Getting started

This guide takes you from zero to asking Claude questions about your gateway data.

1. Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or newer (node --version).
• A security key for your EPD / NMI gateway. A read-only key is strongly recommended — see configuration.md.

2. Get your credentials

1. Log in to your merchant portal (EPD, NMI, or your white-label gateway).
2. Go to Settings → Security Keys.
3. Create or copy a read-only API security key.
4. Note your gateway’s API host. NMI’s shared host is https://secure.nmi.com. White-label gateways use their own host — confirm yours in the portal or your integration docs.

3. Try it locally (optional but recommended)

Verify the server starts and can talk to your gateway before wiring it into Claude:

NMI_SECURITY_KEY=your_read_only_key \
NMI_API_URL=https://secure.nmi.com \
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npx -y easypaydirect-mcp

The MCP Inspector opens a UI where you can list the tools and run, say, search_transactions for a recent date range.

4. Connect to Claude Desktop

Edit your claude_desktop_config.json:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "easypaydirect": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "easypaydirect-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "NMI_SECURITY_KEY": "your_read_only_security_key",
        "NMI_API_URL": "https://secure.nmi.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. You should see the easypaydirect tools appear.

5. Connect to Claude Code

claude mcp add easypaydirect \
  -e NMI_SECURITY_KEY=your_read_only_security_key \
  -e NMI_API_URL=https://secure.nmi.com \
  -- npx -y easypaydirect-mcp

6. Ask questions

• “Look up transaction 1234567890.”
• “Find failed card transactions between Jan 1 and Jan 7, 2026.”
• “Is subscription ABC123 still active, and when does it next bill?”
• “List the recurring plans on this gateway.”

The model will pick the right read-only tool and format the answer.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause
NMI_SECURITY_KEY is required	The env var isn’t set in the MCP client config.
Unexpected non-XML response	Wrong NMI_API_URL, or the key is invalid / not authorized for the Query API.
Query API returned HTTP 4xx/5xx	Gateway-side error; check the key permissions and host.
Tools don’t appear in Claude	Restart the client after editing config; check the client’s MCP logs.