A Payment API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of protocols and tools that allows your application or website to communicate securely with a payment service provider. It acts as a bridge, enabling you to process financial transactions—like accepting payments from customers—without having to build and maintain your own complex, secure payment infrastructure from scratch. This simplifies integration, enhances security, and provides a seamless transaction experience for both you and your users.

1. Initiating PaymentThis is the first step where a customer's payment journey begins. It involves your system sending a request to the Payment API to create a new transaction. This request typically includes essential details like the transaction amount, currency, a unique order ID, and customer information. The API processes this request and prepares the system to accept the payment.

2. Channel ListsThis refers to the various payment methods made available to your customers. The API can provide a list of supported "channels" or options, such as credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard), digital wallets (T&G, GrabPay), online banking transfers, or even over-the-counter cash payments. This allows you to dynamically display the available options to your customer based on your region and agreement with the provider.

3. Payment Page IntegrationThis is a method where, after initiating a payment, you redirect the customer to a secure payment page hosted by the payment service provider. The customer enters their payment details on this trusted, externally-hosted page, which helps reduce your system's compliance burden (like PCI DSS) as sensitive card data never touches your servers.

4. Getting Payment ResultsThis process involves your system actively querying or requesting the final status of a transaction from the Payment API. After a customer completes (or abandons) a payment, you can call this API function to check whether the transaction was successful, failed, or is still pending, allowing you to update your internal order status accordingly.

5. Payment Status NotificationAlso known as a Webhook or Callback, this is a method where the payment provider's server automatically sends an instant message (a notification) to your specified server URL whenever a transaction's status changes. Instead of you having to constantly check for results, the API proactively pushes the payment outcome to you, ensuring your system is updated in real-time. This is crucial for automating order fulfillment for successful payments.