Understanding ClickPesa Payment Gateway Integrations: Methods and Use Cases

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, businesses need reliable, seamless payment solutions to serve customers and suppliers effectively. ClickPesa as a licensed payments system provider, offers a suite of integration methods that enable businesses to support payments collection and disbursement functionalities seamlessly into their systems. ClickPesa Payment Gateway supports three integration methods: Embedded Integration, Hosted Integration, and API Integration. Each method is tailored to specific business needs and technical capabilities.

1. Embedded Integration

What is Embedded Integration?

Embedded Integration allows businesses to integrate ClickPesa’s payment functionalities directly into their websites or applications using customizable widgets. It allows businesses and their customers to complete transactions without leaving the business’s site or application, providing a seamless user experience while leaving the payment processing intrinsic to the ClickPesa Payment Gateway.

Use Cases for Embedded Integration:

• SMBs Looking for Quick Setup: Small businesses that need a fast, easy-to-implement payment solution can use Embedded Integration to add payment functionality to their platforms without complex development.
• Startups and Fast-Growing Platforms: Startups can quickly launch payment services using ClickPesa’s widgets, enabling them to focus on scaling their core offerings.
• Platforms with Limited Development Resources: Businesses without large development teams can use Embedded Integration to offer payments without the overhead of custom-built solutions.

When to Use Embedded Integration:

• Rapid Deployment: If you need to launch payments quickly and with minimal development effort, Embedded Integration is the best fit.
• Simplified Setup: If your business doesn’t have a dedicated development team or wants to avoid managing payments directly, Embedded Integration offers a quick, simple solution.
• Basic Customization: You can adjust the appearance of the payment widget to match your branding without complex coding.

When Not to Use Embedded Integration:

• High Customization Needs: If your business requires a highly tailored payment flow with unique UI/UX features, Embedded Integration may not offer enough flexibility.
• Complex Transaction Logic: For businesses needing advanced payment logic, a more customizable solution like API Integration would be more appropriate.

Development Considerations:

• Minimal Technical Expertise: Embedded Integration doesn’t require extensive technical resources. Simply importing the widget into your app or website allows you to start making transactions without needing to manage security or infrastructure.
• Security: In Embedded Integration, security is handled within the widget itself, meaning no API keys are required, which reduces the risk of exposing sensitive information. This makes Embedded Integration inherently more secure compared to Hosted or API options where API keys are involved.

Getting started:

• Take a look at the embedding integration documentation.

2. Hosted Integration

What is Hosted Integration?

Hosted Integration allows business systems to use ClickPesa’s API to generate unique, secured and short-living hosted links. The links can be used by the business to make payouts or be shared with customers to collect payments. A business system initiates a transaction, the hosted page confirms it, and ClickPesa Payment Gateway processes it and responds the results back to the business’s system. Offering a seamless order processing securely.

Use Cases for Hosted Integration:

• Small to Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs): Businesses that want to initiate payments within their system but do not wish to manage complex payment infrastructure can use Hosted Integration to generate links for customers to complete transactions.
• Invoicing Platforms: Businesses that send invoices to clients can use Hosted Integration to generate secure payment links, allowing clients to pay without the need to embed payment features into their system.
• Startups and Non-Tech-Heavy Businesses: Startups or businesses with limited technical resources can initiate transactions within their app or system and have customers complete payments externally on ClickPesa’s hosted page.

When to Use Hosted Integration:

• Transaction Initiation with Minimal Setup: If your business wants to initiate payments within your system but doesn’t need full control over the transaction process, Hosted Integration provides a quick and secure way to complete transactions.
• Link-Based Payments: If your business sends payment links to customers (e.g., via email or messaging), Hosted Integration is ideal because it allows users to complete payments outside your main application.
• Ease of Payment Processing: When you want to manage transaction initiation internally but prefer to hand off the actual payment processing to ClickPesa, Hosted Integration provides an easy solution.

When Not to Use Hosted Integration:

• Need for Full Customization: If your business requires a fully customized payment flow where you control every step of the transaction process, Hosted Integration may not offer enough flexibility.
• Real-Time On-Site Payments: For businesses that require customers to complete payments directly on their site or within their app, without being redirected, Embedded or API Integration may be a better choice.

Development Considerations:

• API-Based Setup: Hosted Integration involves using ClickPesa’s API to generate payment links, which are then used to complete transactions on a hosted page. This reduces the technical burden of managing payments internally, while still offering flexibility in how transactions are initiated.
• Security: Hosted Integration requires API keys, which if mishandled can pose security risks. Although ClickPesa’s infrastructure ensures payment security, extra care must be taken to properly secure API keys. For sensitive actions like payouts, an additional security layer is applied using two-factor authentication (2FA) via OTP to the user’s phone.

Getting started:

• Get started with hosted integration.

3. API Integration

What is API Integration?

API Integration offers the most flexibility by allowing businesses to fully customize the integration of ClickPesa Payment Gateway functionalities into their existing systems. The gateway provides RESTful APIs to authenticate, initiate and manage business transactions. API’s provide businesses the ability to create highly customizable user experience that fits their unique requirements and infrastructure while staying compliant and secure.

Use Cases for API Integration:

• Large Enterprises: Large organizations can integrate ClickPesa’s payment APIs with their existing systems to streamline payment processing and manage high transaction volumes.
• Fintech Platforms: Companies building financial products such as wallets, peer-to-peer lending platforms, or multi-party payments will benefit from the flexibility and customization that APIs offer.
• Marketplaces: Marketplaces that need to handle complex payment flows between buyers and sellers, including escrow services, can leverage APIs for full control over their transactions.

When to Use API Integration:

• Full Control Over Payment Flow: If your business needs total control over the payment experience, including custom features like multi-party transactions or integrating with third-party systems, API Integration is the best fit.
• Deep Integration with Internal Systems: API Integration is ideal for businesses that need payments tightly connected to internal systems, like accounting software or CRM tools.
• Highly Customizable: If you require advanced customization and development flexibility, API Integration offers the highest degree of control.

When Not to Use API Integration:

• Lack of Development Resources: If your business doesn’t have a dedicated technical team or the capacity to manage a custom integration, API Integration might be too complex.
• Urgent Launch Needs: If you need to get payments up and running quickly, API Integration’s longer development time and resource requirements might not be suitable.

Development Considerations:

• High-Level Technical Expertise: API Integration requires in-house development expertise, as it involves building a custom payment solution and maintaining the infrastructure. It’s a great option for businesses with the technical capacity to develop and manage a fully customized payment flow.
• Security: Like Hosted Integration, API Integration relies on API keys. These must be carefully managed to avoid unauthorized access. For sensitive operations like payouts, additional layers of security, such as 2FA, are implemented.

Getting started:

• API Integration is now in Beta testing. Reach out to [e-mail] for early access.

Choosing the Right Integration Method for Your Business

Selecting the right integration method depends on the size of your business, your technical capabilities, and your customization needs:

• Embedded Integration: Ideal for businesses that need a fast-to-market solution with minimal setup and technical expertise. This option allows for a seamless, customizable payment experience. No Interaction with API’s, No Need to Create UI.
• Hosted Integration: Best for companies prioritizing ease of use and minimal technical management. Hosted Integration is simple to implement and eliminates the need for handling payment data directly. Minimal Interaction with API’s, No Need to Create UI
• API Integration: Suitable for large enterprises or businesses with dedicated development teams looking for full control and integration into their infrastructure. Full Interaction via API’s, Need to Create UI

At ClickPesa, we strive to provide flexible payment solutions that meet the needs of every business. Explore our Developers documentation today to understand the technicality and choose the integration method that fits your business requirements.