User Guide — PayGate

1. Getting Started

Welcome to PayGate! This user guide will help you configure and manage payment method visibility rules for your BigCommerce store checkout page.

PayGate allows you to control which payment methods are shown to different customer groups on your checkout page. This enables you to offer specific payment options to VIP customers, restrict certain methods for guest checkout, or customize payment options based on customer segments.

This guide covers everything from basic setup to advanced configuration. Whether you're new to PayGate or looking to optimize your payment visibility rules, you'll find helpful information here.

2. Dashboard Overview

a) Main Dashboard

When you log into PayGate, you'll see your main dashboard with the Payment Method Visibility Settings panel:

• Customer Group Selector — Choose which customer group to configure
• Payment Methods List — View all available payment methods for selection
• Selected Methods Display — See which payment methods are currently visible
• Rules Summary — Review all configured payment visibility rules

b) Navigation Menu

Use the top navigation to access different sections:

• Home — Return to the main payment visibility settings dashboard
• Subscription Plans — Manage your account and billing (if applicable)
• Information — Access policies, user guide, and documentation

c) Quick Actions

From the dashboard, you can quickly:

• Select a customer group to configure payment methods
• Choose which payment methods should be visible to that group
• Save payment visibility rules
• Review all configured rules in the summary section
• Reset or modify existing rules as needed

3. Configuring Payment Rules

a) Selecting a Customer Group

Start by selecting a customer group from the dropdown menu. Customer groups are created in your BigCommerce admin panel (Customers > Customer Groups). The default group will be marked with "(Default)".

b) Choosing Payment Methods

Once a customer group is selected, you'll see all available payment methods for your store:

• Check the boxes next to payment methods you want visible to this group
• Uncheck payment methods you want to hide from this group
• Use "Select All" to make all methods visible
• Use "Deselect All" to hide all methods (not recommended)

Important: Ensure at least one payment method is selected for each customer group to allow customers to complete checkout.

c) Saving Your Rules

After configuring payment methods for a group:

• Click "Save Settings" to store your configuration
• Rules are saved immediately and take effect on your checkout page
• You can switch between customer groups and configure each one
• All rules are saved automatically when you change groups

d) Viewing Configured Rules

The bottom of the dashboard shows a summary of all configured rules:

• See which customer groups have payment rules configured
• View how many payment methods are visible to each group
• Identify groups that show all payment methods vs. filtered methods

4. Customer Groups Setup

a) Creating Customer Groups in BigCommerce

Customer groups must be created in your BigCommerce admin panel before you can configure payment rules for them:

• Navigate to Customers > Customer Groups in BigCommerce
• Click "Create a Customer Group"
• Name your group (e.g., "VIP Customers", "Wholesale", "Guest Checkout")
• Set pricing and discount rules if needed
• Save the customer group

b) Assigning Customers to Groups

Customers can be assigned to groups in several ways:

• Manually assign customers to groups in BigCommerce admin
• Set automatic group assignment based on order history or purchase amount
• Default group is used for customers not assigned to a specific group
• Guest customers typically use the default group unless they log in

c) Using Groups in PayGate

Once groups are created in BigCommerce:

• All customer groups will appear in the PayGate dropdown
• You can configure payment methods for each group individually
• Groups without specific rules will show all payment methods
• Changes in BigCommerce groups will sync automatically with PayGate

5. Payment Methods Management

a) Available Payment Methods

PayGate shows all payment methods configured in your BigCommerce store:

• Credit/Debit Cards (Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, etc.)
• Digital Wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, etc.)
• Buy Now Pay Later (Klarna, Afterpay, etc.)
• Bank Transfers and ACH
• Cryptocurrency payments (if enabled)
• Store Credit and Gift Cards
• Any other payment gateway integrated with BigCommerce

Payment methods must be configured and enabled in BigCommerce (Settings > Payments) before they appear in PayGate.

b) Payment Method Identification

PayGate identifies payment methods by their unique codes used by BigCommerce:

• Each payment method has a unique identifier (code)
• Method names displayed match your BigCommerce configuration
• Test mode indicators are shown when applicable
• Payment methods are automatically synced from your BigCommerce store

c) Filtering Strategies

Common use cases for payment method filtering:

• Restrict high-risk payment methods for guest checkout
• Offer premium payment options to VIP customers
• Limit certain payment methods for wholesale customers
• Enable additional payment methods for registered customers
• Hide test payment methods from live customers

6. Testing Your Rules

a) Test Payment Method Filtering

After configuring payment visibility rules, test them to ensure they work correctly:

• Create a test order on your store as a guest customer
• Log in as a customer in a specific group and test checkout
• Verify that only configured payment methods appear
• Check that hidden payment methods are not visible
• Test with different customer groups to verify all rules

b) Common Testing Scenarios

Test these scenarios to ensure your rules work correctly:

• Guest checkout with default group rules
• Logged-in customers in different groups
• Customers switching between groups
• Edge cases: customers with no group assignment
• Verify checkout completion is possible for all groups

c) Troubleshooting During Testing

If payment methods don't filter correctly during testing:

• Verify the checkout script is installed correctly
• Check that customer email is being captured
• Confirm customer group assignment in BigCommerce
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Ensure payment methods are enabled in BigCommerce

7. Checkout Script Installation

a) Script Installation Overview

PayGate requires a JavaScript script to be installed in your BigCommerce theme to filter payment methods on the checkout page:

• The script identifies the customer's email and group membership
• It communicates with PayGate API to fetch payment visibility rules
• Payment methods are filtered dynamically before checkout completion
• The script works with most Stencil-based themes

b) Installation Steps

Install the checkout script:

• Download the checkout-payment-filter.js script from PayGate
• Navigate to BigCommerce > Storefront > Script Manager
• Create a new script targeting the Checkout page
• Paste the script code into the script editor
• Save and publish the script
• Test the checkout page to verify it's working

c) Script Configuration

The script needs to know your store URL:

• Update the storeUrl variable in the script to match your store domain
• Ensure the URL format matches: yourstore.mybigcommerce.com
• The script will automatically detect customer information from checkout
• No additional configuration is typically required

d) Verifying Installation

After installation, verify the script is working:

• Open your store's checkout page
• Open browser developer tools (F12)
• Check the Console tab for PayGate messages
• Look for successful API calls and payment method filtering
• Test with different customer groups if possible

8. Troubleshooting

a) Payment Methods Not Filtering

If payment methods aren't being filtered on checkout:

• Verify the checkout script is installed and active
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Ensure customer email is being captured on checkout
• Verify customer group assignment in BigCommerce
• Check that payment rules are saved in PayGate dashboard
• Clear browser cache and test again

b) All Payment Methods Hidden

If customers can't see any payment methods:

• Check that at least one payment method is selected for the customer group
• Verify payment methods are enabled in BigCommerce settings
• Review payment rules to ensure methods aren't all unchecked
• Test with the default customer group
• Check if there are JavaScript errors preventing script execution

c) Script Not Loading

If the checkout script isn't loading:

• Verify script is published in BigCommerce Script Manager
• Check script target location (should be Checkout page)
• Ensure script status is "Enabled"
• Review script code for syntax errors
• Check that your theme supports script injection
• Contact support if issues persist

d) Customer Group Not Detected

If customer group isn't being detected:

• Ensure customer is logged in to their account
• Verify customer email matches their BigCommerce account
• Check that customer is assigned to a group in BigCommerce
• Test with a known customer group membership
• Verify API connection to PayGate is working

9. Best Practices

a) Payment Rule Configuration

Follow these best practices when configuring payment rules:

• Always ensure at least one payment method is available to each group
• Test rules thoroughly before going live
• Keep rules simple and easy to manage
• Document your payment rules for team reference
• Review and update rules periodically as your business grows

b) Customer Experience

Consider customer experience when setting up rules:

• Don't over-restrict payment methods - offer options when possible
• Communicate available payment methods to customers if needed
• Ensure guest checkout has access to common payment methods
• Test checkout flow from customer perspective
• Monitor checkout abandonment rates after implementing rules

c) Security & Compliance

Maintain security and compliance:

• Ensure payment rules comply with payment processor terms
• Don't use rules to discriminate against protected classes
• Follow card network rules and regulations
• Keep payment method configurations secure
• Regularly review rules for compliance with changing regulations

d) Maintenance & Monitoring

Keep your payment rules up to date:

• Review rules when adding new payment methods
• Update rules when customer groups change
• Monitor checkout completion rates
• Test rules after BigCommerce platform updates
• Keep backup of your payment rule configurations

10. FAQ & Tips

a) Common Questions

Q: How does PayGate determine which payment methods to show?
A: PayGate identifies the customer's email address and customer group membership, then applies the payment visibility rules you've configured for that group. The filtering happens in real-time during checkout.

Q: Do customers need to be logged in for filtering to work?
A: For best results, customers should be logged in so their customer group can be identified. Guest checkout typically uses the default customer group.

Q: Can I hide all payment methods from a customer group?
A: Technically yes, but this is not recommended as customers won't be able to complete checkout. Always ensure at least one payment method is available to each group.

Q: Will filtering work with all BigCommerce themes?
A: PayGate works best with Stencil-based themes. Custom themes may require additional configuration. Test thoroughly with your theme.

Q: What happens if a customer doesn't have a group assigned?
A: Customers without a specific group assignment will use the default customer group rules. If no rules are configured for a group, all payment methods will be shown.

b) Tips for Success

Get the most out of PayGate:

• Start with simple rules and test thoroughly before complex configurations
• Always ensure at least one payment method is available per group
• Test checkout flow from customer perspective
• Keep rules organized and documented
• Review rules when adding new payment methods or customer groups
• Monitor checkout completion rates after implementing rules

c) Best Practices

Follow these best practices:

• Test all payment rules in a staging environment if possible
• Keep backup of your payment rule configurations
• Document your payment strategy for team reference
• Regularly review and update rules as business needs change
• Ensure rules comply with payment processor terms
• Monitor checkout analytics to optimize payment method availability

d) Getting Help

Need assistance? We're here to help:

Email Support: bigcommerce@finten.space

For technical issues, feature requests, or general inquiries, don't hesitate to reach out. Our support team is committed to helping you succeed with PayGate.