How do I set up my payment processor?

Before you connect your payment processor, have these items ready:

• Your payment gateway account credentials: API keys, secret keys, and public tokens from Stripe, PayPal, or your chosen provider.
• The endpoint (webhook URL) where payment requests will be sent - your gateway typically provides this in its developer dashboard.
• A clear idea of what payment details you need to collect during a chat (amount, currency, description, metadata, etc.).

Chatref’s onboarding experience comes preloaded with templates for popular processors, so you can often skip manual setup altogether. If you prefer a custom path, continue with the manual steps below.

Custom actions let you trigger real-world processes directly from your Chatref agent. Here’s how to create one for payment processing:

1. In your Chatref workspace, go to Agents and open the agent you want to enable payments for.
2. Navigate to the Custom Actions tab and click Add Action.
3. Give your action a name (e.g., "Process Payment") and optional description.
4. Under Action type, select API call.
5. Configure the HTTP method (typically POST) and paste your payment processor’s endpoint URL.
6. Map the chat-collected fields (amount, currency, customer email, etc.) to the request body using the simple field editor. Chatref supports dynamic placeholders for conversation variables.

Your custom action is now ready to receive and forward payment requests.

Proper payment processor configuration in Chatref depends on mapping three things correctly:

• Authentication: Add your processor’s credential headers in the custom action settings. Use the Authorization header with your API key. For added security, tick the mask headers in logs option.
• Payment parameters: Map the required fields your gateway expects. Common mappings include amount, currency, description, source (or payment method), and customer_reference. If your gateway expects a specific format, Chatref’s field editor lets you add static values or transform inputs on the fly.
• Response handling: Decide what happens after the processor returns a result. You can set a success message that appears in the chat (e.g., "Payment received - thank you!") and capture failures with a helpful fallback message.

For most processors, pre-built connection profiles speed up payment processor setup. If your gateway is not listed, the generic API action works with any service that exposes a REST endpoint.

Before going live, run a few test transactions:

1. Toggle the custom action to Test mode (if your gateway supports sandbox endpoints) so no real funds are captured.
2. Open your widget’s playground in the Chatref app and simulate a conversation where the agent triggers the payment action.
3. Verify that the correct payload reaches your gateway and that the response displays in the chat.
4. Check your processor’s dashboard for the test transaction record.

Once confident, switch back to live credentials and activate the action. Your customers can now pay directly within the chat widget, and Chatref will log each transaction for your review.

What are the steps to set up a payment processor?

The steps are:

1. Prepare your payment gateway credentials.
2. In Chatref, open your agent and create a new custom action.
3. Select API call and insert your processor’s endpoint.
4. Map the payment fields (amount, currency, etc.) to the request.
5. Add authentication headers with your API keys.
6. Test using sandbox or small amounts.
7. Switch to live credentials and activate.

Chatref’s onboarding guide can shortcut these steps for Stripe, PayPal, and others.

How do I configure my payment processor?

Configuration happens inside a Chatref custom action. After creating the action, you configure:

• Endpoint URL (usually POST to your gateway’s charge/payment endpoint).
• Authentication (an Authorization or token header with your API key).
• Field mappings (which chat-collected values go into the payment request body).
• Success/failure handling (what messages the user sees).

The configuration interface is no-code. If you hit a snag, your processor’s developer documentation and Chatref’s support team can help.

What information is needed to set up a payment processor?

You will need:

• Your payment processor’s API key or secret token (keep this secure).
• The API endpoint for creating charges or payments (e.g., https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges).
• The required fields your processor demands: typically at minimum an amount, currency, and a source (like a card token). Refer to your processor’s API docs for the exact names and formats.
• Any custom metadata required by your business, such as invoice IDs or order references.

Once entered in Chatref, the processor connection is ready to test and deploy.