While crypto holders are quick to trumpet the benefits of the decentralized universe of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and other digital coins, the industry still faces some major payment hurdles. Integrating an airtime API for cryptocurrency exchange can solve some big issues.
It’s no secret: One of the largest drawbacks of using cryptocurrency is illiquidity.
The global lack of access to cheap exchanges means that cryptocurrency cannot easily be converted into cash without usually suffering a big loss in value.
In addition to this drawback, cryptocurrency lacks intrinsic value which makes it a much less fungible asset than traditional investments.
Here, an airtime API presents a surprising use case.
The global prepaid marketplace underscores this potential: At any one time, there are approximately 5 billion prepaid mobile phone users around the world that are in need of constant airtime and data top-ups for their telecom services.
Cryptocurrency can act as a unique payment channel, paying for billions of mobile users’ data and airtime while providing top-up vendors with much sought-after liquidity.
Airtime APIs for cryptocurrency exchanges means more liquidity
By using an airtime API, apps can offer their customers a cheap (and potentially profitable) exchange for their cryptocurrency.
In this way, airtime APIs enable crypto providers to offer a liquid exchange method to buy and sell airtime using cryptocurrencies.
Let’s illustrates two use cases below:
Accept airtime top-ups with cryptocurrency
Airtime API enables crypto providers (and, thus, their customers) to accept worldwide mobile recharge and data bundle payments using cryptocurrency.
In effect, the worldwide top-up marketplace becomes a highly liquid gateway for exchanging cryptocurrency for any ISO-4217 global currency. This ultimately mitigates one of the central shortcomings of using crypto.
Purchasing bulk airtime with cryptocurrency
A second way that an airtime API supports cryptocurrency is by allowing crypto providers to purchase bulk airtime.
With a storage of bulk airtime, crypto providers thus become a marketplace for mobile top-ups, uniquely allowing mobile users an avenue to spend their cryptocurrency for prepaid phone services.
Moreover, this method of exchange can also be incredibly profitable.
For example, Reloadly offers users of its airtime API discounted rates when bulk airtime is bought using cryptocurrency.
In general, when buying airtime top-ups in bulk with crypto, discounts and commissions provided by Reloadly can range anywhere from 6% to 15% of profits. (Not bad, right?)
Cryptocurrency holders are thus provided a large incentive to use the top-up market via Reloadly’s API to exchange their coins.
Furthermore, with our GitHub app, Reloadly has made this easy for anyone learning how to send bulk airtime, even for those without any developer knowledge.
Using our app and API, you can quickly set up a platform that will allow you to buy, sell and/or facilitate airtime top-up purchases in just a few minutes.
Reloadly enables our API users to accept all of the most common cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and more. If you have additional questions or wish to learn more about our full list of cryptocurrency services for bulk airtime, please contact a Reloadly support expert.
Next, there are two ways to integrate with the Reloadly API for cryptocurrency use cases. We’ll start with the easier method first.
How to use Reloadly’s API to purchase airtime with cryptocurrency
Believe it: Integrating with Reloaldy’s API is quick and easy.
We have designed our airtime API to be used even if you have zero developer knowledge. (However, there are more complex solutions, as we’ll see below.)
Below is a quick three-step procedure to set up and integrate with our API. Following these steps, you’ll be able to start enabling bulk purchases of mobile top-ups using cryptocurrency within minutes.
1. Sign up with Reloadly in less than 3 minutes
We’ve timed it. You’ll need only about three minutes to sign up to our platform.
This includes entering your email and other credentials, email verification and a quick onboarding process.
All said and done, this process makes Reloadly’s API onboarding among the fastest in our industry.
2. Integrate Reloadly API into your platform
Next, you’ll need to use your new account to go to the Reloadly developer portal.
From here, you’ll be able to gain access to our API link.
To begin integration, carefully follow our Getting Started Reloadly YouTube tutorial.
If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to connect our helpful technical support team.
3. Easily transfer from cryptocurrency account to Reloadly
Finally, it’s time to connect your preferred cryptocurrency wallet with Reloadly.
This can include platforms such as Coinbase. But Reloadly can be easily connected with any crypto exchange or wallet.
Once connected, you can transfer your cryptocurrency to the Reloadly wallet. A balance in the cryptocurrency you hold will then appear on your dashboard.
It is important to note that all cryptocurrency account holders must share proof of payment, then we will verify and add the funds to your Reloadly wallet.
How to process airtime payments using a crypto provider
Another way to use our airtime API is to directly link it with your crypto provider of choice.
In order to process end-user payments using Reloadly’s airtime API, connect to a crypto payment processor such as Coin Payments.
Using Coin Payments as an example, call the create transaction endpoint on checkout. This works best for a fixed price and denomination of a specified coin.
The IPN (Instant Payment Notification) system will notify you of payments as they occur.
Once you’ve received the coins from the end-user at the address specified in the endpoint response, you can then make a POST call to Reloadly’s top-up endpoint.
An elegant way of integrating Reloadly with Coin Payments is to configure your IPN to ensure payments are received and confirmed. Once they are confirmed, you can then send top-ups using Reloadly’s API by matching the txn_id of the coin payment to a customer backend ledger that you maintain.
This ledger can provide the customer’s balance in real-time, allowing you to replenish their balance within Reloadly.
The steps here are as follows:
- Sign up for Coin Payments’ API
- Sign up for Reloadly’s API
- Configure your IPN in Coin Payments
- Write a simple IPN handler
- On your checkout page, capture the payment amount, top-up amount, operator, and recipient phone number. You can pass in the Sender phone number by grabbing this data from your end user’s profile information.
- Make a call to the Coin Payments /create transactions endpoint on the submit or process order event.
- Once the IPN returns a confirmed payment transaction ID, do a lookup of the end user’s ledger and add entries as needed.
- Using this ledger, call Reloadly’s /account balance endpoint for settlement.
- Once settled, send the appropriate top-up balance using Reloadly’s /topups endpoint.
- Insert this balance into the end user’s ledger and return their account balance as captured by your backend.
Endpoints for Working with Cryptocurrency
To use allow end-users to use cryptocurrency, make a POST call to the https://topups.reloadly.com/topups endpoint using the following sample payload in the body:
curl --include
--request POST
--header "Content-Type: application/json"
--header "Accept: application/com.reloadly.topups-v1+json"
--header "Authorization: Bearer eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6Ik0wWXpRa"
--data-binary "{
"recipientPhone": {
"countryCode": "HT",
"number": "+50936377111" //(Note the '+509' country dialing code for Haiti)
},
"senderPhone": {
"countryCode": "US",
"number": "+13059547862" //(Note the \"+1\" country dialing code for USA)
},
"operatorId": 173,
"amount": 15,
"customIdentifier": "transaction by john@example.com"
}
https://topups.reloadly.com/topups
Reloadly supports all ISO-4217 currency codes. See this list for the currency codes for common cryptocurrencies.
Final Thoughts
Reloadly’s mobile top-up API helps mitigate the inherent drawbacks of cryptocurrency by allowing crypto users to liquidate their crypto assets quickly and conveniently.
There are already plenty of companies in the cryptocurrency industry that utilize our technology to provide more liquidity solutions to crypto holders.
Learn more about how Reloadly’s airtime API can help your business by asking to speak with one of our experts in our dedicated cryptocurrency team today.
