Payments

# Payment Settings Documentation

**Location:** WordPress Admin → Yatra → Settings → Payment

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## 💳 Flexible Payments (Pro Feature)

### 🎯 What Are Flexible Payments?

Flexible payments give your customers options beyond paying the full amount upfront. Think of it like offering payment plans, deposits, or partial payments – just like hotels and airlines do!

### 🤔 Why This Matters

– **Higher conversion rates:** Customers are more likely to book when they don’t need to pay everything upfront

– **Larger trip sales:** Expensive trips become more accessible when payment is spread out

– **Better cash flow for customers:** Spreads out the financial burden

– **Competitive advantage:** Most travel businesses offer some form of flexible payment

### Enable Partial Payment

– **Field Type:** Checkbox

– **Default:** Disabled (false) ❌

– **Pro Feature:** Yes – Requires Yatra Pro license

– **Description:** Allow customers to pay a portion now and the rest later

– **What it does:** Gives customers the option to pay a percentage now and the remaining amount later

– **How it works for customers:**

– Customer sees trip price: $1,000

– Customer chooses to pay 30% now: $300

– Remaining $700 due before trip departure

– Customer gets immediate booking confirmation

– **When to use this:**

– **Perfect for:** Trips over $500, international travel, custom tours

– **Not needed for:** Small day trips under $100

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Start with 30% – it’s a sweet spot between getting meaningful payment and keeping it affordable

### Partial Payment Percentage

– **Field Type:** Number Input

– **Default:** 30%

– **Validation:** Must be between 0-100%

– **Description:** Percentage of total amount required for partial payment

– **What it controls:** The minimum amount customers must pay upfront

– **How it appears:** “Pay 30% now ($300), pay remaining 70% ($700) later”

– **Common percentages and when to use them:**

– **10-20%:** For very expensive trips ($2,000+) to make them more accessible

– **25-35%:** Standard for most trips (balances accessibility with your cash flow)

– **40-50%:** For high-demand trips where you want more commitment

– **⚠️ Important:** This only appears when you enable Partial Payment

– **📊 Business impact:** Lower percentages = higher bookings, but more follow-up work for you

### Require Deposit

– **Field Type:** Checkbox

– **Default:** Disabled (false) ❌

– **Pro Feature:** Yes – Requires Yatra Pro license

– **Description:** Require a deposit to confirm bookings

– **What it does:** Makes deposits mandatory (not optional like partial payments)

– **How it’s different from Partial Payment:**

– **Partial Payment:** Customer chooses to pay part now, part later (optional)

– **Deposit:** Customer MUST pay deposit to secure booking (mandatory)

– **When to use this:**

– **Great for:** High-demand trips where you want to secure spots

– **Perfect for:** Custom tours that require upfront planning costs

– **Use when:** You need commitment before investing time/resources

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Use deposits for popular trips to reduce no-shows

### Deposit Percentage

– **Field Type:** Number Input

– **Default:** 20%

– **Validation:** Must be between 0-100%

– **Description:** Percentage of total amount required as deposit

– **What it controls:** The mandatory deposit amount customers must pay

– **How it works:**

– Trip price: $1,000

– Deposit required: 20% = $200

– Customer cannot book without paying $200 deposit

– Remaining $800 due before trip

– **Common deposit strategies:**

– **10-15%:** For expensive trips to keep barrier low

– **20-25%:** Standard for most travel businesses

– **30%+:** For very popular or custom trips

– **⚠️ Important:** This only appears when you enable “Require Deposit”

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Higher deposits reduce cancellations but may reduce initial bookings

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## ⚡ Auto-Confirm Pay Later Bookings

### Auto-Confirm “Pay Later” Bookings

– **Field Type:** Checkbox

– **Default:** Enabled (true) ✅

– **Available:** Free Version (no Pro required)

– **Description:** Automatically confirm bookings when “Book Now, Pay Later” is selected

– **What it does:** Controls what happens when customers choose to pay later instead of immediately

– **When enabled:**

– Customer selects “Pay Later” option

– Booking is immediately confirmed

– Customer gets confirmation email

– Trip spot is reserved for them

– Payment due before trip departure

– **When disabled:**

– Customer selects “Pay Later” option

– Booking stays in “Pending” status

– No confirmation email sent yet

– Trip spot not fully reserved

– You must manually confirm when ready

– **🎯 Why this matters:**

– **Enabled:** Better customer experience, less work for you

– **Disabled:** More control, but more manual work and potential customer confusion

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Keep this enabled unless you have a specific reason to manually review pay-later bookings

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## 🌐 Payment Gateways

### Test Mode (Global Control)

– **Field Type:** Checkbox

– **Default:** Enabled (true) ✅

– **Description:** Enable test/sandbox mode for ALL payment gateways

– **What it does:** Switches ALL payment gateways between test and live mode

– **When enabled (TEST MODE):**

– All gateways use test/sandbox credentials

– No real money is processed

– Perfect for testing and development

– Shows “TEST” badge in checkout

– **When disabled (LIVE MODE):**

– All gateways use live credentials

– Real money is processed

– Ready for actual customer payments

– No “TEST” badge shown

– **⚠️ CRITICAL WARNING:**

– ONLY disable when you’re ready to accept real payments

– Test thoroughly before switching to live mode

– Double-check all gateway configurations

– **🔍 Visual Indicator:** Amber “TEST” badge appears when enabled

### Gateway Management Interface

#### Understanding the Gateway List

– **What you see:** All available payment methods you can offer customers

– **How it’s organized:**

– Drag and drop to reorder (changes checkout display order)

– Up/down arrows for precise positioning

– Each gateway shows its current status

– **Why order matters:**

– First gateway shown gets most attention

– Put your preferred payment method first

– Consider customer preferences

#### Gateway Configuration (Common to All Gateways)

##### Enable Gateway

– **Field Type:** Checkbox

– **Description:** Turn individual payment gateway on or off

– **What it does:** Controls whether customers see this payment option

– **When enabled:** Gateway appears in checkout for customers to select

– **When disabled:** Gateway is hidden from customers

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Only enable gateways you’re actually ready to accept payments from

##### Gateway Icon

– **Field Type:** URL Input

– **Description:** Icon or logo displayed on booking page

– **What it does:** Shows visual representation of payment method

– **Why it matters:**

– Builds trust (familiar logos)

– Improves user experience (visual cues)

– Professional appearance

– **Examples:**

– Credit card: Visa/Mastercard logos

– PayPal: PayPal logo

– Bank transfer: Bank icon

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Use official logos from payment providers for brand recognition

##### Gateway Title

– **Field Type:** Text Input

– **Description:** Customer-facing name for payment method

– **What it does:** Sets the text customers see for this payment option

– **Why it matters:** Clear titles help customers choose the right payment method

– **Good examples:**

– “Credit Card” (clear and familiar)

– “PayPal” (brand recognition)

– “Bank Transfer” (descriptive)

– **Bad examples:**

– “Payment Option 1” (confusing)

– “Gateway” (technical jargon)

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Use names customers will recognize and understand

##### Gateway Description

– **Field Type:** Textarea

– **Description:** Additional information shown below the payment method title

– **What it does:** Provides extra context about the payment method

– **Why it matters:** Can answer customer questions and build confidence

– **Good examples:**

– “Pay securely with your credit card. All major cards accepted.”

– “Fast, secure payments with your PayPal account.”

– “Transfer funds directly to our bank account.”

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Keep descriptions short but informative

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## 🏦 Gateway-Specific Configurations

### Stripe Gateway (Credit Cards)

– **What it is:** Most popular online payment processor for credit cards

– **Best for:** Accepting all major credit and debit cards

– **Configuration fields:**

– **API Key:** Your Stripe public key (starts with pk_test_ or pk_live_)

– **API Secret:** Your Stripe secret key (starts with sk_test_ or sk_live_)

– **Enabled Methods:** Choose which payment types to accept

– **Card:** Traditional credit/debit card entry

– **Google Pay:** One-click payments for Android/Chrome users

– **Apple Pay:** One-click payments for Apple device users

– **⚠️ Important:** Apple Pay requires domain verification in your Stripe Dashboard

– **🔧 Setup steps:**

1. Create Stripe account (stripe.com)

2. Get API keys from Stripe Dashboard

3. Test with test keys first

4. Enable Apple Pay if desired (requires domain setup)

### PayPal Gateway

– **What it is:** World’s most popular digital wallet

– **Best for:** Customers who prefer PayPal over credit cards

– **Configuration fields:**

– **Client ID:** Your PayPal application client ID

– **Client Secret:** Your PayPal application secret

– **🔧 Setup steps:**

1. Create PayPal Developer account

2. Create new application

3. Get Client ID and Secret

4. Set up webhook URLs for payment notifications

### Offline Gateways (No API Keys Required)

#### Pay Later

– **What it is:** Manual payment option – book now, pay later

– **Best for:** Customers who want to reserve spots but pay offline

– **How it works:**

– Customer books trip without immediate payment

– You contact customer to arrange payment (cash, check, etc.)

– You manually confirm booking when payment received

– **Configuration:** No API keys needed – just enable and customize title/description

– **⭐ Pro Tip:** Great for local customers or businesses that accept multiple payment types

#### Bank Transfer

– **What it is:** Direct bank transfer payment method

– **Best for:** International customers or large payments

– **How it works:**

– Customer sees your bank details during checkout

– Customer transfers money manually

– You verify receipt and confirm booking

– **Configuration:** Add your bank account details in the description

– **⚠️ Important:** Only show bank details after booking is confirmed for security

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## 🎨 Gateway Status Indicators (Visual Cues)

### Active Badge

– **Appearance:** Green “Active” badge

– **Meaning:** Gateway is enabled and ready to accept payments

– **When you see it:** Gateway is properly configured and turned on

### PRO Badge

– **Appearance:** Purple gradient “PRO” badge

– **Meaning:** This gateway requires Yatra Pro license

– **When you see it:** Premium features only available with Pro version

### TEST Badge

– **Appearance:** Amber “TEST” badge

– **Meaning:** Test mode is enabled globally

– **When you see it:** All payments are in test/sandbox mode (no real money)

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## 🎯 Best Practices for Payment Settings

### 1. Test Mode Strategy

– **ALWAYS start in test mode:** Never go live without testing

– **Use real test scenarios:** Test successful payments, failed payments, refunds

– **Test with multiple gateways:** Ensure all your payment methods work

– **Check email notifications:** Confirm confirmation emails are sent correctly

– **⚠️ Critical:** Only switch to live mode when you’re 100% ready

### 2. Gateway Selection and Order

– **Know your customers:** Offer payment methods your customers actually use

– **Geographic considerations:**

– US: Credit cards, PayPal

– Europe: Credit cards, PayPal, local methods

– Asia: Credit cards, local digital wallets

– **Gateway order strategy:**

1. Most popular method first (usually credit cards)

2. Digital wallets second (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay)

3. Offline methods last (bank transfer, pay later)

### 3. Flexible Payment Strategy

– **Use deposits for:** High-demand trips, custom tours, expensive packages

– **Use partial payments for:** Making expensive trips more accessible

– **Communicate clearly:** Always explain payment terms upfront

– **Set reminders:** Have a system for following up on remaining payments

### 4. Security and Configuration

– **Protect API keys:** Never share or expose your secret keys

– **Use HTTPS:** Essential for all payment processing

– **Set up webhooks:** Ensure you receive payment notifications properly

– **Regular testing:** Test gateways monthly to ensure they still work

### 5. Customer Experience

– **Clear payment terms:** No surprises about when payments are due

– **Multiple options:** Offer at least 2-3 payment methods

– **Mobile optimization:** Ensure payment forms work perfectly on phones

– **Error handling:** Clear messages when payments fail

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## ⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. **Going live without testing:** Can cause lost sales and frustrated customers

2. **Too few payment options:** Limits your customer base

3. **Unclear payment terms:** Leads to disputes and chargebacks

4. **Ignoring mobile users:** 50%+ of bookings happen on phones

5. **Not setting up webhooks:** You won’t receive payment notifications

6. **Wrong API keys:** Test vs live keys mixed up

7. **Forgetting to disable test mode:** Customers can’t pay with test mode enabled

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## 🔗 Related Settings

– **Booking Settings:** Configure booking confirmation and payment deadlines

– **Email Settings:** Set up payment confirmation and reminder emails

– **Currency Settings:** Set the currency for all payments

– **Notification Settings:** Configure admin notifications for new payments

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## 📋 Quick Setup Checklist

### Essential (Must Configure)

– [ ] Set up at least one payment gateway

– [ ] Test gateway in test mode with real transactions

– [ ] Configure “Auto-Confirm Pay Later” setting

– [ ] Verify global test mode is enabled during testing

### Recommended (Should Configure)

– [ ] Set up multiple payment gateways (credit cards + PayPal)

– [ ] Configure gateway order (most popular first)

– [ ] Customize gateway titles and descriptions

– [ ] Set up flexible payments if you have expensive trips

### Optional (Consider Later)

– [ ] Enable Pro payment methods (if you have Pro license)

– [ ] Configure Apple Pay and Google Pay

– [ ] Set up bank transfer for international customers

– [ ] Monitor payment conversion rates and optimize

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## 🚨 Critical Safety Reminders

### Before Going Live

– [ ] Test all payment gateways thoroughly

– [ ] Verify email notifications are working

– [ ] Double-check all API keys are live (not test) keys

– [ ] Ensure HTTPS is working on your site

– [ ] Test the complete booking flow end-to-end

– [ ] Have a plan for handling payment disputes

### After Going Live

– [ ] Monitor first few transactions carefully

– [ ] Check that funds are reaching your account

– [ ] Test refund process if needed

– [ ] Keep test mode disabled unless testing

– [ ] Regular backup of payment settings