Payment gateway integration that gets approved
Taking payments online is mostly paperwork and testing. I prepare your website so the payment gateway approves it, connect the gateway to your store, booking form or donation page, and test real payments, failures and refunds before your customers ever see it.
What you can take payments for
Online stores
A full cart and checkout. See ecommerce development.
Bookings and deposits
Hotel deposits, tour advances and appointment fees.
Fees
Admission, course or exam fees for schools, colleges and coaching.
Donations
One-off and recurring donations with receipts. See websites for NGOs.
Invoices
Payment links sent with invoices for services.
International buyers
Cards and currencies for customers abroad, where your gateway supports them.
How it goes
Choose a gateway
One that supports the methods your customers use, at fees that suit your volumes.
Prepare the site
Policy pages, prices, contact details and business information the gateway will check.
Apply
You apply in your business's name; I help with the website parts of the form.
Connect and test
Test payments, failed payments, refunds and confirmation emails, in test mode first.
Go live
Live keys switched on, one real low-value payment checked end to end.
Kept safe
Card details should never touch your own server. I use the gateway's hosted checkout or secure fields, so card numbers go straight to the gateway, and your site only learns whether the payment succeeded. Payment confirmations are checked on the server, not just in the visitor's browser, so nobody can fake a successful payment.
API keys are kept as secrets on the server, never in the website's code. For more on keeping the whole site safe, see website security.
Questions about online payments
Why was my payment gateway application rejected?
Usually because the website was missing something the gateway checks: a privacy policy, terms, a refund and cancellation policy, shipping details, a contact page with a real address, or clear product prices. I check your site against the gateway's own list before you apply again.
Can I take payments without a full online store?
Yes. Payment links or buttons work well for deposits, fees, bookings and donations. A full cart and checkout is only needed when people buy several items at once.
Who holds the payment account?
You do. The gateway account is opened in your business's name with your bank details. I connect it to the website and test it, but the money never passes through me.
Want to take payments on your website?
Tell me what you're charging for and whether you already have a gateway account. I'll tell you what the site needs and the price.