This document describes how to implement both Merchant and Non-Merchant payment gateways. The difference between these two types is that Non-Merchant gateways process payments on an external web site. That is, rather than enter payment details (credit card number or bank account information) within Blesta as is the case with Merchant gateways, Non-Merchant gateways forward the user off to the payment processor's own website to enter their payment details, after which time they are directed back to Blesta.
Merchant gateways are generally preferred over Non-Merchant gateways as they allow the user to subscribe for automatic payment processing. Some Non-Merchant gateways support subscription based payments, but these payments are initiated from the payment gateway rather than by Blesta, so they don't make a good fit for user with multiple services recurring at different intervals.
Did you know...
The terms "Merchant gateway" and "Non-Merchant gateway" were coined by the Blesta development team just prior to the initial launch of version 1.0 in 2007. The word "merchant" refers to the requirement of a Merchant Account to process payments.
- The Merchant Gateways sections explains how to implement a Merchant payment gateway
- The Non-Merchant Gateway section explains how to implement a Non-Mechant payment gateway