Provider APIs
Provider APIs use a reverse data flow — BigCommerce calls your app’s endpoints to retrieve data on behalf of a store. These are API specifications that your application must implement, not APIs you call directly.
Each provider type has its own authentication model:
Developer-configured authentication. When you register your carrier with BigCommerce, you define a carrier configuration schema. BigCommerce includes the merchant’s configuration values in each request payload. How you authenticate stores is up to your implementation.
Uses HTTP Basic Authentication. Your app establishes a connection via the Tax Provider Connection API, supplying a username and password. BigCommerce sends these credentials in the Authorization header when calling your endpoints.
For additional context, see Authentication overview.
- Shipping Provider — Rate quote requests and connection validation endpoints that your app implements
- Tax Provider — Tax estimate, commit, adjustment, and void endpoints, plus the Tax Provider Connection API for managing connections
You must be a registered single-click app in the BigCommerce Developer Portal. After registering your app and implementing the required endpoints, contact BigCommerce to receive a carrier or provider ID.
- Register a single-click app in the Developer Portal
- Implement the required endpoints per the API specification
- Contact BigCommerce to receive your carrier/provider ID
- Merchants install your app from the BigCommerce control panel