Authentication

The WasteCheck API uses API keys to authenticate requests. You can manage your API keys from the Developer Portal.

API Key Authentication

Include your API key in the Authorization header with every request:

curl https://api.wastecheck.co.uk/v1/verify-carrier \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer wc_live_your_api_key_here"

Live vs Test Keys

WasteCheck provides two types of API keys:

Key Type	Prefix	Purpose
Live	`wc_live_`	Production requests, counted against quota
Test	`wc_test_`	Development and testing, returns mock data, not billed

Never expose your API keys in client-side code, public repositories, or browser requests. Always make API calls from your server.

Getting Your API Key

Sign up at portal.wastecheck.co.uk/signup
Navigate to API Keys in the dashboard
Click Create New Key and choose Live or Test
Copy the key immediately — it is only shown once

Rate Limiting

Rate limits are applied per API key using a sliding window. When you exceed the limit, the API returns 429 Too Many Requests with a Retry-After header. Monthly usage is tracked per API key and resets on the 1st of each billing cycle.

Plan Limits

Plan	Price	Monthly Calls	Rate Limit
Free	£0	50	10 req/min
Starter	£29/mo	200	30 req/min
Professional	£79/mo	1,000	60 req/min
Business	£249/mo	10,000	120 req/min
Enterprise	Custom	Custom	Custom

All plans include all endpoints. There is no feature gating between tiers.

Rate Limit Headers

Every response includes these headers:

Header	Description
`X-RateLimit-Limit`	Maximum requests per minute for your plan
`X-RateLimit-Remaining`	Requests remaining in the current window
`X-RateLimit-Reset`	Unix timestamp when the window resets
`X-Monthly-Limit`	Total calls allowed this billing cycle
`X-Monthly-Remaining`	Calls remaining this billing cycle

Error Responses

If authentication fails, the API returns:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_API_KEY",
    "message": "API key is missing, invalid, or revoked.",
    "status": 401
  }
}

Common Error Codes

Code	HTTP	Description
`INVALID_API_KEY`	401	API key is missing, invalid, or revoked
`RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED`	429	Request rate or monthly usage limit exceeded
`INVALID_REQUEST`	400	Request body is malformed or missing required fields
`INTERNAL_ERROR`	500	Unexpected server error

Getting Started

API Reference

Authentication

Authentication

API Key Authentication

Live vs Test Keys

Getting Your API Key

Rate Limiting

Plan Limits

Rate Limit Headers

Error Responses

Common Error Codes

​Authentication

​API Key Authentication

​Live vs Test Keys

​Getting Your API Key

​Rate Limiting

​Plan Limits

​Rate Limit Headers

​Error Responses

​Common Error Codes

Authentication

API Key Authentication

Live vs Test Keys

Getting Your API Key

Rate Limiting

Plan Limits

Rate Limit Headers

Error Responses

Common Error Codes