Payment Gateway Integration: Stripe, Braintree, and Adyen
Payment gateway integration connects your application to payment processing infrastructure, enabling you to accept card payments, bank transfers, and alternative payment methods. Choosing the right payment gateway and integrating it correctly is critical for conversion and compliance.
The Main Players
- Stripe: Exceptional developer experience, excellent documentation, comprehensive product suite (Payments, Billing, Connect, Radar). The default choice for most new projects. Competitive pricing at 1.5% + 20p per transaction (UK cards).
- Braintree (PayPal): PayPal-owned, includes PayPal payment method natively. Good for marketplaces and platforms via its Marketplace product. Strong global coverage.
- Adyen: Enterprise payment platform with excellent global acquiring relationships and lower rates at volume. Not cost-effective below significant transaction volume. Used by large e-commerce and enterprises.
Integration Patterns
- Hosted payment pages: Redirect customers to the gateway's hosted checkout. Simplest integration, minimal PCI scope, less control over UX.
- Embedded components (Stripe Elements, Braintree Hosted Fields): Gateway-rendered input fields embedded in your page. Good UX, minimal PCI scope — card data never touches your servers.
- Direct API integration: Maximum control but full PCI DSS scope — only appropriate for organisations with strong compliance capabilities.
PCI DSS Compliance
Handling card data requires PCI DSS compliance. Using hosted components (Stripe Elements etc.) reduces scope to SAQ A — the simplest self-assessment. We always recommend embedded components over direct API integration for most clients.