Decoding the Complexity of Adding a Payment Gateway on WordPress

WordPress, the Content Management System (CMS), has emerged as one of the most popular systems on the internet today. With over 30%, it powers majority of the websites online today. The multiple functions available on WordPress have led to its immense popularity. One of these functions that make WordPress an excellent CMS is the availability of plugins that website owners can use to add tremendous functionality to their websites. One such function that has become popular is the Payment Gateway that allows businesses and organizations to accept payments on their websites. In this piece, we’ll endeavor to guide you on how to set up a payment gateway in WordPress.

Step 1: Pick a Payment Gateway

The market boasts of several payment gateways that are compatible with WordPress. Major providers include Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net. Carefully consider the following factors while making your decision:

• Fees: All payment gateways have fees that they charge a transaction. You should consider the cost of implementing each payment gateway against your budget.
• Security: Payment data are highly sensitive data and must be carefully protected. You should opt for a payment gateway that adopts excellent security features.
• Ease of Use: Go for a payment gateway that is easy to install, set up and use on your WordPress website.

Step 2: Install and Activate Payment Gateway Plugin

After choosing a payment gateway, you need to download their plugin and install it to enable the payment gateway to operate on your website. Most payment gateways have a plugin that is available in the WordPress plugin repository. For example, if you are installing Stripe, you can look to download and install Stripe Payments from WordPress’s plugin repository.

To undertake this process, follow this procedure;

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to “Plugins > Add New”.
3. Search for the payment gateway plugin you wish to install
4. Install and Activate the payment gateway plugin.

Step 3: Configure Your Payment Gateway Plugin

After installing the payment gateway plugin, you need to configure it. Every payment gateway plugin has unique settings that you must configure depending on your needs. If you use Stripe Payments, for instance, you need to set the following:

• API Keys: Set up the API Keys to connect your WordPress site to your payment gateway account.
• Payment Options: Set up payment options like payment methods, currency, and checkout fields.
• Styling Options: You can customize the payment form’s appearance to match your branding.

To configure your payment gateway plugin, follow this procedure;

1. Navigate to “Settings > Payments”.
2. Click on the plugin for the payment gateway you installed.
3. Follow the guidelines given to set up the API Keys and payment options
4. Finally, customize your payment form to your liking.

Step 4: Create Payment Buttons or Forms

Once you’ve configured your payment gateway plugin, you can create payment buttons or forms on your WordPress website. Payment gateways usually come with various shortcodes that you may use to add payment buttons or forms to pages or posts.

To create payment buttons or forms, follow this quick guideline;

1. Navigate to “Pages or Posts”.
2. Create a new page or edit an existing page or post.
3. Insert shortcode for the payment button or form where you intend it to appear.
4. Publish or update the page or post.

Step 5: Test the Payment Gateway

Finally, after setting up the payment gateway, it’s essential to test its functionality. Testing ensures that the payment gateway processes payments correctly. You can test the payment gateway by (1) Visiting the page or post and (2) Fill in the payment details and (3) submit the payment then (4) Check your payment gateway account to ensure the transaction was processed appropriately.

Conclusion

With these five simple steps, it’s easy to set up a payment gateway on WordPress. It is also possible to customize the payment form, which will help you increase your business revenue by enabling customers to make transactions safely and efficiently.