Shopify Custom Payment Gateway Integration Guide

Want to add a custom payment gateway to your Shopify store? Here’s what you need to know:

Custom gateways let you use payment methods beyond Shopify’s defaults
They can boost sales by offering more options customers prefer
Setup requires technical skills and careful planning

Key steps to integrate a custom gateway:

Plan and design your gateway
Build it (or hire a developer)
Test thoroughly
Get Shopify approval and launch

Pros	Cons
More payment options	Higher development costs
Better fits specific needs	Requires ongoing maintenance
Greater control over data	Needs technical expertise

Before starting, you’ll need:

A Shopify Partner account
A development store for testing
Coding skills (or a developer)
Understanding of Shopify’s API

Remember: Custom gateways aren’t simple to set up, but can be worth it for the right business. Focus on security, speed, and user experience for best results.

What are custom payment gateways?

Custom payment gateways are tailored solutions for processing online payments. They’re built from scratch or heavily modified to fit a business’s specific needs.

Basic definition

A custom payment gateway is a tool that handles online transactions, but with a twist. It’s designed to:

Work with unique payment methods
Integrate with existing business systems
Handle special types of transactions

For example, a company selling in China might create a gateway that works with WeChat Pay and Alipay. An education platform could build a system for course installment payments.

Pros and cons

Custom gateways have their trade-offs:

Pros	Cons
Perfect fit for business needs	Higher development costs
Handles specific payment types	Longer development time
Seamless system integration	Requires ongoing updates
Greater data control	Needs technical expertise

Pros:

Custom gateways let you design the payment flow. This can reduce cart abandonment – a big deal since 79% of abandoned carts are due to poor payment experiences.

You can add features like:

Custom fraud checks
Detailed transaction reports
Unique customer authentication

Cons:

Building a custom gateway is challenging. You’ll need to:

Follow payment security rules
Keep up with payment tech
Maintain and troubleshoot the system

Alan from Shopify’s API Support notes:

"Even though you would have to process the payment on your external payment page, you can redirect the buyer back to Shopify checkout once payment is complete."

This shows how custom gateways can work with platforms like Shopify, but it’s not always straightforward.

What you need before starting

Before you jump into custom payment gateway integration with Shopify, let’s get your ducks in a row. Here’s what you’ll need:

Technical needs

To get this show on the road, you’ll need:

A Shopify Partner account
A development store for testing
Coding chops (or a developer who has them)
A good grasp of Shopify’s API

Must-have	Why it’s important
Shopify Partner account	Your ticket to creating development stores
Development store	A sandbox to play in without real-world consequences
Coding skills	The magic that makes integration happen
API know-how	The key to speaking Shopify’s language

Setting up your workspace

Ready to roll? Here’s how to set up your Shopify playground:

1. Get a Shopify Partner account

Head to partners.shopify.com and sign up if you haven’t already.

2. Create a development store

Log into your Partner Dashboard
Hit "Stores" then "Add store"
Pick "Create development store"
Choose "to test and build" under "Development store use"
Name your store and decide if you want to start from scratch or with test data

3. Round up your business info

Gather the nitty-gritty about your business:

Your business name and address
How to reach you
Where to send the money (your bank account for payouts)

4. Scout out payment gateway providers

Do some digging on third-party providers that play nice with Shopify in your country.

5. Get ready for security compliance

Make sure you’re set to meet payment security standards like PCI DSS. It’s not optional!

How to add a custom payment gateway

Want to boost sales by giving customers more payment options? Here’s how to add a custom payment gateway to your Shopify store:

1. Plan and design

First, map out your gateway’s features:

What payment methods will you offer?
How will the checkout look?
What security features do you need?

Sketch out your checkout page to visualize the user experience.

2. Build the gateway

Time to get your hands dirty with code:

Set up your app in Shopify
Create API calls for payments
Set up webhooks for real-time updates

Not a coding pro? Consider hiring a Shopify Expert.

3. Test thoroughly

Before going live:

1. Set up a Shopify test environment

2. Run test transactions with dummy credit cards

3. Look for common issues like payment failures, wrong order totals, or slow confirmations

Fix any bugs you spot.

4. Launch and activate

Ready for liftoff?

Submit your gateway for Shopify review
Once approved, turn it on in your store
Keep a close eye on things for the first few days

Here’s a quick overview of the process:

Step	What to do	Why it’s important
Plan	Set clear goals	Guides your development
Build	Code the gateway	Makes it functional
Test	Run transactions	Catches and fixes issues
Launch	Get approval and go live	Opens it up to customers

Tips for better integration

Keep it secure and compliant

Security is a must for payments. Follow PCI DSS rules to protect customer data and build trust. Show security badges near where customers enter sensitive info.

Make it work better

Speed up checkout pages. Cut unnecessary scripts and compress images. Fast pages keep customers from bouncing.

Set up backup payment gateways. This keeps things running if one fails.

Create a smooth checkout

Simplify checkout. Aim for three steps or less. This cuts frustration and abandoned carts.

Make checkout easier with:

Auto-fill forms
Address lookup
Guest checkout
Progress bar

Offer various payment methods:

Method	Why Use It
Credit cards	Common
PayPal	Fast and trusted
Apple Pay	Easy for iOS
Buy Now Pay Later	More affordable

Track these metrics:

Payment success rate
Payment failure rate
Cart abandonment rate
Average order value

Use this data to fix issues fast.

Test your checkout often. Run A/B tests and ask customers what they think. Keep improving.

Fixing common problems

Usual integration errors

Integrating custom payment gateways with Shopify can be tricky. Here are some common issues and fixes:

Wrong credentials: Double-check your account IDs and security keys in Shopify admin settings.
Unfinished setup: See a "Complete account setup" button in Shopify admin > Settings > Payments > Shopify Payments? Click it.
Missing emails: Some gateways need customer emails. Make email collection a must in your checkout settings.
Processing errors: Check abandoned checkout history or order timeline for details.
Bank account issues: Review Shopify Payments’ bank account requirements and check for outages on the Shopify status page.

Where to get help

Stuck? Try these:

Shopify Help Center: Guides and troubleshooting steps
Gateway support: For account-specific problems
Shopify support: Platform-related issues
Developer forums: Technical problems
Middleware: Automate data transfer between systems

Keeping your gateway up-to-date

Keeping your Shopify custom payment gateway current is key for smooth operations and tight security. Here’s how to do it right:

Regular upkeep

To keep your gateway running like a well-oiled machine:

Update often

Don’t slack on Shopify platform and app updates. In March 2023, Shopify rolled out a big security fix for custom payment gateways. Stores that jumped on it? They dodged a potential data breach bullet.

Lock it down

SSL encryption? Check.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for admin accounts? You bet.
Tough, one-of-a-kind passwords? Absolutely.

Check under the hood

Run security checks and stress tests to find weak spots. One e-commerce store caught a nasty flaw during a routine look-see. That saved them from a $50,000 headache.

Back it up

Set your backups on autopilot. If things go sideways, you’ll be glad you did.

Adding new bells and whistles

Make your gateway better based on what users say:

Keep score

Watch those conversion rates and happy customer numbers. Use that info to guide your next move.

Stay in the game

Keep an eye on what other gateways are doing. When Stripe brought in Apple Pay, smart Shopify stores jumped on it. Result? Mobile sales shot up 15%.

More ways to pay

Keep up with payment trends. Some stores added crypto in 2022 and tapped into a whole new crowd.

Smooth sailing at checkout

Cut the fluff and make it easy. One store axed some unnecessary fields and saw 7% more people finishing their purchases.

Wrap-up

Custom payment gateway integration in Shopify can make or break your e-commerce success. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Choose wisely

Pick a gateway that fits your store and customers. Shopify Payments isn’t always the best choice.

2. Security first

Beef up your fraud detection. One Shopify Plus merchant cut chargebacks by 30% after improving security.

3. Optimize checkout

Keep it simple. 69% of shoppers ditch their carts because checkout is too complex.

4. Test thoroughly

Use Shopify’s test mode. One store avoided a $10,000 loss by catching a glitch early.

5. Stay current

Update your gateway and add features based on feedback. A store saw 15% more mobile sales after adding Apple Pay.

A smooth payment process builds trust. As Sarah Johnson, CEO of SwipeSum, says:

"A well-integrated custom payment gateway can reduce processing costs by up to 35% for Shopify Plus merchants, while also improving the customer experience."

It’s not just about transactions—it’s about creating a seamless experience that keeps customers coming back.

FAQs

How to integrate a custom payment gateway in Shopify?

Integrating a custom payment gateway in Shopify isn’t rocket science. Here’s how:

Open Shopify app
Tap "…"
Go to "Settings"
Find "Payments" in Store settings
Hit "Choose another provider"
Pick your provider
Enter account details
Activate and save

Quick tips:

Double-check those account details
Look out for any extra setup steps
Stuck? Call your payment gateway’s support

"Hope this helps and gives you some next steps." – Alan, Shopify API Support

Custom gateways need more work than Shopify Payments, but they can be a game-changer for some businesses.

Shopify Custom Payment Gateway Integration Guide