Overview

The SIBS Payment Gateway (SPG) supports multiple integration models, allowing merchants to connect their systems in a way that best matches their technical architecture, compliance requirements, and desired level of control.

Each integration model defines:

• How merchant systems interact with SPG
• How payment data is exchanged
• The distribution of responsibilities between the merchant and SIBS

How merchant systems interact with SPG

• How payment data is exchanged
• The distribution of responsibilities between the merchant and SIBS

The choice of integration model directly impacts:

• Development effort
• Operational complexity
• Security and compliance scope
• Overall payment experience

Choosing an Integration Model

When selecting an integration model, consider the following aspects:

• Level of control over the payment lifecycle
• Responsibility for handling sensitive payment data
• Integration complexity and operational maintenance effort
• Time to market
• Existing platforms or technologies in use

SPG provides different integration options to accommodate these needs, ranging from fully backend-driven integrations to hosted and plugin-based approaches.

All integration models rely on the same underlying SPG APIs and support the same payment methods and operations.

In most cases, merchants adopt a primary integration model aligned with their architecture, while additional models may be used for specific use cases.

Available Integration Models

Server-to-Server Integration

In a Server-to-Server integration, merchant systems communicate directly with SPG using APIs.

This model provides the highest level of control over the entire payment lifecycle, including:

• Payment creation and execution
• Transaction lifecycle management
• Post-payment operations (capture, refund, MIT, etc.)

It is typically used when merchants require:

• Custom checkout experiences
• Advanced payment logic
• Full ownership of transaction handling

This approach is best suited for merchants with strong backend capabilities and more complex payment requirements.

Form Integration

Form Integration uses SIBS-hosted payment pages or embedded payment components to collect payment information.

In this model:

• The customer interacts with a payment interface managed by SIBS
• The merchant initiates and tracks the transaction via SPG

Key characteristics:

• Reduced integration complexity
• Limited exposure to sensitive payment data
• Built-in handling of payment UI and security

This approach is commonly chosen when:

• Faster implementation is required
• PCI DSS scope must be minimized
• Standardized checkout experience is acceptable

Plugin Integration

Plugin Integration relies on pre-built plugins available for supported e-commerce platforms.

These plugins encapsulate the integration logic and configuration, enabling merchants to start accepting payments with minimal development effort.

In this model:

• Payment flows and communication with SPG are managed by the plugin
• Integration follows predefined patterns aligned with the platform
• Depending on the plugin implementation, this model typically relies internally on Form Integration or API-based models.

This approach is typically used when:

• Merchants operate on supported platforms (e.g., WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, Shopify)
• Rapid deployment is a priority
• Customization requirements are limited

Moving Forward

Each integration model is described in detail in its own dedicated section, including:

• Supported use cases
• Technical flows
• Implementation guidelines

A comparison and decision guide is also provided to help merchants select the most appropriate integration model based on their technical and business requirements.

By understanding the characteristics of each integration model, you can choose the approach that best fits your systems and business needs.