Before fully integrating services into the production system, Biteship users can utilize the Testing Mode (Sandbox) feature. This mode allows developers to simulate operations without real operational risk, but please note that some specific features still incur fees because they use real data.
This article will help you understand the fee structure while in testing mode:
- Features that still incur fees in the Sandbox
- Features that are completely free in the Sandbox
- Reasons for charging fees on real data
- Differences in using the Tracking API during testing
1. Features with Fees in Testing Mode (Sandbox)
Even in the testing environment, some API requests are still charged because the Biteship system fetches data directly in real-time (GET data) to ensure the accuracy of your integration results.
Here are the fee details:
-
Check Rates API: Rp5 / hit
Used to retrieve the actual shipping rate data from couriers. -
Public Tracking API: Rp10 / hit
Specifically for the endpoint/v1/trackings/:waybill_id/couriers/:courier_code. Fees apply because this API pulls data directly from the original shipment with the courier. -
Maps API: Rp2 / hit
Charged because it uses real coordinate and map data.
2. Free Features in Testing Mode (Sandbox)
To support the development of your business workflow, the following features are provided free of charge in testing mode:
-
Order API: Rp0 (Free)
You are not charged API hits or shipping fees when creating simulation orders in the Sandbox. -
Retrieve Tracking API: Rp0 (Free)
Using the endpoint/v1/trackings/:idto retrieve tracking data already in the Biteship system is free of charge. You can see the technical details in the Retrieve Tracking Documentation.
3. Comparison of Tracking APIs in Testing
It is important for developers to understand the differences in using tracking endpoints to optimize testing costs:
| Endpoint | Type | Sandbox Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
/v1/trackings/:id |
Retrieve | Free | Fetches data from Biteship’s internal database. (Check Documentation) |
/v1/trackings/:waybill/:courier |
Public | Rp10 | Fetches data directly from the courier/original shipment server. |
4. Why Are Some APIs Still Charged?
You may wonder why testing mode still deducts balance for certain features. The reason is real data integrity.
For features like Check Rates, Public Tracking, and Maps, Biteship still performs real data fetching from third-party providers or couriers so that the results you receive in testing mode are identical to what you will get in production mode later.
5. Tips to Save Balance While Testing
- Use the Retrieve Tracking endpoint if you only want to test the display of shipment status after creating a simulation order.
- Ensure your application’s caching logic works well when hitting Check Rates to avoid redundant requests.
- Take advantage of Order API simulations as often as possible since this feature is completely free for testing webhook workflows.
6. Conclusion
Biteship provides high flexibility in testing mode, especially with the Order API which is completely free. However, please make sure your account balance is sufficient to test features that use real data such as Check Rates, Maps, and Public Tracking.
If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, please contact our support team at support@biteship.com.