Managing Customer Profiles with BudPay in Node.js using Axios
Tags: webdev, javascript, budpay, tutorial
Published: 2023-07-07 00:09:46

When it comes to payment processing in Node.js applications, BudPay offers a comprehensive solution that allows businesses to manage customer profiles. By integrating BudPay into your Node.js application, you can streamline your payment workflows and enhance the user experience. 

In this article, we will explore how to manage customer profiles using BudPay in a Node.js environment, and we'll provide code samples to help you get started.

## Prerequisites
Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

- Proficiency in JavaScript and Node.js fundamentals is a prerequisite.

- [Node.js](https://nodejs.dev/learn/how-to-install-nodejs) and [npm](https://docs.npmjs.com/downloading-and-installing-packages-globally) (Node Package Manager) installed on your machine.

- To leverage BudPay's APIs, it is crucial to possess a valid BudPay account. If you don't already have one, kindly proceed to [budpay.com](https://budpay.com) for the purpose of registering and acquiring the required API credentials. 

- In order to initiate the utilization of BudPay as a payment system, it is imperative to complete the initial setup process. If you require assistance with this procedure, we recommend referring to an informative article that provides guidance on [Setting Up BudPay As A Payment System](https://dev.to/fataj/setting-up-budpay-as-a-payment-system-2d49).

## Setting Up the Node.js Project
To get started, let's set up a new Node.js project. Open your terminal and follow these steps:

- Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:

```
mkdir budpay-nodejs
cd budpay-nodejs
```

- Initialize a new Node.js project by running the following command:

```
npm init -y
```

- Install the required dependencies: Express.js and Axios:

```
npm install express axios
```
This installation demonstrates the utilisation of the Express framework to create a robust server, alongside Axios library for seamless communication with the [BudPay API](https://www.apis.budpay.ng/).

We are now prepared to commence the management of customer profiles with BudPay, utilizing the Axios library.

## Managing Customer Profiles
To manage customer profiles with BudPay using Axios, you'll need to perform the following steps:

- Create a new file named `index.js` in your project directory.

- Import the required modules and initialize your `Express.js` app:

```
const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const axios = require('axios');

app.use(express.json()); 

const BUDPAY_BASE_URL = 'https://api.budpay.com/api/v2/';

const budpayAxios = axios.create({
  baseURL: BUDPAY_BASE_URL,
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${'BUDPAY_API_SECRET_KEY'}`,
  },
});
```
In the provided code snippet above, we initialize the `express` and `axios` libraries. Then, we set up the BudPay API's base URL and `headers`. This allows us to communicate with the BudPay API effectively and securely.

Make sure to replace`'YOUR_API_SECRET_KEY'` with your actual BudPay API credential.

- Set up a route to create a new customer profile:

```
app.post('/customers', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const { first_name, last_name, email } = req.body;

    const response = await budpayAxios.post('/customer', {
      first_name,
      last_name,
      email,
    });
    res.json({ success: true, customer: response.data });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ success: false, error: error.message });
  }
});
```
In the above code sample, the customer information is sent via a `POST` request with the required fields (`first_name`, `last_name`, `email`) in the request body. Adjust this code according to your application's specific requirements.

**Output**

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3dkn56l6bjy6ryzzg0pw.png)

- Set up a route to retrieve customers profile information:

```
app.get('/customers', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const response = await budpayAxios.get(`/customer`);
    res.json({ success: true, customer: response.data });
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).json({ success: false, error: error.message });
  }
});
```
In the code sample above, we set up a route handler for a `GET` request to the `/customers` endpoint. It then retrieves customer `data` using the BudPay API and sends a JSON response containing the `data` or an error message.

**Output**

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/vkovhfq0or051z8kamb3.png)

## Conclusion
Effective management of customer profiles is a critical aspect of developing resilient payment processing systems. Through the integration of BudPay into your Node.js application, utilizing Axios as the HTTP client, businesses can capitalize on its robust APIs to seamlessly handle these essential tasks. This article delved into the intricacies of managing customer profiles with BudPay within a Node.js environment, employing Axios. To maximize the potential of these capabilities, businesses can further augment their functionalities by integrating them into their payment flows and implementing supplementary features tailored to their specific application requirements.

Managing customer profiles using BudPay and Axios in a Node.js application offers several benefits to businesses. These include enhanced security and compliance, seamless payment experiences, increased efficiency and automation, better customer insights and personalization, and scalability for future growth. Integrating these tools allows businesses to streamline payment processing, protect customer data, automate tasks, gain valuable insights, and accommodate growth in a secure and efficient manner.

For a complete reference and source code, you can visit the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/Folasayo-Samuel/Managing-Customers-Profile) associated with this integration.

Thanks for reading...

**Happy Coding!**