# How to Build a Custom WooCommerce Payment Gateway: A Beginner’s Guide
Want to offer a unique payment option to your WooCommerce customers? Maybe you need to integrate with a specific local bank, or offer a unique payment plan? Creating a custom WooCommerce payment gateway is more achievable than you think! This guide will walk you through the process, even if you’re new to coding.
Why Build a Custom Payment Gateway?
WooCommerce offers a range of built-in payment gateways, but sometimes you need something more specific. Here are some real-world examples:
- Local Payment Methods: Imagine you’re selling handcrafted goods in a small town. A popular local payment system might not be integrated into WooCommerce. A custom gateway solves this.
- Subscription Services: You want to offer recurring billing with unique features not found in standard subscription plugins. A custom gateway provides the flexibility you need.
- Specific Business Needs: Let’s say you need a payment method that automatically triggers a specific action after a successful purchase (like sending a custom email or updating inventory in a different system). A custom gateway can handle this automation.
- Unique Payment Plans: You want to offer a buy-now-pay-later option with your own interest rates and terms. A custom gateway allows for this level of control.
- Local WordPress Installation: This is crucial for testing without affecting your live website. Use a tool like LocalWP or XAMPP.
- Text Editor/IDE: Choose a code editor like VS Code, Sublime Text, or Atom. An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like PhpStorm offers more advanced features but is not strictly required for beginners.
- Basic PHP Knowledge: While you don’t need to be an expert, a fundamental understanding of PHP is necessary.
Setting up Your Development Environment
Before you start coding, ensure you have the necessary tools:
Steps to Create a Custom WooCommerce Payment Gateway
Creating a custom payment gateway involves several steps. Let’s break them down:
1. Create the Payment Gateway Class
This is the core of your custom gateway. This class handles all the logic related to processing payments.
<?php
class WC_Gateway_Custom extends WC_Payment_Gateway {
public function __construct() {
// … (Initialization code – see below)
}
// … (Methods for processing payments, displaying forms, etc. – see below)
}
?>
2. Initialization Code (Inside `__construct()`)
This section sets up important gateway properties:
public function __construct() { $this->id = 'custom_gateway'; // Unique ID for your gateway $this->icon = plugins_url( '/images/icon.png', __FILE__ ); // Path to your gateway icon $this->has_fields = true; Explore this article on Woocommerce Product Search How To Change // Determines if your gateway needs additional form fields $this->method_title = 'Custom Payment Gateway'; // Title displayed in WooCommerce settings $this->method_description = 'Process payments through your custom method.'; // Description in WooCommerce settings
// Load the settings.
$this->init_form_fields();
$this->init_settings();
// Define user set variables
$this->title = $this->get_option( ‘title’ );
$this->description = $this->get_option( ‘description’ );
$this->api_key = $this->get_option( ‘api_key’ ); // Example: Add your API key setting here.
add_action( ‘woocommerce_update_options_payment_gateways_’ . $this->id, array( $this, ‘process_admin_options’ ) );
}
Remember to replace placeholders like `’custom_gateway’` and paths to your icon with your actual values.
3. Payment Form Fields (If `$this->has_fields = true;`)
If your gateway needs extra fields (e.g., customer reference number), you define them here:
public function payment_fields() { // Add your custom form fields here using WooCommerce's form functions woocommerce_form_field( 'customer_ref', array( 'type' => 'text', 'label' => __( 'Customer Reference', 'your-text-domain' ), 'placeholder' => __( 'Enter your reference number', 'your-text-domain' ), ), $this->get_value( 'customer_ref' ) ); }
4. Process the Payment (`process_payment()`)
This is where the payment is actually processed:
public function process_payment( $order_id ) { // Your custom payment processing logic goes here. // This might involve API calls to your payment processor. // Example: $order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
// Mark the order as complete (or processing). Use appropriate WooCommerce functions.
$order->payment_complete();
// Redirect the customer to a thank you page.
return array(
‘result’ => ‘success’,
‘redirect’ => $order->get_checkout_order_received_url(),
);
}
5. Admin Settings (form fields)
You’ll likely need settings in the WooCommerce admin panel to configure your gateway.
public function init_form_fields() { $this->form_fields = array( 'enabled' => array( 'title' => __( 'Enable/Disable', 'woocommerce' ), 'type' => 'checkbox', 'label' => __( 'Enable Custom Payment Gateway', 'woocommerce' ), 'default' => 'no' ), 'title' => array( 'title' => __( 'Title', 'woocommerce' ), 'type' => 'text', 'description' => __( 'This controls the title which the user sees during checkout.', 'woocommerce' ), 'default' => __( 'Custom Payment Gateway', 'woocommerce' ), ), 'description' => array( 'title' => __( 'Description', 'woocommerce' ), 'type' => 'textarea', 'description' => __( 'Payment method description that the customer will see on your checkout.', 'woocommerce' ), 'default' => __( 'Please follow instructions below.', 'woocommerce' ), ), 'api_key' => array( // Example: Add your API key setting field 'title' => __( 'API Key', 'woocommerce' ), 'type' => 'text', 'description' => __( 'Enter your API key here.', 'woocommerce' ), ), ); }
6. Plugin Structure
Organize your code into a WordPress plugin. This involves creating a folder (e.g., `custom-payment-gateway`) and a main plugin file (`custom-payment-gateway.php`).
7. Testing and Debugging
Thoroughly test your gateway in your local environment before deploying it to your live website. Use the WooCommerce debugging tools to identify and fix any issues.
Conclusion
Building a custom WooCommerce payment gateway is a challenging but rewarding task. This guide provides a solid foundation. Remember to consult the WooCommerce documentation and utilize debugging tools throughout the development process. Don’t be afraid to experiment and break things in your testing environment – that’s how you learn! With dedication and persistence, you can create a payment gateway tailored to your specific business needs.
