Integrating Datafast, PayPhone or Kushki payments in WooCommerce step by step

To sell online in Ecuador you need to accept how people pay here: local cards, deferred payment and, in many cases, wallets or bank transfers. In WooCommerce that is solved with a payment gateway connected to the checkout. This guide explains the general process for integrating Datafast, PayPhone or Kushki, what to prepare and how to test it before charging a single dollar.

If you have not chosen a gateway yet, start with Datafast vs PayPhone vs Kushki: which payment gateway to choose in Ecuador. Here we assume you already decided and it is time to implement. The exact steps and credentials depend on each provider and its current documentation, which you should always consult.

Integrating a gateway is not just installing a plugin: it is configuring the charge properly, testing the cases that fail and making sure every confirmed payment leaves the order and the invoice in order.

1. Before you start

• Sign up with the gateway: it usually requires a RUC, business details and information about your site. Approval times vary.
• Ask for test and production credentials (keys or identifiers and, depending on the provider, a return and notification URL).
• Check your site's requirements: an active SSL certificate and an updated WooCommerce.
• Confirm which methods your contract enables: credit and debit cards, deferred payment (with or without interest), wallet, bank transfer.
• Define the fees and settlement times to plan your cash flow.

2. Choose the integration method

There are several ways, and it helps to know which one you use:

If your case is particular, this becomes a custom integration, which is part of what we do in our WooCommerce service.

3. General step by step

1. Install the gateway's plugin or module from a trusted source and check its ratings and last update.
2. Set up the test environment with the test credentials.
3. Configure the payment method in WooCommerce: title, description, order and countries.
4. Define the return and notification URLs the provider asks for, so your store receives the payment result.
5. Enable deferred payment, if you offer it, with the options and terms allowed.
6. Make test purchases with the cards and data the provider supplies.
7. Check the order status after every test.
8. Switch to production with the real credentials and make a real low-value purchase.

4. Cases you must test

Do not test only the successful payment. Also test:

• Declined payment: the message must be clear and the cart preserved.
• Payment cancelled by the customer on the provider's page.
• Timeout or lost connection: what happens to the order?
• Deferred payment with different installments.
• Refunds, full and partial.
• Coupons and shipping mixed with the charge.
• Duplicate notifications: the order must not become "paid" twice.

5. Order statuses and notifications

The point that causes the most problems in production is the order status. Make sure that:

• A confirmed payment changes the order to "processing" or "completed" as appropriate.
• A failed or expired payment does not leave "ghost" orders unresolved.
• There is server-side verification (webhook or query), not just the browser redirect, which the customer can interrupt.

6. Electronic invoicing

Every confirmed payment should end in a document. Make sure the checkout captures the ID or RUC and that invoicing fires when the payment is confirmed, not before. We explain it in integrated electronic invoicing.

7. Security

• Keep WooCommerce, the theme and plugins updated.
• Do not store card data on your site: the gateway exists to avoid that.
• Protect production keys: outside the repository and with limited access.
• Keep the site on HTTPS and with an up-to-date backup (SSL, backups and firewall).

8. Common mistakes

• Leaving the test environment active in production (or the other way around).
• Relying only on the browser return to mark the payment.
• Not testing declines, and discovering failures with real customers.
• Not offering deferred payment, which many buyers expect.
• A slow or confusing checkout: read the checkout mistakes that cost sales.

What we include at Codegea

We configure the gateway, test declines and refunds, connect electronic invoicing and leave the flow documented. If your store also needs custom integrations, we cover it in the online stores service. Write to us from contact and we will review your checkout.