How To Easily Integrate Payment Gateways Into Your Website

Key points

  1. A payment gateway is a necessity as it provides security, convenience, they are scalable and help you get paid quickly.
  2. In order to integrate the gateway, choose a provider such as Stripe or PayPal, set up the account, integrate the gateway, then test the checkout.

If you’re selling services online, then you need a way to accept payments from your customers. Period.

While there are a number of different payment processors out there, one option that you may want to consider is integrating a payment gateway into your website. At this point, you should already know what payment gateways are, but how do you go about integrating one into your site?

By the end of this article, you’ll know how to integrate a payment gateway into your agency website, and how it will help you keep track of invoices and payments.

Why do agencies need an integrated payment gateway?

Let’s cover a few of the reasons why you should think about integrating one into your website.

Here are five reasons why agencies should be taking advantage of payment gateways.

1) They’re secure

The role of a payment gateway is to process all data related to a payment by encrypting sensitive information, ensuring that everyone involved is protected. This is important not only for your customers’ safety, but also for your own peace of mind as a business owner.

2) They’re easy to use

Payment gateways are designed to be user-friendly, both for you as the merchant and for your customers. They should be easy to set up and integrate into your website, and they should offer a smooth and seamless checkout experience for your customers.

3) They’re convenient

A payment gateway allows you to accept payments 24/7, even when you’re not physically present to do so. This is especially convenient for businesses that sell services online or offer appointment-based bookings. Plus, thanks to the automated payments, you’re not required to chase clients for payments as you’d have to do when you manually invoice them.

4) They’re scalable

As your business grows, a payment gateway can grow with you. Most payment gateway providers offer various plans to accommodate businesses of different sizes, so you can always find one that fits your needs (and budget).

5) They help you get paid faster

A payment gateway can help you get paid faster by reducing the time it takes for payments to clear. With SPP, you can accept instant payments such as card payments that allow you to execute and deliver orders quickly.

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Other payment methods such as SEPA or ACH need a few days’ time to clear. They are better suited for recurring subscriptions than one-time services.

How to integrate a payment gateway into a website

Now that we’ve gone over some of the reasons why agencies should use a payment gateway, let’s take a look at how to integrate one into your website.

Step one: choose a payment gateway provider

The first step is to choose a payment gateway provider. There are a number of different providers to choose from, so it’s important to do your research and select the one that’s right for your business.

Stripe logo
Stripe
Collect payments for your services.
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When choosing a provider, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind:

  • Fees: Some providers charge monthly or annual fees, while others charge per-transaction fees. Make sure to compare the fees of each provider before making a decision.

  • Security: As we mentioned earlier, security is an important consideration when selecting a payment gateway. Be sure to check out each provider’s security features before making your final decision.

  • Integration: You’ll also want to make sure that the payment gateway you choose can be easily integrated into your website and other tools you use (e.g., SPP). Otherwise, you’ll likely run into some difficulties down the road.

While we can’t decide which provider is right for you, two of the most popular options on the market are PayPal and Stripe. Both are great places to start your search and can be integrated with SPP.

Step two: set up your account

Once you’ve chosen a provider, setting up your account is usually a pretty straightforward process. Most providers will require you to provide some basic information about your business, such as your business name and contact information.

You may also be asked to set up a payment method, such as a credit card or bank account. This is typically done so that the provider can verify your identity and ensure that you’re a legitimate business owner.

Step three: integrate payment gateway in website

The next step is to integrate the payment gateway into your website. This usually involves adding a few lines of code to your website’s checkout page, but working with a service like SPP can make the process even simpler.

Here’s how:

  • Stripe: Navigate to Integrations → Stripe from your dashboard. Once you enter your Stripe login information, you’re ready to accept payments.

  • PayPal: Enable PayPal’s Instant Payment Notification (IPN) by navigating to PayPal’s Account Settings→ Notifications → Instant Payment Notification. Next, add https://clients.yoursite.com/paypal/ipn as the notification URL.

Note: For more detailed integration guides, check out our documentation for Stripe and PayPal.

PayPal logo
PayPal
Get paid via PayPal Payments Standard.
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Once everything is connected, set up order forms and link their URLs to a button on your website. Most service providers have a pricing page with buy/subscribe buttons. Once clicked, the page redirects to the order form—and the payment gateway integration into your website is complete.

Step four: test your checkout process

Once you’ve integrated the payment gateway into your website, it’s important to test the checkout process to make sure everything is working properly. This usually involves making a test purchase using a dummy account.

Test your checkout process with SPP sandbox mode

SPP makes it easy to test your checkout process with a built-in sandbox mode. You can enable it by going to Settings → Payments and then clicking the “enable test mode” checkbox. Just make sure you remember to disable it before your clients start placing orders!

Learn about our billing features and how they can help you grow your agency.

If everything goes smoothly, congratulations! You’re now ready to start accepting payments through your website.

Integrating payment gateway in website FAQ

How do I integrate payment gateway to my website?

Depending on the types of payment you want to accept, using tools such as Service Provider Pro allows you to easily add Stripe or PayPal, and accept payments within minutes. The alternative is using the options the payment gateway provider offers, for instance Stripe’s hosted pages.

How do I integrate PayPal gateway into my website?

In PayPal’s App Center, you can use the PayPal Checkout option and see multiple ways to integrate with your favorite tools. Software like SPP.co makes it especially easy to accept online payment by integrating directly with PayPal.

Is it hard to integrate a payment gateway?

Hosted payment gateways make it easy to implement their solutions even for those who are unfamiliar with programming. On top of that, you can use third party software that handle the gateway services by integrating with them directly.

What is the best payment method for a website?

Debit and credit cards are the most popular way to pay for services online. Depending where your customers are located, though, they might prefer other payment options, such as bank transfers or mobile payments.

Streamline payment processing with an integrated gateway

Payment gateways are a great way for agencies to take advantage of the convenience and security they offer. By following the steps to integrate payment a gateway in your website, you can start taking advantage of all they have to offer. Also read our post on how to add a payment gateway to your WordPress website if you’re running that CMS.

With SPP’s client portal, agencies can streamline the payment process even further with easy payment gateway integration options that give clients payment flexibility.

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