8 minute read
In this guide, I’ll walk you through configuring the Global Payments Heartland plugin for Gravity Forms on your WordPress site, covering each step from installation to a successful test transaction. By the end, you’ll have a fully operational payment form, securely connected to your merchant account, ready to process transactions in under three minutes.
What is SecureSubmit for Gravity Forms?
Global Payments Heartland SecureSubmit for Gravity Forms is a powerful combination for creating customizable ecommerce solutions directly within WordPress. By integrating Gravity Forms, a leading WordPress form builder, with SecureSubmit, you gain the flexibility to create dynamic, user-friendly payment forms tailored to your business needs. This setup allows for seamless management of products, services and online payments, offering features like conditional logic, custom fields and secure payment processing through various plugins — including Heartland. Together, they provide a streamlined and flexible way to handle ecommerce transactions, suitable for businesses looking for a straightforward and adaptable online store solution.
Benefits of integrating SecureSubmit for Gravity Forms
Integrating SecureSubmit and Gravity Forms combines customizable ecommerce features with enterprise-grade payment capabilities, creating a flexible, secure and scalable solution for businesses aiming to grow their online presence confidently.
Here are the benefits:
Enhanced payment processing capabilities: By integrating SecureSubmit for Gravity Forms, businesses gain access to advanced, secure payment options supported by Global Payments’ extensive payment infrastructure. This enables smooth handling of transactions across multiple payment methods, including credit cards and ACH.
Streamlined merchant account integration: Connecting your Gravity Forms-based payment solution to your merchant account is straightforward. This direct integration allows transactions to flow seamlessly, keeping financial data centralized and accessible through our reporting and analytics tools.
Improved security and compliance: Global Payments adheres to industry-leading security and compliance standards, such as PCI DSS. Integrating With SecureSubmit for Gravity Forms helps ensure sensitive customer data is protected, building trust and meeting compliance requirements for secure transactions.
Developer-friendly features: Global Payments provides robust developer tools, such as API integrations and plugins, to simplify setup and management. Integrating with us and Gravity Forms leverages these tools, making customizations and updates easy for development teams and reducing time-to-value in setting up payment solutions.
Optimized customer experience: A direct integration with Global Payments ensures that customers have a smooth and branded checkout process on your website. By reducing redirection to third-party platforms, businesses enhance user experience while building customer confidence and improving conversion rates.
Now let’s get started with a step-by-step guide!
System requirements
Before you get started, here are the system requirements to get you up and running (here are the system requirements from Gravity Forms for your reference).
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Confirm WordPress installation: Ensure your WordPress site is running on version 5.0 or higher. Check the plugin documentation for the latest compatibility requirements.
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Install and activate Gravity Forms: Make sure Gravity Forms is installed and active on your site. Gravity Forms requires PHP 7.3+ and MySQL 5.6 or higher. A valid Gravity Forms license is necessary to access add-ons, including Heartland’s integration.
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Install the Heartland SecureSubmit plugin: Download and activate the Heartland SecureSubmit add-on for Gravity Forms to enable secure credit card processing.
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Verify PHP compatibility: Ensure your hosting environment supports PHP 7.3 or higher. Up-to-date PHP is essential for security and plugin functionality.
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Enable SSL certificate: Confirm that SSL is enabled on your site to secure customer payment data, which is critical for processing payments.
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Gather API keys: Obtain both test and production API keys from your Heartland merchant account. These keys are required to link the plugin to your merchant account and process transactions. Need help creating a sandbox account? Check out our blog here.
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Use supported browsers: For optimal performance, ensure you and your users are accessing the site through recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge.
Installation process
Step 1: WordPress and Gravity Forms setup
Make sure you have a live WordPress website with Gravity Forms installed and activated.
Step 2: Heartland plugin Installation
1. Navigate to the WordPress Dashboard.
2. Select Plugins > Add New, then search for Heartland.
3. Install and activate the Heartland SecureSubmit add-on for Gravity Forms.
Step 3: API keys configuration
1. In the WordPress dashboard, navigate to Gravity Forms > Settings > SecureSubmit.
2. Locate the fields for the API keys. These keys are essential to connect the plugin to your merchant account, enabling transaction flow.
3. Paste in your API keys and select Save.
Testing the setup
Step 1: Form creation
1. Create a new form in Gravity Forms and name it appropriately.
2. Add the following fields: Product Field with a set amount (e.g., $1), Total Field and Secure CC Field—this field is unique to the Heartland plugin, allowing secure credit card entry.
Step 2: Feed configuration
1. Go to Settings > SecureSubmit and configure a feed.
2. Select Products and Services and set the amount to pull from the Total Field.
3. Click Save.
Step 3: Process a test transaction
1. Preview the newly-created form. 2. Enter test information (using Heartland’s test API keys) to simulate a transaction. 3. Submit the form with a test payment amount (ex. $15). 4. Check Gravity Forms Entries to confirm the transaction was processed, and retrieve the Heartland Gateway transaction ID under Notes for reporting purposes.
Closing thoughts
With the Heartland plugin configured in Gravity Forms, your WordPress site is now equipped to handle secure, real-time payments backed by Global Payments. This setup ensures your payment form is directly linked to your merchant account, with streamlined transaction handling and straightforward reporting. As your ecommerce needs evolve, this integration provides flexibility for adding new features, scaling or managing transactions across different regions — all while keeping control in a single platform. If you need further assistance, there is plugin documentation and support available to guide you.
Stay tuned to the Developer Blog for the latest updates, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the transition. Our team is here to help guide you through this process and ensure that you have everything you need to succeed.
