Docs / Payment Gateways / Payment Gateways Overview

Payment Gateways Overview

Overview

Payment Gateways connect your store to payment processors, enabling you to accept credit cards, PayPal, and other payment methods. Premium Packages supports 12+ gateways covering major global and regional payment providers.

Prerequisites

  • WordPress Download Manager installed
  • Premium Packages add-on activated
  • SSL certificate installed (required)
  • Payment processor account

Available Gateways

Global Gateways

Gateway Cards PayPal Regions Best For
Stripe Global Modern checkout, subscriptions
PayPal Global Brand trust, buyer protection
Square US, CA, UK, AU, JP US businesses, POS
Authorize.net US, CA, UK, EU, AU Established merchants

European Gateways

Gateway Cards Banks Regions Best For
Mollie EU European payments, iDEAL
Klarna EU, US Buy now, pay later

Regional Gateways

Gateway Region Methods
Razorpay India Cards, UPI, NetBanking
Instamojo India Cards, UPI, Wallets
Paystack Africa Cards, Bank, Mobile Money
Mercado Pago Latin America Cards, Local methods

Alternative Gateways

Gateway Type Use Case
Coinbase Commerce Crypto Bitcoin, Ethereum
Bank Transfer Manual Wire/ACH transfers
Cash/Cheque Offline Manual payment
Test Payment Testing Development only

Accessing Gateway Settings

  • Go to Downloads > Settings
  • Click Payment Gateways tab
  • Enable and configure gateways

Gateway Configuration

Enabling a Gateway

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Payment Gateways                                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│ ☑ Stripe                              [Configure]            │
│   Accept credit cards with Stripe                            │
│                                                              │
│ ☑ PayPal                              [Configure]            │
│   PayPal Standard and Express Checkout                       │
│                                                              │
│ ☐ Square                              [Configure]            │
│   Accept payments with Square                                │
│                                                              │
│ ☐ Authorize.net                       [Configure]            │
│   Credit card processing                                     │
│                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Common Settings

All gateways share these settings:

Setting Description
Enable Turn gateway on/off
Title Name shown at checkout
Description Instructions for customers
Test Mode Use sandbox/test credentials
Debug Mode Log transactions for troubleshooting

Test vs Live Mode

Mode Selection:
○ Test Mode (Sandbox)
  - Uses test API credentials
  - No real charges
  - For development/testing

● Live Mode (Production)
  - Uses live API credentials
  - Processes real payments
  - For production use

Gateway Setup Process

General Steps

  • Create Account – Sign up with payment provider
  • Get API Credentials – Find API keys in provider dashboard
  • Enable Gateway – Turn on in WPDM settings
  • Enter Credentials – Add API keys
  • Configure Webhooks – Set up payment notifications
  • Test – Process test transaction
  • Go Live – Switch to production mode

Finding API Credentials

Gateway Location
Stripe Dashboard > Developers > API keys
PayPal Developer Dashboard > Apps
Square Developer Dashboard > Credentials
Authorize.net Account > Settings > API Credentials

Webhook Configuration

What Are Webhooks?

Webhooks notify your site when payment events occur:

  • Payment completed
  • Payment failed
  • Refund processed
  • Subscription cancelled

Setting Up Webhooks

  • Find webhook URL in gateway settings:
   Webhook URL: https://yoursite.com/?wpdmpp_gateway=stripe
   
  • Add this URL in your payment provider’s dashboard
  • Select events to receive
  • Save webhook configuration

Webhook Events

Event When Triggered
payment.completed Payment successful
payment.failed Payment declined
refund.created Refund issued
subscription.cancelled Subscription ended

Multiple Gateways

Enabling Multiple

You can enable multiple gateways:

Active Gateways:
☑ Stripe (Credit Cards)
☑ PayPal (PayPal Account)
☐ Bank Transfer (Manual)

Customer Choice

At checkout, customers choose:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Payment Method                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ○ Credit Card (Stripe)                  │
│   Pay securely with your card           │
│                                         │
│ ○ PayPal                                │
│   Pay with your PayPal account          │
│                                         │
│ ○ Bank Transfer                         │
│   Manual bank transfer                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Gateway Order

Drag to reorder in settings:

Gateway Order (drag to reorder):
1. Stripe
2. PayPal
3. Bank Transfer

Gateway Fees

Transaction Fees

Gateway Card Fee + Fixed
Stripe 2.9% $0.30
PayPal 2.9% $0.30
Square 2.6% $0.10
Authorize.net 2.9% $0.30

Monthly Fees

Gateway Monthly
Stripe $0
PayPal $0
Authorize.net $25

Passing Fees to Customers

Optional: Add gateway fee to order:

☑ Add payment processing fee to order
Fee: [2.9] % + [$0.30] fixed

Security Requirements

SSL Certificate

Required for all gateways.

Verify SSL:

✓ https://yoursite.com (secure)
✗ http://yoursite.com (not secure)

PCI Compliance

Premium Packages uses:

  • Tokenization (card data never touches your server)
  • Hosted payment forms
  • Gateway-side processing

You don’t store card data, reducing PCI scope.

Testing Gateways

Test Card Numbers

Stripe:

Card Number
Success 4242 4242 4242 4242
Decline 4000 0000 0000 0002
3D Secure 4000 0025 0000 3155

PayPal:

  • Use sandbox accounts from developer.paypal.com

General:

Detail Value
Expiry Any future date
CVV Any 3 digits
ZIP Any valid ZIP

Test Checklist

□ Enable test mode
□ Enter test credentials
□ Create test product
□ Add to cart
□ Complete checkout
□ Verify order created
□ Check gateway dashboard
□ Test refund
□ Disable test mode
□ Enter live credentials

Troubleshooting

Payment Declined

Causes:

  • Insufficient funds
  • Incorrect card details
  • Bank declined
  • Test card in live mode

Solutions:

  • Customer tries different card
  • Verify card details
  • Contact bank
  • Check test/live mode setting

Gateway Not Appearing

Causes:

  • Gateway not enabled
  • Missing credentials
  • Currency not supported

Solutions:

  • Enable gateway in settings
  • Enter API credentials
  • Check supported currencies

Webhook Not Working

Causes:

  • Wrong webhook URL
  • Firewall blocking
  • SSL issues

Solutions:

  • Verify webhook URL
  • Check server firewall
  • Ensure valid SSL

“Invalid API Key”

Causes:

  • Wrong credentials
  • Test key in live mode
  • Key revoked

Solutions:

  • Copy credentials again
  • Match test/live mode
  • Generate new keys

Gateway Comparison

For US Businesses

Need Recommended
Simple setup Stripe
Brand trust PayPal
In-person too Square
Enterprise Authorize.net

For European Businesses

Need Recommended
EU-focused Mollie
BNPL Klarna
Global reach Stripe

For Emerging Markets

Region Recommended
India Razorpay
Africa Paystack
Latin America Mercado Pago

Related Documentation


Last updated: January 2026
Applies to: WordPress Download Manager 7.x + Premium Packages

Last updated on January 26, 2026

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