Learn how to securely manage payment methods in the Stax Core Data API, including creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting payment methods for seamless customer transactions.
Payment Methods represent the various ways customers can pay for goods and services, such as credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts. In the Stax Core Data API, payment methods are securely stored and tokenized to facilitate transactions without exposing sensitive financial information.
Managing payment methods effectively allows merchants to provide a seamless and secure payment experience for their customers.
Overview
Security First
Payment methods are tokenized to replace sensitive data with unique identifiers, ensuring PCI compliance and protecting customer information.
Flexible Integration
Create payment methods via client-side libraries like Stax.js or server-side API calls to fit your integration needs.
Core Operations
Creating Payment Methods
Payment methods can be created by tokenizing sensitive payment information using client-side libraries like Stax.js or server-side API calls.
Important: For PCI compliance and security, it is strongly recommended to use client-side tokenization methods like Stax.js when handling credit card information.
Update Payment Method
Modify details of an existing payment method, such as updating the expiration date or metadata without re-tokenizing.
Delete Payment Method
Soft-delete a payment method, making it inaccessible for future transactions. The payment method is marked as deleted but not permanently removed.
Import Credit Cards
Need to import tokenized credit cards from your current processor? Contact your Account Manager or Partner Success Manager for assistance.
Advanced Features
Card Information Details
When retrieving payment method information for cards, you get access to additional metadata:
Card Type Detection
- Debit or Credit Indicator: The
bin_typeparameter indicates if the card is "DEBIT" or "CREDIT" - Prepaid Card Check: The
meta.prepaidboolean indicates if the card is a prepaid debit or gift card
Available Information
- Card brand (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
- Last four digits
- Expiration date
- Additional metadata and security indicators
Third-Party Integration
Share a Payment Method with a Third Party
Enable merchants to copy an existing Stax payment method to an external gateway without re-entering card details. This is useful when integrating with third-party services that require access to the payment method.
Important Note: Requires a gateway_token. Contact your Partner Success representative for details.
Surcharge Calculation
Review a Transaction's Surcharge Information
Calculate surcharge information based on a given payment_method_id and transaction amount. This feature helps inform customers of any additional fees associated with using certain payment methods.
Key Details:
- Surcharge Calculation: Only applicable to credit cards and when the merchant has surcharging enabled
- Surcharge Details: Provides the surcharge rate and amount for transparency
- Customer Communication: Use this information to inform customers of additional fees before processing
Best Practices
Security
Always use client-side tokenization (Stax.js) for credit card information to maintain PCI compliance.
Testing
Use provided test cards and bank accounts in sandbox environments to thoroughly test your integration.
Management
Regularly review and manage stored payment methods to maintain data hygiene and customer experience.