What is a payment gateway?
A payment gateway is the intermediary service that handles the bank transaction between the merchant site and the customer's bank, guaranteeing the security of the exchange.
Its role in the checkout flow
At the payment step, the customer is either redirected to the gateway or enters their details in a module integrated into the store (Stripe, PayPal, or a card acquirer such as Payplug, HiPay, Mercanet or Systempay depending on the case). It's the gateway, not the merchant site, that processes the sensitive bank data, which reduces the merchant's responsibility for payment security.
What a merchant needs to know
Every gateway integrates with the store via a payment module, on both PrestaShop and WooCommerce. Once payment has been processed, the gateway generally informs the site of the result via a webhook, which lets the order move automatically to the paid status without manual intervention.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a payment gateway and a payment method?
Does the payment gateway store bank data on the merchant site?
How should you choose a payment gateway for a store?
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