How to accept card payments in WooCommerce
WooCommerce cannot process card payments by itself. Connect a payment gateway such as WooPayments, complete the provider’s verification, enable card payments, and test checkout before switching to live mode. You need HTTPS and a merchant account or connected payments account.
What you need
- A WooCommerce store with HTTPS enabled
- Administrator access to WordPress
- A supported business and bank account
- A payment provider account or the details needed to create one
Let WooCommerce Clover do it
Clover/First Data gateway with tokenized saved cards, subscriptions, and charge capture for stores using Clover payments.
Tools that do this job
All of these solve the task above. They are listed as we have covered them.
Clover/First Data gateway with tokenized saved cards, subscriptions, and charge capture for stores using Clover payments.
Authorize.Net gateway with saved payment profiles and recurring billing; choose it for CIM-based subscriptions and repeat payments.
Intuit Payments/QBMS gateway for direct credit and debit card processing; choose it when your merchant account runs through Intuit.
Questions
- Can WooCommerce accept card payments without a plugin?
- No. WooCommerce needs a payment gateway integration to connect the checkout to a card processor. The core plugin can show offline methods such as bank transfer or cash on delivery, but card payments require a gateway such as WooPayments, Stripe, Clover, or another provider supported in your country.
- Do I need an SSL certificate to accept cards in WooCommerce?
- Yes, you should run the entire store over HTTPS before enabling card payments. Integrated gateways generally require HTTPS, and WooCommerce strongly recommends SSL for stores that collect customer information. Your host or certificate provider can help fix mixed-content warnings that prevent secure checkout fields from loading.
- Why does my card payment stay pending in WooCommerce?
- A payment can remain pending when the gateway cannot notify WooCommerce that the payment succeeded. Check the gateway credentials, payment logs, firewall or security-plugin blocks, and webhook configuration. Also confirm that the order was not created in test mode while the gateway is configured for live payments.
- How do I test WooCommerce card payments safely?
- Enable the payment gateway’s test mode or use its test account, then place an order with the provider’s test card details. Test both successful and declined payments, refunds, emails, and mobile checkout. Do not use real card details in test mode, and do not place live orders just to test and refund them.
- Is WooPayments or Clover better for WooCommerce card payments?
- WooPayments is usually the quicker general-purpose choice when it is available for your business. Clover is a better fit when you already process payments through Clover and need its tokenised saved cards, pre-authorisation, capture, or subscription support. Compare country availability, supported currencies, refunds, payouts, and provider requirements before deciding.