Channels

Channels provides a way for the merchant to use the same payment method with different sets of credential, configurations and also customise when a payment method appears at checkout.

A payment method can be turned on for multiple channels, and each channel for a payment method can have its own configuration, including credentials. To turn on a payment method with a channel, use the "Add New" payment method functionality, but select a channel in the channels section at the bottom of the credentials page.

Based on site or customer information, you will then pass the channel field into the payment flow. This will specify to use of payment methods with the configuration of that channel. E.g. if you have PayPal and Klarna enabled on the default channel, and PayPal enabled for the channel passed into the APIs, only PayPal will be available for the customer.

Creating Channels

Creating Channels

Channels must be created before turning on a payment method, and using a channel is available. The Channel Name is used as a reference within the UPP, and the Channel alias is used when referencing the Channel in API calls.

Enabling a Payment Method with Channels

Enabling a Payment Method Using Channels

After enabling a payment method with a channel, you will see two instances of the same payment method with the related channel identified. You can manage both of these individually to update the configuration.

Viewing Channels on Payment Methods

Primary Use Cases

Omni-Channel: If using the Optty checkout on multiple checkouts, such as E-commerce Store, App or In-store, you may wish to apply a different configuration, ranging from different provider fees for reporting or different technical credentials to use a different MID. You may also wish to show different providers on each checkout using channels.

Routing: Based on criteria such as customer information or order items, it may be preferred to route the transaction through particular payment methods or different credentials; this can be accomplished with channels.

Passing Channel to the Options and Order endpoint

Two parts of the Order flow must be passed through the channel reference, the Create Order endpoint and the Get Options endpoint. In both cases, when passing no channel, it will default to all payment methods configured without a channel selected.

When getting payment method options, passing a channel will filter the response such that all payment methods returned are enabled for that channel.

When creating an order, the channel will be used to identify which configuration to use to process the order.

The same channel should be passed to both options and orders to ensure that the payment method and channel combination passed to orders is a valid one, otherwise, an error will be thrown.