Payment Gateways in Eventact

November 19, 2024 | 5 min read

What is a Payment Gateway?

A payment gateway is a kind of software and server capable of transmitting information from a transaction to banks during a purchase. This communication not only transfers the information and payment to the bank but also receives information on whether the transaction is approved or declined. Payment gateways include a high level of security to protect sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, from fraudulent parties. Sometimes a service fee is applicable to utilize an online payment gateway, and the details depend on the payment gateway providers and their terms. Although some research might be required to choose the best product, an ecommerce payment gateway certainly has its benefits for your business.

Best Payment Gateways for Event Organizers

When choosing a payment gateway for event organization, consider how well it integrates with your event management platform, the ease of use for both organizers and attendees, the level of customer support, and the associated fees.

Here are several Gateway possibilities:

Stripe

An Irish-American multinational financial services and software as a service (SaaS) company dual-headquartered in South San Francisco, California, United States, and Dublin, Ireland. The company primarily offers payment-processing software and application programming interfaces for e-commerce websites and mobile applications. Stripe is the largest private fintech company with a valuation of about $65 billion and over $1 trillion in payment volume processed in 2023.

Advantages

• Ease of Integration: Developer-friendly with extensive documentation and APIs.
• Global Support: Supports multiple currencies and payment methods.
• Advanced Features: Offers subscription billing, one-click checkout, and detailed analytics.

Disadvantages:

• Fees: Can be higher for international cards.
• Account Holds: Some users report account holds or closures without detailed explanations.

With Stripe Gateway, you have two options for where users enter their credit card details:

• Redirect to Stripe: Users are redirected to Stripe's secure payment page to enter their card information. This is the simpler option to set up but offers less flexibility.
• Enter details in Eventact form: Users enter their card details directly within the Eventact form. This provides a smoother registration process and allows you to charge cards from the Eventact back office with more flexibility. However, enabling this requires two steps:
  1. Enabling a special option in Stripe: You must activate the ability to pass raw card information to Stripe APIs.
  2. Sending compliance documentation to Stripe: You'll need to submit compliance documentation to Stripe to verify your eligibility for storing card data. See more information here: Support article on enabling access to raw card data APIs in Stripe: Enabling access to raw card data APIs.

Connecting Eventact to Stripe

You will need to add to the system Secret and Publishable keys.

Here's how to access them:

• Go to your Stripe Dashboard.
• In the top navigation bar, click on Developers.
• Under Developers, select API Keys.

OnPayIO

A modern payment gateway platform designed to help businesses process online payments efficiently and securely. It supports various payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and electronic transfers, and is tailored for both local and international transactions.

Advantages

• Ease of Integration: Simple and flexible setup with APIs for custom applications.
• Multi-Currency Support: Facilitates payments in various currencies for global businesses.
• Security: PCI-DSS compliant with advanced fraud detection tools.

Disadvantages:

• Limited Brand Recognition: Not as well-known as some larger competitors like Stripe or PayPal.
• Feature Availability: Some advanced features may require custom development or additional setup.

Connecting Eventact to OnPayIO

You will need the Gateway ID and Window secret, which you can get the following way:

To get these details do the following steps:

• Visit the OnPayIO website and log in using your account credentials.
• Navigate to API Settings:
• Access the Dashboard after logging in.
• Locate and click on the Settings or Integration tab (the exact name may vary).
• Look for a section labeled API Keys, Gateway Configuration, or Integration Details.
• The Gateway ID is typically displayed in the API configuration section or settings related to merchant accounts.

Authorize.Net

A United States–based payment gateway service provider, allowing merchants to accept credit card and electronic check payments through their website and over an Internet Protocol (IP) connection. The company is now a subsidiary of Visa Inc.

Advantages

• Established Reputation: One of the oldest and most reliable gateways.
• Security: Advanced fraud detection suite.
• Customer Support: 24/7 support available.

Disadvantages:

• Fees: Monthly gateway fee and transaction fees.
• Complexity: Can be more complicated to set up compared to newer services.

Connecting Eventact to Authorize.Net

To connect this gateway with Eventact you will need the API login and Transaction key

To get these details do the following steps:

• Visit the Authorize.Net Merchant Login page.
• Log in using your Administrator account credentials. .
• From the main dashboard, go to the Account tab
• In the Account Settings page, locate the Security Settings section.
• Click on API Credentials & Keys

Paypal

An American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support online money transfers; it serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods such as checks and money orders. The company operates as a payment processor for online vendors, auction sites and many other commercial users, for which it charges a fee.

Advantages

• Brand Recognition: Widely recognized and trusted by consumers.
• Easy Setup: Quick and easy to set up, often with no monthly fees.
• Integration: Compatible with many event management and ticketing platforms.
• Multi-Currency Support: Supports a wide range of currencies.
• Payment Options: Registrants can pay using their PayPal account or a credit card.

Disadvantages:

• Fees: Transaction fees can be higher than some other gateways.
• Account Holds: PayPal is known for occasionally holding funds for security reasons.
• Business Account Required: A personal PayPal account may not be supported.

Enabling PayPal allows you to receive payments to your PayPal account from registrants who can pay using their PayPal account or a credit card.

To Enable PayPal Payments

1. Log in to your PayPal Business account.
2. Ensure you have a PayPal Business account. A personal PayPal account may not be supported.
3. Locate the "API Access" or "REST API credentials" section, often found under the "Activity" or "Get Paid" menu. See PayPal API Credentials for details.
4. Retrieve your Live API credentials.
   Only Live API credentials are accepted. Sandbox credentials will not work.
5. Enter the PayPal API credentials in this page and save the settings.
6. Edit the payment field settings in the relevant registration form to enable PayPal payments.
7. Once the setup is complete, perform a test registration to ensure everything is working properly.

After Setting the Gateway