diff --git a/d3b_dff_cli/cli.py b/d3b_dff_cli/cli.py
index 2c5ad9e..ecf27f4 100644
--- a/d3b_dff_cli/cli.py
+++ b/d3b_dff_cli/cli.py
@@ -151,8 +151,10 @@ def create_parser():
     create_ticket_parser.add_argument(
         "-auth",
         help="Base64 encoded Jira username and password",
-        required=True,
+        required=False,
     )
+    create_ticket_parser.add_argument("-user", help="Jira username", required=False)
+    create_ticket_parser.add_argument("-key", help="Jira API key", required=False)
     create_ticket_parser.add_argument(
         "-jira_url",
         help="Jira url",
diff --git a/d3b_dff_cli/modules/jira/create_ticket.py b/d3b_dff_cli/modules/jira/create_ticket.py
index 7f2f6e1..76606d4 100644
--- a/d3b_dff_cli/modules/jira/create_ticket.py
+++ b/d3b_dff_cli/modules/jira/create_ticket.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import logging
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
+from base64 import b64encode
 
 logger = logging.getLogger()
 logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
@@ -328,9 +329,21 @@ def get_transfer_key(epic_key, headers, jira_url):
 
 def main(args):
     """Main function."""
+
+    # figure out if we have args.user and args.key or args.auth
+    auth = None
+
+    if args.user and args.key:
+        auth = b64encode(f"{args.user}:{args.key}".encode()).decode()
+    elif args.auth:
+        auth = args.auth
+    else:
+        logger.error("No authentication provided")
+        raise ValueError("No authentication provided")
+
     headers = {
         "Content-Type": "application/json",
-        "Authorization": f"Basic {args.auth}",
+        "Authorization": f"Basic {auth}",
     }
 
     # get issue type id from project
diff --git a/d3b_dff_cli/version.py b/d3b_dff_cli/version.py
index 4eb28e3..e931652 100644
--- a/d3b_dff_cli/version.py
+++ b/d3b_dff_cli/version.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = '3.0.0'
+__version__ = '3.0.0'
\ No newline at end of file