Payment Gateway Integration

Connect your business to seamless payments

Customers expect fast transactions, frictionless checkout, and complete security. A poorly integrated payment gateway costs you sales. We make sure it doesn't.

2–8%
Conversion uplift from optimised checkout flows
60%
Of cart abandonment linked to poor payment UX
30+
Payment methods configured across integrations

What is payment gateway integration?

A payment gateway is the technology that sits between your customer, your bank, and the card networks, authorising transactions in real time and ensuring funds move securely. Integration is the process of connecting that gateway to your business: your website, your app, your back-office systems, and your fraud controls.

Done well, payment gateway integration is invisible to the customer. Done poorly, it creates friction, failed transactions, security gaps, and lost revenue. Most businesses underestimate how much the quality of their integration affects both their top line and their cost base.

The key integration approaches

API Payment Integration

Full API connectivity gives you complete control, custom checkout experiences, subscription billing, advanced transaction reporting, and the ability to switch gateway providers without rebuilding your front end.

Maximum flexibility

Fintech & Open Banking

Integrate modern fintech capabilities: embedded finance, real-time payment rails, open banking connectivity (pay-by-bank), and AI-powered fraud detection, reducing card dependency and interchange costs.

Lower cost per transaction

Gateway Setup & Configuration

Professional gateway setup covering API authentication, merchant category codes, currency routing, PCI-compliant tokenisation, and end-to-end testing across your full transaction flow before go-live.

Zero-defect launch

Ecommerce Platform Plug-ins

Accelerated integration for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and other platforms, properly configured, not just installed. We ensure settings, webhook handling, and reconciliation flows are production-ready.

Fast time to market

Checkout Optimisation

Analyse your checkout flow for drop-off points, optimise page speed and mobile UX, enable guest checkout, add smart payment method selection, and surface the right security signals to maximise conversion.

2–8% conversion uplift

Security & Fraud Prevention

End-to-end encryption, PCI DSS compliance, 3D Secure implementation, tokenisation, AI-powered transaction monitoring, and multi-factor authentication, protecting revenue without adding customer friction.

Reduced fraud & chargebacks

The most common integration mistake: treating the gateway as a commodity and accepting default settings. Currency routing, 3DS thresholds, retry logic, and tokenisation strategy all have a material impact on authorisation rates and cost. These settings are not optional, they're where the margin is made or lost.

Why payment gateway integration matters now

Consumer expectations have shifted permanently. Customers abandon checkouts that feel slow, unfamiliar, or insecure, and they rarely return. At the same time, card scheme rules, PCI DSS requirements, and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) mandates under PSD2 have made compliance a non-negotiable baseline for any business accepting card payments.

The businesses winning on payments are the ones that treat their gateway integration as a strategic asset, not a one-time technical task. They revisit their configuration as their volume grows, add payment methods as their customer base evolves, and continuously optimise the checkout experience. That's the approach we bring to every engagement.

Who we work with

E-commerce & Retail Businesses

Merchants selling online who need a payment gateway that converts, fast, mobile-optimised, multi-method, and compliant. We integrate, configure, and optimise for maximum revenue from every visitor who reaches checkout.

SaaS & Subscription Businesses

Businesses with recurring billing requirements need more than a standard gateway setup. We design and implement subscription payment architecture covering trial management, dunning flows, failed payment recovery, and revenue recognition, on top of a secure, reliable gateway foundation.

Platforms & Marketplaces

Businesses that need to split payments, pay out to multiple parties, or manage complex fund flows require gateway integration that goes beyond standard merchant setup. We design the right architecture from the start, avoiding the costly rebuilds that come from outgrowing a simple integration.

How we work

FAQ

Common questions about payment gateway integration

What is a payment gateway and how does integration work?
A payment gateway is technology that authorises card and digital payments by securely transmitting transaction data between your business, the acquiring bank, and the card networks. Integration connects the gateway to your website, app, or platform, either via a hosted payment page, an API, or a platform plug-in. The method you choose affects your flexibility, PCI compliance obligations, and the customer experience you can deliver.
What is the difference between a payment gateway and a payment processor?
A payment gateway handles the front-end data transmission, capturing and encrypting payment details and routing the authorisation request. A payment processor handles the back-end settlement, moving funds between banks after authorisation. Some providers offer both in a single solution; others are gateway-only. Understanding which layer you need, and whether your current providers are correctly configured at each layer, is often where we find the most significant optimisation opportunities.
What does PCI DSS compliance mean for my integration?
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) sets the security requirements for any business that handles card data. The level of compliance required depends on how your integration is structured, businesses using hosted payment pages or tokenisation can operate under a simpler SAQ-A self-assessment, while direct API integrations handling raw card data face more demanding requirements. Getting this right at the integration design stage is far simpler than retrofitting compliance later.
How do ecommerce plug-ins compare to a custom API integration?
Plug-ins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and similar platforms offer faster time to market and lower initial development cost. API integrations offer more control over the checkout experience, greater flexibility for custom payment flows, and better long-term portability if you change gateway providers. The right choice depends on your technical capability, transaction volume, and how differentiated you need your checkout to be. Many businesses start with a plug-in and migrate to API as they scale, we can help design that transition.
What is 3D Secure and do I need to implement it?
3D Secure (3DS) is an authentication protocol that adds an additional verification step for online card transactions, the familiar bank app confirmation or one-time passcode. Under PSD2's Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements, 3DS is mandatory for most online card payments in the UK and Europe. Implementing it correctly, including applying exemptions intelligently, is essential. Poorly implemented 3DS adds friction and kills conversion; well-implemented 3DS has minimal customer impact while providing chargeback liability shift.
How can payment gateway integration improve my conversion rate?
Checkout drop-off is driven by several factors: slow page load, limited payment method choice, excessive form fields, unclear security signals, and poorly handled 3DS challenges. Gateway configuration plays a direct role in many of these, smart routing improves authorisation rates, tokenisation enables one-click repeat purchases, and correct 3DS exemption logic reduces unnecessary authentication steps. We typically identify 2–8% conversion improvement opportunities during a checkout optimisation review.

Ready to build a better integration?

Start with a no-commitment gateway audit, we'll identify the gaps and opportunities before you commit to anything.

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