Build secure, scalable solutions with payments APIs designed for developers

Payment experience FAQs

• What is a payments API?

  A payment API (Application Programming Interface) allows businesses and developers to integrate payment processing capabilities into their applications, websites or platforms. It provides a standardized way for applications to interact with payment gateways, enabling merchant account transactions such as accepting payments, issuing refunds and handling subscriptions.

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• How do payments APIs work?

  Payment APIs work by facilitating communication between your application and the payment provider. When a customer submits payment information, the payments API securely transmits this data to the payment processor, which then verifies the details, processes the transaction, and returns a response indicating success or failure. Payment APIs often support popular payment methods such as debit cards and credit cards, ACH bank transfers and digital wallets like Apple Pay® and Google Pay®. Additionally, there are alternative payment methods (APMs) that are popular in specific regions of the world. For example, UK consumers may be more familiar with PayPal® and Klarna, whereas Asia Pacific customers favor options such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and GrabPay for online payments.

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• What are the different types of Global Payments APIs?
  • Transaction APIs: These APIs handle standard payment transactions, including authorizing and capturing funds, processing refunds, and voiding payments.
  • Subscription APIs: Designed for recurring payments, subscription APIs allow businesses to manage billing cycles, provide multiple payment options as well as supporting customer subscriptions and automated card payments.
  • Tokenization APIs: Tokenization APIs enhance security by replacing sensitive card details with a unique token, reducing the risk of fraud while allowing seamless future transactions.
  • Payout APIs: Payout APIs enable businesses to send payments to external parties, such as vendors or employees, directly from their merchant account.
  • Preauthorization APIs: These APIs allow businesses to make a payment request, which will then hold a specific amount on a customer’s payment method without capturing the funds from the cardholder’s bank account. Preauthorization APIs are typically used for scenarios like hotel bookings or car rentals.

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• Who can use the Global Payments API?

  Global Payments API is designed for engineers, developers and businesses that require seamless payment integration into their platforms. Whether you are working in fintech, ecommerce, retail or other industries, the Global Payments API offers a flexible solution for managing transactions, including real-time reporting, intuitive payment pages and so much more.

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• How do I set up the Global Payments API?

  To set up the Global Payments API, follow these steps:

  1. Sign Up: Create an account.
  2. Get API Keys: Once registered, you'll receive API keys to authenticate your requests.
  3. Read the Documentation: Access detailed API documentation, including sample code, to guide your integration.

  Go Live: Once testing is complete and your integration is ready, switch from sandbox to production mode to start processing live transactions.

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