1) Open dashboard and create an API key

Go to /developer in Portcall dashboard.
Click Create API Secret.
Copy the generated key.

Create API key in dashboard developer page

2) Set local env vars

export PORTCALL_API_BASE="http://localhost:9080"
export PORTCALL_API_KEY="sk_..."

3) Create a user

curl -sS -X POST "$PORTCALL_API_BASE/v1/users" \
  -H "x-api-key: $PORTCALL_API_KEY" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"taylor.chen@example.com","name":"Taylor Chen"}'

4) Create features and plans

Create features with POST /v1/features.
Create plan with POST /v1/plans.
Attach features with POST /v1/plan-features.
Publish with POST /v1/plans/{id}/publish.

For step-by-step dashboard flow with screenshots, see Dashboard walkthrough.

5) Connect a payment provider (required for live paid checkout)

For production paid subscriptions, connect Stripe or Braintree in dashboard first.

Without a real provider connection, you can still test locally but cannot process live customer charges.

6) Create checkout session and redirect user

Use POST /v1/checkout-sessions, then redirect to data.url.

7) Enforce access and track usage

List entitlements: GET /v1/entitlements?user_id=<user_id>
Read one entitlement: GET /v1/entitlements/{user_id}/{feature_id}
Record usage: POST /v1/meter-events

Quick start