Best Practices

Common Error Scenarios

Network connectivity issues
Invalid API responses
Authentication failures
Validation errors
Server timeouts

Implementation Examples

utils/errorHandler.js

export const handleAPIError = (error, showAlert = true) => {
  let errorMessage = 'An unexpected error occurred';

  if (error.response) {
    // Server responded with error status
    errorMessage = error.response.data?.error || `Server error: ${error.response.status}`;
  } else if (error.request) {
    // Request was made but no response received
    errorMessage = 'Network error. Please check your connection.';
  } else {
    // Something else happened
    errorMessage = error.message || errorMessage;
  }

  console.error('API Error:', errorMessage);

  if (showAlert) {
    Alert.alert('Error', errorMessage);
  }

  return errorMessage;
};

5. Security Best Practices

Never store API keys in mobile app code
Always use HTTPS for all communications
Implement proper input validation
Use certificate pinning for production apps
Implement request signing for sensitive operations

Additional Security Measures

Input Validation: Always validate user input before sending to your backend
Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting on your backend API endpoints
Authentication: Use proper authentication mechanisms between your app and backend
Logging: Log API requests and responses for debugging (exclude sensitive data)
Error Messages: Don’t expose internal system details in error messages

6. Testing Your Integration

Backend Testing

# Test merchant details endpoint
curl -X GET http://localhost:3000/api/monieswitch/merchant

# Test payment link creation
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/monieswitch/payment-links \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"amount": 5000, "currency": "NGN", "email": "[email protected]"}'

Next Steps

Explore more endpoints in the API Reference
Implement webhooks on your backend for real-time payment updates

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

CORS errors: Ensure your backend properly handles CORS if testing from web
Network timeouts: Implement proper timeout handling and retry logic
Environment variables not loading: Double-check your .env file location and format
API key authentication failures: Verify your API key is correct and has proper permissions

Debug Tips

Enable detailed logging in both mobile app and backend
Use network debugging tools (React Native Debugger, Flutter Inspector)
Test API endpoints independently before integrating with mobile app
Monitor backend logs for detailed error informati

Get Started

Setup Monieswitch

Products

Guide and How-to

Support and resources

Integrating Monieswitch with Mobile Apps (React Native & Flutter)

Who is this for?

Overview

Prerequisites

Architecture Overview

1. Backend Setup (Required)

Environment Configuration

Backend Implementation

2. Mobile App Setup

Install HTTP Request Libraries

Configure API Client

3. Using the API in Your App

Fetching Merchant Details

Creating Payment Links

4. Error Handling Best Practices

Common Error Scenarios

Implementation Examples

5. Security Best Practices

Additional Security Measures

6. Testing Your Integration

Backend Testing

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Tips

Get Started

Setup Monieswitch

Products

Guide and How-to

Support and resources

​Who is this for?

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Architecture Overview

​1. Backend Setup (Required)

​Environment Configuration

​Backend Implementation

​2. Mobile App Setup

​Install HTTP Request Libraries

​Configure API Client

​3. Using the API in Your App

​Fetching Merchant Details

​Creating Payment Links

​4. Error Handling Best Practices

​Common Error Scenarios

​Implementation Examples

​5. Security Best Practices

​Additional Security Measures

​6. Testing Your Integration

​Backend Testing

​Next Steps

​Troubleshooting

​Common Issues

​Debug Tips

Who is this for?

Overview

Prerequisites

Architecture Overview

1. Backend Setup (Required)

Environment Configuration

Backend Implementation

2. Mobile App Setup

Install HTTP Request Libraries

Configure API Client

3. Using the API in Your App

Fetching Merchant Details

Creating Payment Links

4. Error Handling Best Practices

Common Error Scenarios

Implementation Examples

5. Security Best Practices

Additional Security Measures

6. Testing Your Integration

Backend Testing

Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Tips