Authentication

Secret keys, publishable keys, and the line between test and live.

Not live yet — api.baynoy.com does not resolve, so the examples below will not run today. These shapes are settled: design against them now and nothing changes when keys go live.

Two key types, one rule

Secret keys (sk_) authenticate your server and can do anything your role allows. Publishable keys (pk_) are safe in a browser and can only start a checkout. If a secret key can reach a browser, it is already compromised.

cURL

# server-to-server: secret key, never in a browser or an app bundle
Authorization: Bearer bk_live_...

# browser: publishable key, safe to ship, can only start a checkout
Authorization: Bearer pk_live_...

Test and live are separate universes

bk_test_ keys operate on simulated money and never touch live data; bk_live_ keys move real money. There is no flag that turns one into the other, which is deliberate — the environments cannot be mixed by accident.

Scopes and rolling

Payouts, refunds and card reveal require separately scoped keys. Roll a key whenever someone leaves or a key might have been logged; rolling is designed to be routine maintenance, not an incident.

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