Payment Gateway Integration in Laravel: Complete Guide to Stripe, PayPal, and More

Payment gateway integration is one of the most critical features for any e-commerce or SaaS application. Getting it right is essential for your business's success, and getting it wrong can lead to lost sales, security issues, and compliance problems.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about Laravel payment integration, from choosing the right payment gateway to implementing secure, PCI-compliant payment processing. Whether you're building an e-commerce store, SaaS application, or any platform that needs to accept payments, this guide will help you make informed decisions.

Why Payment Integration Matters

Payment gateway integration is more than just accepting credit cards. It's about:

• Providing a seamless checkout experience
• Ensuring security and PCI compliance
• Supporting multiple payment methods
• Handling subscriptions and recurring payments
• Managing refunds and disputes
• Protecting against fraud

Popular Payment Gateways for Laravel

1. Stripe

Stripe is one of the most popular choices for Laravel payment integration:

• Excellent Laravel support (Laravel Cashier)
• Developer-friendly API
• Strong documentation
• Supports subscriptions, marketplace payments, and more
• Available in many countries including Ireland and UK

2. PayPal

PayPal remains a trusted option for many businesses:

• Wide user acceptance
• Multiple integration options (Express Checkout, REST API)
• Good for international payments
• Buyer protection features

3. Square

Square offers comprehensive payment solutions:

• Point-of-sale integration
• Online and in-person payments
• Good for retail businesses

4. Local Payment Gateways

For businesses in Belfast, Dublin, and across Ireland/UK, consider:

• Realex Payments (now Global Payments)
• Worldpay
• Sage Pay
• Adyen

Laravel Payment Integration Packages

Laravel Cashier (Stripe)

Laravel Cashier provides an expressive interface to Stripe's subscription billing services:

// Install Laravel Cashier
composer require laravel/cashier

// Migration
php artisan cashier:table customers
php artisan migrate

// In your User model
use Laravel\Cashier\Billable;

class User extends Authenticatable
{
    use Billable;
}

// Create subscription
$user = User::find(1);
$user->newSubscription('default', 'price_monthly')->create($paymentMethod);

Custom Payment Integration

For more control or non-Stripe gateways, you can build custom payment integration:

// Example: Stripe Payment Intent
use Stripe\Stripe;
use Stripe\PaymentIntent;

Stripe::setApiKey(config('services.stripe.secret'));

$paymentIntent = PaymentIntent::create([
    'amount' => $amount * 100, // Amount in cents
    'currency' => 'eur',
    'payment_method' => $paymentMethodId,
    'confirmation_method' => 'manual',
    'confirm' => true,
]);

Step-by-Step Stripe Integration

1. Install and Configure

// Install Stripe PHP SDK
composer require stripe/stripe-php

// Add to config/services.php
'stripe' => [
    'key' => env('STRIPE_KEY'),
    'secret' => env('STRIPE_SECRET'),
],

2. Create Payment Controller

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Stripe\Stripe;
use Stripe\PaymentIntent;

class PaymentController extends Controller
{
    public function createPaymentIntent(Request $request)
    {
        Stripe::setApiKey(config('services.stripe.secret'));
        
        $paymentIntent = PaymentIntent::create([
            'amount' => $request->amount * 100,
            'currency' => 'eur',
            'metadata' => [
                'order_id' => $request->order_id,
            ],
        ]);
        
        return response()->json([
            'clientSecret' => $paymentIntent->client_secret,
        ]);
    }
}

3. Frontend Integration

Use Stripe.js on the frontend to securely collect payment information:

// Frontend JavaScript
const stripe = Stripe('{{ config("services.stripe.key") }}');
const elements = stripe.elements();
const cardElement = elements.create('card');
cardElement.mount('#card-element');

// Handle form submission
form.addEventListener('submit', async (event) => {
    event.preventDefault();
    
    const {paymentIntent, error} = await stripe.confirmCardPayment(
        clientSecret,
        {
            payment_method: {
                card: cardElement,
            }
        }
    );
    
    if (error) {
        // Handle error
    } else {
        // Payment succeeded
    }
});

Security Best Practices

1. PCI Compliance

Never store credit card information directly. Always use:

• Tokenization (Stripe tokens, PayPal tokens)
• Payment method IDs instead of card numbers
• HTTPS for all payment-related requests
• Secure API key storage (environment variables)

2. Validate and Sanitize

Always validate payment amounts and data:

$request->validate([
    'amount' => ['required', 'numeric', 'min:0.01', 'max:999999.99'],
    'currency' => ['required', 'string', 'size:3'],
    'order_id' => ['required', 'exists:orders,id'],
]);

3. Webhook Security

Verify webhook signatures to ensure requests are from the payment gateway:

// Verify Stripe webhook
$payload = @file_get_contents('php://input');
$sig_header = $_SERVER['HTTP_STRIPE_SIGNATURE'];

try {
    $event = \Stripe\Webhook::constructEvent(
        $payload, $sig_header, config('services.stripe.webhook_secret')
    );
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    // Invalid signature
    abort(400);
}

Testing Payment Flows

1. Use Test Mode

Always test in sandbox/test mode before going live:

• Stripe: Use test API keys and test card numbers
• PayPal: Use PayPal Sandbox accounts
• Test various scenarios: success, failure, 3D Secure

2. Test Cards

Use gateway-provided test cards:

• Stripe: 4242 4242 4242 4242 (success), 4000 0000 0000 0002 (declined)
• Test different card types and countries
• Test 3D Secure authentication flows

Common Challenges and Solutions

1. Handling Failed Payments

Implement proper error handling:

try {
    $paymentIntent = PaymentIntent::create([...]);
} catch (\Stripe\Exception\CardException $e) {
    // Card was declined
    $error = $e->getError();
    // Handle specific error codes
    switch ($error->code) {
        case 'card_declined':
            // Handle declined card
            break;
        case 'insufficient_funds':
            // Handle insufficient funds
            break;
    }
}

2. Webhook Reliability

Payment gateways use webhooks to notify you of events. Ensure:

• Webhook endpoints are idempotent
• Handle duplicate webhook deliveries
• Log all webhook events for debugging
• Implement retry logic for failed webhooks

3. Refunds and Disputes

Implement refund functionality:

// Process refund
$refund = \Stripe\Refund::create([
    'payment_intent' => $paymentIntentId,
    'amount' => $amount * 100, // Partial refund
]);

// Update order status
$order->update([
    'status' => 'refunded',
    'refunded_at' => now(),
]);

Subscriptions and Recurring Payments

For SaaS applications, implement subscription billing:

• Use Laravel Cashier for Stripe subscriptions
• Handle subscription lifecycle events (created, updated, cancelled)
• Implement proration for plan changes
• Handle failed subscription payments
• Provide customer portal for subscription management

User Experience Best Practices

A good payment integration provides a smooth user experience:

• Clear error messages (user-friendly, not technical)
• Loading states during payment processing
• Confirmation pages after successful payment
• Email receipts and confirmations
• Support for multiple payment methods
• Mobile-optimized checkout

Performance Considerations

Optimize your Laravel payment integration for performance:

• Use async processing for non-critical operations
• Cache payment gateway responses where appropriate
• Implement queue jobs for webhook processing
• Monitor API response times
• Handle gateway downtime gracefully

When to Hire a Payment Integration Expert

While payment gateway integration can be done in-house, consider hiring an expert when:

• You need multiple payment gateways integrated
• Complex subscription billing requirements
• Marketplace or multi-vendor payment processing
• PCI compliance concerns
• High transaction volumes requiring optimization
• International payment processing
• Limited in-house payment integration experience

A professional Laravel payment integration service can:

• Ensure secure, PCI-compliant implementation
• Handle complex payment scenarios
• Optimize for performance and reliability
• Provide ongoing support and maintenance
• Help with payment gateway selection

Conclusion

Payment gateway integration in Laravel requires careful planning, security considerations, and attention to user experience. Whether you choose Stripe, PayPal, or another gateway, following best practices ensures secure, reliable payment processing.

For businesses in Belfast, Dublin, and across Ireland/UK, working with an experienced Laravel payment integration specialist can help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure your payment system is secure, compliant, and user-friendly.

If you need help with payment gateway integration or Laravel payment integration, our team specializes in implementing secure, reliable payment solutions. We can help you choose the right gateway, implement the integration, and ensure PCI compliance.