Authentication

All conversion and billing endpoints require a valid, active API key in the request header.

API key header

Include your key on every authenticated request:

X-API-Key: dc_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Obtaining a key

api_key — shown once; store it securely
checkout_url — Stripe checkout to activate billing
plan — initially payg (inactive until payment)

Important: New keys are created with is_active: false. You cannot call /v1/convert until Stripe confirms your subscription via webhook. Attempting to use an inactive key returns 402 PAYMENT_REQUIRED.

Key lifecycle

Register — key created, Stripe customer created, checkout session returned
Checkout — user completes payment on Stripe
Activated — customer.subscription.created webhook sets is_active: true
Use API — conversions count against monthly quota

Error responses

Status	Code	Meaning
401	`INVALID_API_KEY`	Missing, unknown, or malformed key
402	`PAYMENT_REQUIRED`	Valid key but not yet activated (checkout incomplete)
429	`QUOTA_EXCEEDED`	Monthly plan limit reached
429	`RATE_LIMITED`	Too many requests per minute

Full error reference: Errors