RESTIntegrations

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.

Authentication

Each provider type has its own authentication model:

Shipping Provider

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.

Tax Provider

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.

What’s inside

  • 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

Prerequisites

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.

Getting started

  1. Register a single-click app in the Developer Portal
  2. Implement the required endpoints per the API specification
  3. Contact BigCommerce to receive your carrier/provider ID
  4. Merchants install your app from the BigCommerce control panel