How to get a Mercado Pago access token for Zendesk

By Jake Marsh · Updated

To connect Mercado Pago to Zendesk, sign in to Mercado Pago Developers, open Your integrations, create an application for Zendesk (for example "Zendesk Pagowell"), open Production credentials and copy the Access Token, which starts with APP_USR-. Paste it into that country's Access token setting in Pagowell. Repeat for each country's Mercado Pago account you use.

Steps

  1. Sign in to Mercado Pago Developers as the account owner, or as a collaborator allowed to manage integrations. Mercado Pago explains collaborator access in its credentials documentation.
  2. Create an application for Zendesk. Under Your integrations, create a new application and give it a name you'll recognize, such as "Zendesk Pagowell". A dedicated application means you can renew its credentials without touching your checkout.
  3. Open Production credentials and copy the Access Token (APP_USR-...). Pagowell doesn't use the public key or the test credentials.
  4. Repeat per country. A Brazilian account and a Mexican account each need their own application and token.
  5. Install Pagowell from the Zendesk Marketplace and fill in Accounts, one line per country.
  6. Paste each token into its country's Access token setting and save. Pagowell reads the account behind each token first and refuses a token from another country's account.
  7. Test it. Open a ticket from someone who paid you. Their payments should appear in the sidebar.

Writing the Accounts setting

Each line is a country code, then an optional name agents see, then optional Zendesk brand ids after a colon:

BR Loja Brasil: 360001, 360002
MX Tienda México: 360003
AR
PartExampleWhat it does
Country codeBROne of AR, BR, MX, CL, CO, PE, UY. Picks which token setting is used.
NameLoja BrasilShown to agents in the account picker.
Brand ids360001, 360002Tickets of these brands open this account first.

A ticket opens the account that lists its brand, else the first account without brands. Agents can switch accounts at the top of the sidebar.

Why the token is safe in Zendesk

A Mercado Pago access token gives full access to its account, and Mercado Pago offers no way to limit it. Pagowell keeps it where agents can't reach it: Zendesk stores it as a secure setting and inserts it into the request header only on the way to api.mercadopago.com, so it never reaches an agent's browser. Who can act with it is decided in Pagowell's settings: Who may take actions, per-currency Refund limits, and a switch for each kind of action.

Error messages and fixes

MessageFix
Mercado Pago refused the access tokenPaste the current production Access Token (APP_USR-...) again, copied from Production credentials of the Zendesk application.
The token belongs to an account in another countryPut each country's token in its own setting, matching the country code in Accounts.
Mercado Pago did not filter payments by emailPagowell dropped that search to protect other customers' data. Payments are still found by document, subscription, payment id and reference. Write to hello@greatwork.company.

What it costs

Pagowell is $10 a month per agent, billed monthly by Zendesk, with a 14-day free trial and a card asked for at install. The Pagowell documentation covers every setting.

Pagowell

Mercado Pago payments sidebar: refunds, claim deadlines and subscriptions on the ticket. $10/agent. $10 a month per agent.

Install PagowellAbout PagowellDocumentation

Questions

Where is the access token in Mercado Pago?

In Mercado Pago Developers, under Your integrations, open your application and then Production credentials. The Access Token is the long value that starts with APP_USR-.

Can I use the test access token?

Pagowell is set up with the production Access Token (APP_USR-...). If a payment Mercado Pago marks as a test shows up, Pagowell labels it Test and warns that no real money moves.

Do I need one token for each country?

Yes. Each country has its own Mercado Pago account, and Pagowell checks that the token in each setting belongs to that country.

What should I do when I stop using Pagowell?

Uninstall it in Zendesk, which deletes the stored tokens. Then renew or delete the Zendesk application's credentials in Mercado Pago Developers.

More Pagowell guides

More Zendesk guides