Getting Started

Cashflows provides a comprehensive payment environment with a number of integration options available to suit your needs.

This page will go over some of the Cashflows products we offer and how to get started with them, followed by a rundown of key concepts about Cashflows and Payments.

If you’re ready to start integrating with Cashflows, take a look at our integration guides.

If you’ve yet to sign up to Cashflows, begin your payment journey by contacting our sales team .

Products and Features

Cashflows Gateway

The Cashflows Gateway specialises on reducing the friction of taking payments while giving control to the merchant with a variety of popular payment methods. We have an in-depth Cashflows Gateway guide, as well as a getting started integration guide and a full API Reference.

Remote Authentication

The Cashflows Remote Authentication API enables you to collect cardholder and transaction details within your gateway then submit them directly to the Cashflows acquirer network for processing. There’s an in-depth Remote Authentication guide, as well as a focused getting started integration guide and the full API Reference.

Cashflows Portal

An intuitive, feature-rich and flexible portal for managing your account. Provides access to your Virtual Terminal, settings for payment links and hosted payment page, as well as access to your payments and data in an easy to use interface. For a full guide on using the Cashflows Portal see the Cashflows Portal guide.

The Virtual Terminal enables you to take payments over the phone with an online interface. The Virtual Terminal also enables the creation of Payment Links sent by email to direct customers to customisable payment pages. You can also integrate your systems into the Cashflows Gateway API to send Payment Links.

Hosted Payment Page

Simple to integrate, with all supported payment methods in-built, the Hosted Payment Pages reduces the complexity of payments by removing the need for you to store or handle card data. Your shoppers start the checkout process on your website but we display the payment page on your behalf for the shopper to securely enter their card details. We then process the payment, notify you of the status and redirect the shopper back to your website.

See our Hosted Payment Page guide.

Embedded checkout

Enables you to embed secure payment fields to (hosted by Cashflows) into your checkout page to create a unified shopper journey. Provides more customisation and flexibility than Hosted Payment Page while still avoiding the handling of card data at the cost of increased integration complexity. For more information see the Embedded checkout guide.

Account Updater

For recurring payments such as subscriptions and memberships. Account Updater checks for changes to Visa and Mastercard cards you have on fil, then updates those details if they’ve change, reducing declines and saving you manual work of reaching out to customers.

Learn more about Account Updater in the account updater guide.

Partners

Cashflows is a simple, secure and reliable way to get businesses who use your platform or services to accept payments. We can get your merchants up and running with a Cashflows account and taking payment as quickly as possible using Cashflows Fast Onboarding. Cashflows Portal enables you to view and manage your customers in one location.

See the Cashflows for Partners guide for more information.

In-person Payments

A one size fits all offering, enabling the ability to take all major card types and payment methods, including Contactless and Mobile Contactless through our easy-to-use IPP solution, designed to be robust, user friendly and fast.

We have a page on the most common operational questions.

Key Concepts

Involved parties

Payment Gateway

A payment gateway captures and transfers payment data from a shopper to the acquirer and back again, facilitating secure payments for ecommerce, mobile, and in-store transactions.

Acquirer (Acquiring Bank)

An acquirer is a bank or financial institution that processes payments on behalf of a merchant, settling funds with merchants and helping manage risk by underwriting merchant accounts. Acquirers ensure that merchants comply with relevant security standards (PCI DSS for example) and facilitate fund transfers after transactions are approved.

Issuer (Issuing Bank)

The issuer is the bank or financial institution providing credit or debit cards to consumers and is responsible for approving or declining transactions based on the shopper’s account status and fraud checks.

Merchant Account

A merchant account enables you to accept and process electronic payment transactions, such as credit and debit card payments. It acts as a holding account where funds from successful transactions are temporarily stored before being transferred to the your bank account.

Payment lifecycle

Authorization

Authorization is the first step in processing a transaction, verifying a shopper has sufficient funds or credit to complete a transaction. The issuer may also apply security checks before approving or declining the transaction.

Capture

Capture is the second step in processing a transaction, completed after a transaction has been authorized, triggering the transfer of funds from the shopper’s account to your Merchant Account. Capture can be immediate (for sales) or delayed, enabling you to verify inventory or services before completing a transaction.

Settlement

Settlement is the process where funds are transferred from your Merchant Account to your chosen account, occurring in batches at the end of the day.

Chargeback

A chargeback is a transaction reversal initiated by the shopper’s issuing bank, typically when a shopper disputes a charge due to suspected fraud or dissatisfaction.

Refund

A refund is the reversal of a transaction, returning funds to the shopper’s card or account, either in full or partially. Refunds may take several days to reflect in the customer’s account.

Security

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)

PCI DSS is a set of security standards designed to ensure all entities that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. Compliance with PCI DSS is mandatory for anyone handling card payments, as it helps prevent fraud and data breaches by protecting cardholder data.

3D Secure (3DS)

3D Secure is an additional layer of authentication for online card payments, branded as “Visa Secure”, “Mastercard Identity Check”, etc. When a shopper makes a purchase, they may be directed to a 3DS page to enter a password or one-time password sent by their issuer, enhancing security and reducing fraud risk.

Contact and Support

If you need additional support please contact one of the below teams. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:00 UTC.

Application and account setup

For information relating to your application or technical implementation, please use the contact details below:

Application progress - 0330 128 9855

Implementations - 0330 128 9855

Account support

To assist you in your day-to-day running of your account, please use the contact details below:

Customer support - 0330 128 9855

Technical support - 0330 128 9855