The cost of not evaluating
Integrations rarely fail at the demo: they fail in month 6, when a customer asks about a model the API doesn't support, the site with no internet configured, or the reconciliation that won't add up. Each of those failures is paid in engineering hours — and the way to avoid them is to evaluate the platform with the right criteria, not the price.
The 10 criteria (with the exact question)
1. Supported models and protocol
Question: which models and firmware generations do you support today, and how are new ones added? If the answer is "one by one, via development", every new customer is an engineering ticket. API Connect implements the terminal protocol on its side and exposes uniform REST/JSON, whatever the model.
2. Connectivity
Question: does the terminal need a static IP, open ports or a VPN at the customer's site? In real integrations — franchises, construction sites, condos — this question decides the project. With push mode, the terminal reaches out to the cloud: dynamic IP and 4G work with no extra configuration.
3. Real time
Question: how do I receive each event the moment it happens? Check the concrete mechanisms: configurable webhook (with delivery token) and/or an event channel per terminal. If there's only polling, your backend will be guessing.
4. Source of truth for reconciliation
Question: is there a queryable report with date ranges and pagination that serves as the official reference? The real-time stream is for the urgent stuff; payroll reconciliation needs the REST report. API Connect gives you both.
5. User and credential management
Question: can I enroll, modify and remove people with PIN/card/groups via API, per terminal? Without this, your SaaS can't orchestrate the user lifecycle — and operations go back to being manual.
6. Biometric data
Question: who processes and stores the biometric templates? The right answer for your risk: the terminal and the platform; your SaaS consumes authenticated events/reports with a token. If they require you to handle biometrics, you're accepting a compliance problem that isn't yours.
7. Integration security
Question: how do I authenticate? Standard auth (login → JWT token with expiration, Bearer headers) is what your team already knows how to maintain. Proprietary signature schemes or per-device secrets are technical debt from day 1.
8. Multi-tenant model
Question: is each terminal addressed by serial number and are usage limits published? With API Connect, the serial addresses every endpoint and rate limits are defined — sizing your infrastructure becomes math, not guesswork.
9. Sandbox
Question: can I test all of this before buying hardware? The API Connect sandbox creates virtual terminals with real events, included in the 14-day trial. A vendor without a sandbox asks you to decide blind.
10. Predictable cost and clean exit
Questions: does cost scale with usage (per terminal) or is it a flat license? And if I decide to switch tomorrow, is my code portable? REST/JSON is the most portable abstraction there is — your lock-in risk is measured by how standard the integration is.
The table for your evaluation meeting
| Criterion | API Connect |
|---|---|
| 1. Models/protocol | Protocol implemented on the platform; uniform REST |
| 2. Connectivity | Push mode: no static IP, no VPN, 4G OK |
| 3. Real time | Configurable webhook + channel per terminal |
| 4. Reconciliation | REST reports per serial, date range and pagination |
| 5. Users/credentials | API management: PINs, cards, groups |
| 6. Biometrics | Lives on the terminal/platform; your SaaS never touches it |
| 7. Security | Standard login, JWT with expiration, Bearer |
| 8. Multi-tenant | Serial as the key; published limits |
| 9. Sandbox | Included in trial: up to 2 virtual terminals |
| 10. Cost/exit | Usage-based subscription; portable REST integration |
The criterion that sums it all up: evaluate less by what the vendor promises and more by what they let you test. With the sandbox, your evaluation stops being a demo and becomes a real proof of concept — with your cases, your flows and your test data.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important evaluation?
Being able to test before committing: the sandbox with the real API validates the whole flow without buying hardware. Without a sandbox, you're deciding blind.
How do I know if the API scales?
Multi-tenant model: serial as the key, published limits and zero extra infrastructure on your side to add terminals.
What do I do with biometric data?
Don't touch it: consuming authenticated events/reports and leaving templates on the terminal/platform reduces your risk and compliance surface.
Evaluate it with tests, not promises
Create your account and run your own checklist against the sandbox: 14 days free, no credit card.