> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ionicfi.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create a simulated Terminal > Creates a ready logical Terminal for the authenticated Merchant and test mode. The returned `tmr_…` is a normal Terminal ID: retain and reuse it across test runs. No physical provisioning request, hardware assignment, serial number, or device credential is created or returned. ## OpenAPI ````yaml /openapi/terminal-testing.yaml post /terminals openapi: 3.0.3 info: title: Ionic Terminal Testing API version: '2026-08-24' description: | Create reusable, Merchant-owned simulated Terminals and arm deterministic one-shot card-present outcomes. These endpoints accept only test-mode secret keys and never provision or contact physical hardware. After arming a scenario, process its exact PaymentIntent through the normal `POST /terminals/{id}/process_payment_intent` endpoint. Your POS integration stays the same when you move from the simulator to a physical Terminal. servers: - url: '{baseUrl}/v1' variables: baseUrl: default: https://api.ionicfi.com description: API base URL for the selected environment. security: - secretKey: [] tags: - name: Terminal Testing description: Build automated card-present tests without physical hardware. paths: /terminals: post: tags: - Terminal Testing summary: Create a simulated Terminal description: | Creates a ready logical Terminal for the authenticated Merchant and test mode. The returned `tmr_…` is a normal Terminal ID: retain and reuse it across test runs. No physical provisioning request, hardware assignment, serial number, or device credential is created or returned. operationId: createSimulatedTerminal parameters: - $ref: '#/components/parameters/IonicAccount' - $ref: '#/components/parameters/IdempotencyKey' requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreateSimulatedTerminalRequest' example: type: simulated location_id: loc_R7pA3nB9qK2mX5 label: CI checkout reader metadata: test_suite: checkout responses: '201': description: A ready simulated Terminal. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Terminal' '400': $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest' '401': $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized' '403': $ref: '#/components/responses/Forbidden' '404': $ref: '#/components/responses/LocationNotFound' '409': $ref: '#/components/responses/Conflict' '429': $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited' '500': $ref: '#/components/responses/InternalError' security: - secretKey: - terminals:write components: parameters: IonicAccount: name: Ionic-Account in: header required: false description: | Merchant ID when an authorized Platform acts for a connected Merchant. Omit when authenticating directly as that Merchant. schema: type: string pattern: ^mer_[0-9A-Za-z]{14}$ IdempotencyKey: name: Idempotency-Key in: header required: true description: Reuse only when retrying the same route and request body. schema: type: string minLength: 1 maxLength: 255 schemas: CreateSimulatedTerminalRequest: type: object additionalProperties: false required: - type - location_id - label properties: type: type: string enum: - simulated description: >- Creates a logical test Terminal. Physical hardware uses terminal provisioning instead. location_id: type: string pattern: ^loc_[0-9A-Za-z]{14}$ description: Test-mode location owned by the same Merchant. label: type: string minLength: 1 maxLength: 100 metadata: type: object additionalProperties: type: string Terminal: type: object additionalProperties: false required: - id - object - merchant_id - location_id - livemode - label - device - status - connection_status - connection_status_stale - connection_observed_at - capabilities - last_seen_at - metadata - created_at - updated_at properties: id: type: string pattern: ^tmr_[0-9A-Za-z]{14}$ object: type: string enum: - terminal merchant_id: type: string pattern: ^mer_[0-9A-Za-z]{14}$ location_id: type: string pattern: ^loc_[0-9A-Za-z]{14}$ livemode: type: boolean enum: - false label: type: string device: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TerminalDevice' status: type: string enum: - provisioning - requires_action - ready - disabled - replacing - failed connection_status: type: string enum: - online - offline - unknown connection_status_stale: type: boolean connection_observed_at: type: integer format: int64 nullable: true capabilities: type: object additionalProperties: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TerminalCapability' last_seen_at: type: integer format: int64 nullable: true metadata: type: object additionalProperties: type: string created_at: type: integer format: int64 updated_at: type: integer format: int64 TerminalDevice: type: object additionalProperties: false required: - model - serial_number_last4 properties: model: type: string example: Ionic Simulator serial_number_last4: type: string pattern: ^[0-9A-Za-z]{4}$ TerminalCapability: type: object additionalProperties: false required: - support - status properties: support: type: string enum: - supported - unsupported - conditional status: type: string enum: - ready - pending - not_ready - unknown reason: type: string Error: type: object required: - error properties: error: type: object required: - code - message properties: code: type: string message: type: string responses: BadRequest: description: Invalid JSON, field value, resource mode, or scenario combination. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' Unauthorized: description: Missing or invalid API key. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' Forbidden: description: >- Inactive Merchant, invalid delegation, or missing `terminals:write` permission. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' LocationNotFound: description: The location was not found in the authenticated Merchant and test mode. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' Conflict: description: Idempotency or resource uniqueness conflict. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' RateLimited: description: Too many requests. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' InternalError: description: Unexpected server error. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error' securitySchemes: secretKey: type: http scheme: bearer bearerFormat: Ionic test secret key description: >- A test-mode Merchant secret key, or an authorized Platform test key with delegation. ````