Authentication Deep Dive

This guide provides an expanded explanation of how Rebell’s authentication and signing model works, including implementation examples, common errors, and best practices. Use this section when implementing low-level cryptographic signing or when troubleshooting signature-related issues.

For a higher-level overview of authentication and environments, see Authentication & Environments.

Overview

All Rebell server-to-server requests must be authenticated using an asymmetric RSA signature. The merchant signs the request using a private key; Rebell validates the signature using the merchant’s registered public key. Goals of RSA signing within Rebell:

Guarantee request authenticity
Prevent tampering of payload and metadata
Ensure requests cannot be replayed outside a valid temporal window
Enforce a secure merchant identity model

The signing process applies to all payment-related APIs and webhook verification.

Signing Workflow

A signed Rebell API request follows this lifecycle:

Construct the Signing String

Build the string that will be signed, including method, path, Client-Id, timestamp, and payload

Serialize the Request Body

Convert the request body to a JSON string exactly as it will be sent

Sign with RSA

Sign the string using SHA256withRSA algorithm

Base64URL Encode

Encode the signature using Base64URL encoding

Add Signature Header

Include the signature in the Signature header

Send Request

Send the request over HTTPS

Rebell Validates

Rebell verifies signature + timestamp + payload integrity

If any of these steps fail or produce inconsistent results, the request is rejected with INVALID_SIGNATURE.

Building the Signing String

The signing string is composed of two lines:

<HTTP_METHOD> <HTTP_PATH>
<Client-Id>.<Request-Time>.<BODY>

Example

POST /v1/payments/retailPay
2022091495540562874792.2024-01-10T12:22:30Z.{"productCode":"51051000101000100040","paymentRequestId":"order-123"}

Important Rules

Critical Requirements:

HTTP_PATH must not include hostname or query parameters
Body must be serialized exactly as sent (byte-for-byte)
Spaces, indentation, or field ordering inconsistencies will break signature validation
Empty body should be represented as an empty string ("")
Use UTF-8 encoding for all strings

Signing String Construction Example

function buildSigningString(method, path, clientId, requestTime, body) {
  const bodyString = body ? JSON.stringify(body) : '';

  const line1 = `${method} ${path}`;
  const line2 = `${clientId}.${requestTime}.${bodyString}`;

  return `${line1}\n${line2}`;
}

// Example usage
const signingString = buildSigningString(
  'POST',
  '/v1/payments/retailPay',
  '2022091495540562874792',
  '2024-01-10T12:22:30Z',
  {
    productCode: '51051000101000100040',
    paymentRequestId: 'order-123',
    paymentAmount: { currency: 'EUR', value: 1250 }
  }
);

Signature Generation

Once you have the signing string, sign it using RSA-SHA256.

const crypto = require('crypto');

function signRequest(privateKeyPem, signingString) {
  const signer = crypto.createSign('RSA-SHA256');
  signer.update(signingString, 'utf8');
  return signer.sign(privateKeyPem, 'base64url');
}

// Complete signing function
function createSignature(privateKeyPem, method, path, clientId, body) {
  const requestTime = new Date().toISOString().replace(/\.\d{3}Z$/, 'Z');
  const signingString = buildSigningString(method, path, clientId, requestTime, body);
  const signature = signRequest(privateKeyPem, signingString);

  return {
    requestTime,
    signature,
    header: `algorithm=SHA256withRSA, keyVersion=1, signature=${signature}`
  };
}

Complete Request Example

Here’s a complete example of making a signed API request:

const crypto = require('crypto');
const https = require('https');

class RebellClient {
  constructor(clientId, privateKeyPem, keyVersion = 1) {
    this.clientId = clientId;
    this.privateKeyPem = privateKeyPem;
    this.keyVersion = keyVersion;
    this.baseUrl = 'https://open-eu.rebell.app'; // Production
  }

  buildSigningString(method, path, requestTime, body) {
    const bodyString = body ? JSON.stringify(body) : '';
    return `${method} ${path}\n${this.clientId}.${requestTime}.${bodyString}`;
  }

  sign(signingString) {
    const signer = crypto.createSign('RSA-SHA256');
    signer.update(signingString, 'utf8');
    return signer.sign(this.privateKeyPem, 'base64url');
  }

  async request(method, path, body = null) {
    const requestTime = new Date().toISOString().replace(/\.\d{3}Z$/, 'Z');
    const signingString = this.buildSigningString(method, path, requestTime, body);
    const signature = this.sign(signingString);

    const headers = {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Client-Id': this.clientId,
      'Request-Time': requestTime,
      'Signature': `algorithm=SHA256withRSA, keyVersion=${this.keyVersion}, signature=${signature}`
    };

    const response = await fetch(`${this.baseUrl}${path}`, {
      method,
      headers,
      body: body ? JSON.stringify(body) : undefined
    });

    return response.json();
  }

  // Payment methods
  async retailPay(paymentData) {
    return this.request('POST', '/v1/payments/retailPay', paymentData);
  }

  async createQrOrder(orderData) {
    return this.request('POST', '/v1/payments/createQrOrder', orderData);
  }

  async linkPayCreate(paymentData) {
    return this.request('POST', '/v1/payments/linkPayCreate', paymentData);
  }

  async inquiryPayment(paymentId, paymentRequestId) {
    return this.request('POST', '/v1/payments/inquiryPayment', {
      paymentId,
      paymentRequestId
    });
  }
}

// Usage
const client = new RebellClient(
  'your-client-id',
  fs.readFileSync('private-key.pem', 'utf8')
);

const result = await client.retailPay({
  productCode: '51051000101000100040',
  paymentRequestId: 'order-123',
  paymentAuthCode: '281012020262467128',
  paymentAmount: { currency: 'EUR', value: 1250 }
});

Timestamp Requirements

The Request-Time header ensures replay protection.

Requirement	Details
Format	ISO 8601 UTC timestamp (e.g., `2024-03-21T10:15:00Z`)
Timezone	Must be UTC (indicated by `Z` suffix)
Tolerance	Must not differ from Rebell server time by more than ±5 minutes
Error	If drift exceeds this bound, Rebell returns `TIMESTAMP_INVALID`

Best Practice: Ensure your backend servers use NTP synchronization to keep accurate time.

Timestamp Generation

// Correct - UTC with Z suffix
const timestamp = new Date().toISOString().replace(/\.\d{3}Z$/, 'Z');
// Result: "2024-03-21T10:15:00Z"

// Also correct - full ISO format
const timestamp2 = new Date().toISOString();
// Result: "2024-03-21T10:15:00.000Z"

Key Rotation Workflow

Rebell supports key rotation through versioning (keyVersion).

Rotation Sequence

Generate New Keypair

Merchant generates a new RSA keypair (minimum 2048-bit)

Upload Public Key

Merchant uploads the new public key to Rebell dashboard

Receive New Version

Rebell assigns a new keyVersion number

Update Signing Logic

Merchant updates signing logic to use the new private key and keyVersion

Transition Period

Both old and new signatures remain valid during transition

Deactivate Old Key

Old key is eventually deactivated in Rebell dashboard

Recommendation: Rotate keys at least annually or according to your internal security policies.

Key Rotation Example

Key Rotation

class RebellClient {
  constructor(clientId, keys) {
    this.clientId = clientId;
    // Support multiple key versions during rotation
    this.keys = keys; // { 1: privateKey1, 2: privateKey2 }
    this.activeKeyVersion = Math.max(...Object.keys(keys).map(Number));
  }

  sign(signingString) {
    const privateKey = this.keys[this.activeKeyVersion];
    const signer = crypto.createSign('RSA-SHA256');
    signer.update(signingString, 'utf8');
    return {
      signature: signer.sign(privateKey, 'base64url'),
      keyVersion: this.activeKeyVersion
    };
  }
}

Webhook Signature Verification

Rebell signs webhook payloads using the same RSA mechanism. Merchants must verify these signatures.

Verification Steps

Extract Signature

Parse the Signature header to extract algorithm, keyVersion, and signature

Reconstruct Signing String

Build the signing string from the request data

Validate Timestamp

Ensure Request-Time is within acceptable window (e.g., 10 minutes)

Verify RSA Signature

Verify using Rebell’s public key for the specified keyVersion

Process Event

Only process the webhook if verification succeeds

Verification Example

const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifyWebhookSignature(req, rebellPublicKeys) {
  // 1. Parse signature header
  const signatureHeader = req.headers['signature'];
  const parts = {};
  signatureHeader.split(', ').forEach(part => {
    const [key, value] = part.split('=');
    parts[key] = value;
  });

  const { algorithm, keyVersion, signature } = parts;

  // 2. Get the correct public key
  const publicKey = rebellPublicKeys[keyVersion];
  if (!publicKey) {
    throw new Error(`Unknown keyVersion: ${keyVersion}`);
  }

  // 3. Reconstruct signing string
  const requestTime = req.headers['request-time'];
  const webhookPath = '/webhooks/rebell'; // Your webhook endpoint path
  const signingString = `POST ${webhookPath}\n${requestTime}.${req.rawBody}`;

  // 4. Validate timestamp (10-minute window)
  const requestTimestamp = new Date(requestTime).getTime();
  const now = Date.now();
  if (Math.abs(now - requestTimestamp) > 10 * 60 * 1000) {
    throw new Error('Timestamp outside acceptable window');
  }

  // 5. Verify signature
  const verifier = crypto.createVerify('RSA-SHA256');
  verifier.update(signingString, 'utf8');

  const signatureBuffer = Buffer.from(signature, 'base64url');
  return verifier.verify(publicKey, signatureBuffer);
}

Common Errors and Resolution

INVALID_SIGNATURE

Caused by:

Incorrect signing string construction
Wrong body serialization (extra spaces, different field order)
Incorrect header values
Using a retired keyVersion
Base64 vs Base64URL encoding mismatch

How to fix:

Log the exact signing string before signing
Compare with what you expect byte-by-byte
Ensure JSON serialization is consistent (no pretty-printing)
Verify you’re using SHA256withRSA algorithm
Check that signature uses Base64URL encoding (not standard Base64)

Debug Signing String

// Log for debugging
console.log('Signing string:');
console.log(JSON.stringify(signingString)); // Shows escape characters
console.log('Bytes:', Buffer.from(signingString).toString('hex'));

TIMESTAMP_INVALID

Caused by:

Clock skew greater than ±5 minutes
Bad timezone conversions
Non-UTC timestamps
Missing Z suffix

How to fix:

Use NTP time synchronization on your servers
Always use UTC with Z suffix
Verify timestamp format: 2024-03-21T10:15:00Z

Correct Timestamp

// Correct
const timestamp = new Date().toISOString(); // "2024-03-21T10:15:00.000Z"

// Also correct (no milliseconds)
const timestamp2 = new Date().toISOString().replace(/\.\d{3}Z$/, 'Z');

ACCESS_DENIED

Caused by:

Wrong Client-Id
Missing or wrong keyVersion
Using production credentials in sandbox (or vice versa)
Public key not registered with Rebell

How to fix:

Verify your merchant credential set
Ensure environment separation (sandbox vs production)
Confirm public key is uploaded to Rebell dashboard
Check keyVersion matches the registered key

Body Serialization Issues

Caused by:

Pretty-printed JSON (with newlines/indentation)
Different field ordering
Unicode encoding differences
Trailing whitespace

How to fix:

Use compact JSON serialization
Ensure consistent field ordering
Use UTF-8 encoding

Consistent Serialization

// Correct - compact, no spaces
const body = JSON.stringify(data);
// Result: {"productCode":"123","amount":100}

// Wrong - pretty printed
const body = JSON.stringify(data, null, 2);
// Result: {\n  "productCode": "123",\n  "amount": 100\n}

Security Recommendations

Critical Security Requirements:

✅ Store private keys in a secure HSM/KMS (e.g., AWS KMS, HashiCorp Vault)
✅ Never include private keys in frontend or mobile apps
✅ Use strict file permissions on key material (e.g., chmod 600)
✅ Regenerate keys periodically (at least annually)
✅ Monitor failed signature attempts for intrusion detection
✅ Use HTTPS for all communication
✅ Keep separate keys for sandbox and production environments
✅ Implement key rotation without downtime

Key Storage Best Practices

Environment Variables
AWS KMS
HashiCorp Vault

# Store as environment variable (base64 encoded)
export REBELL_PRIVATE_KEY=$(cat private-key.pem | base64)

const privateKey = Buffer.from(process.env.REBELL_PRIVATE_KEY, 'base64').toString();

const { KMSClient, SignCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-kms');

const kms = new KMSClient({ region: 'eu-west-1' });

async function signWithKMS(signingString) {
  const command = new SignCommand({
    KeyId: 'alias/rebell-signing-key',
    Message: Buffer.from(signingString),
    MessageType: 'RAW',
    SigningAlgorithm: 'RSASSA_PKCS1_V1_5_SHA_256'
  });

  const response = await kms.send(command);
  return Buffer.from(response.Signature).toString('base64url');
}

const vault = require('node-vault')();

async function signWithVault(signingString) {
  const result = await vault.write('transit/sign/rebell-key', {
    input: Buffer.from(signingString).toString('base64'),
    hash_algorithm: 'sha2-256',
    signature_algorithm: 'pkcs1v15'
  });

  return result.data.signature.replace('vault:v1:', '');
}

Testing Checklist

Test these scenarios before going live:

Next Steps

Authentication & Environments

Higher-level overview of authentication setup

Webhooks

Implement webhook handlers with signature verification

Error Handling

Handle signature-related errors

Quick Integration Guide

End-to-end integration overview

Getting started

Quick Start

Payment Integration

Mini App Development

Overview

Signing Workflow

Building the Signing String

Example

Important Rules

Signing String Construction Example

Signature Generation

Complete Request Example

Timestamp Requirements

Key Rotation Workflow

Rotation Sequence

Key Rotation Example

Webhook Signature Verification

Verification Steps

Verification Example

Common Errors and Resolution

Security Recommendations

Key Storage Best Practices

Testing Checklist

Next Steps

Authentication & Environments

Webhooks

Error Handling

Quick Integration Guide

Getting started

Quick Start

Payment Integration

Mini App Development

​Overview

​Signing Workflow

​Building the Signing String

​Example

​Important Rules

​Signing String Construction Example

​Signature Generation

​Complete Request Example

​Timestamp Requirements

​Key Rotation Workflow

​Rotation Sequence

​Key Rotation Example

​Webhook Signature Verification

​Verification Steps

​Verification Example

​Common Errors and Resolution

​Security Recommendations

​Key Storage Best Practices

​Testing Checklist

​Next Steps

Authentication & Environments

Webhooks

Error Handling

Quick Integration Guide

Overview

Signing Workflow

Building the Signing String

Example

Important Rules

Signing String Construction Example

Signature Generation

Complete Request Example

Timestamp Requirements

Key Rotation Workflow

Rotation Sequence

Key Rotation Example

Webhook Signature Verification

Verification Steps

Verification Example

Common Errors and Resolution

Security Recommendations

Key Storage Best Practices

Testing Checklist

Next Steps