Sandbox → live (upgrading)

Sandbox is where you build. Live is where you bill real customers and run real checks against real providers. Upgrading takes about two minutes and is fully self-serve.

When to upgrade

Upgrade when:

• ✅ Your integration works end-to-end in sandbox.
• ✅ You've tested the four sandbox outcomes (pass, fail, referred, plus the default).
• ✅ You're ready to bill real customers.
• ✅ You have a payment method on file (we use Saldivo for billing: card or direct debit).

Don't upgrade just to "see how it works"; sandbox lets you exercise every endpoint for free. Upgrading switches on real money flow.

The upgrade flow

1. Go to /verify-app/settings.
2. Click Upgrade to live.
3. You're redirected to Saldivo checkout to add a payment method and accept the live-mode terms.
4. Saldivo confirms the mandate.
5. You're redirected back to the Verify dashboard. Your account is now mode = live.
6. The Live tab appears in API keys. Issue your first live key.

The whole flow takes ~2 minutes. We've moved tens of thousands of accounts through it.

What changes on upgrade

	Before	After
Account mode	sandbox	live
API keys	sk_sandbox_* only	Both sk_sandbox_* (kept) + sk_live_* (new)
Identity check	Stub (canned)	TruePersona™ identity verification
AML / age	Stub (canned)	Certivus verification services
Pass interop	Stub	Real Pass lookup
Webhooks	Fire on sandbox events	Fire on real + sandbox events
Pricing	Free	Rate card applies
Quota	100/mo sandbox	Plan quota

What doesn't change

• Your sandbox keys keep working. Use them in test / staging environments; you'll never accidentally bill from there.
• Webhook endpoints, sender preferences, account branding: all preserved.
• API contract: same shape, same endpoints, same error codes.
• Reference IDs and idempotency keys: fully namespaced per mode, no collisions.

After upgrade

A pending upgrade row appears in the dashboard while Saldivo confirms. You'll see one of three states:

State	What it means
Initiated	We've sent you to Saldivo. Complete payment to finish.
Pending	Saldivo confirmed your mandate; we're flipping your account. Usually takes < 30 seconds.
Completed	You're live. Issue live keys and ship.

If you abandon the flow (close the Saldivo window), the pending upgrade is swept after ~7 days by a background job. Your sandbox account is untouched; you can re-try the upgrade any time.

What if Saldivo says no?

If your payment method is declined or the mandate fails:

• The pending upgrade is marked failed.
• Your account stays in sandbox.
• We email the billing contact with the Saldivo error reason.

Common reasons:

• Card declined (insufficient funds, fraud flag, expired).
• Direct debit mandate rejected (invalid sort code / account).
• Address verification mismatch.

Resolve with your bank, then re-try the upgrade.

Issuing your first live key

After upgrade:

1. Go to /verify-app/api-keys.
2. Click the Live tab.
3. Issue API key → label it (e.g. "Production checkout").
4. Copy + store the secret (one-shot reveal).
5. Update your production secret store. Deploy.
6. Send a real check, either through the dashboard or via the API.

Your first live check runs through Certivus. Confirm live billing terms before sending it; see Verify billing.

Rolling back

You cannot downgrade a live account to sandbox. Once mode is live, it stays live. If you genuinely want to stop:

• Revoke all live keys → no more billable activity.
• Sandbox keys keep working for testing.
• Contact support if you want the account fully suspended.

This is intentional: downgrading would let a bad actor evade billing by toggling modes mid-session.

Cost on day one

Confirm live Verify pricing with sales before upgrading, including any Pass reuse charges. See Verify billing.

When to ship the live key

Best practice:

1. Upgrade to live during business hours.
2. Send 5–10 real checks through the dashboard first (e.g. on yourself and your team) to confirm the provider integration works end-to-end.
3. Roll the live key out to a single production server first (or behind a feature flag).
4. Watch the deliveries log for the first hour.
5. Roll out to all traffic.

Most teams skip steps 2–4 because the sandbox parity is exact. But "go slow first" is always a safe call.