Mobile Payment Integrations for Mobile Apps

Did you know that integrating mobile payment systems can reduce cart abandonment by nearly 20%? According to New Target, the key to minimizing customer drop-off lies in providing a seamless and secure payment experience.

Many users abandon their purchases due to complicated payment processes or concerns about security. Modern mobile payment gateways, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, address these issues by allowing customers to complete transactions in just a few clicks, without needing to enter lengthy card numbers or navigate to external sites.

In this article, we’ll show you how mobile payment gateways can enhance user experience and help you boost sales. Ready to learn more?

What Is a Mobile Payment Gateway?

A mobile payment gateway serves as a critical intermediary between your application and financial institutions, facilitating the secure processing of payment transactions. By enabling seamless communication, it ensures that customer payment information is transmitted, authorized, and completed in a safe and reliable manner.

This technology supports a wide range of payment methods, including:

• Credit and debit cards: Enabling users to pay directly with their preferred bank-issued cards.
• Digital wallets: Integrating popular platforms like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal for fast, one-click transactions.
• Bank transfers: Allowing direct payments from customer accounts, ensuring flexibility for different user preferences.

The gateway employs robust security protocols, including data encryption and advanced fraud prevention mechanisms, to protect sensitive information throughout the transaction process. This not only ensures compliance with industry standards, such as PCI-DSS, but also builds trust and confidence among users, delivering a secure and frictionless payment experience.

Key Advantages of Mobile Payment Gateways

Key advantages

How Payment Gateways Work

Here’s a typical payment workflow:

1. User action: The user selects products and proceeds to checkout.
2. Data encryption: Payment details are encrypted for security.
3. Gateway communication: The app sends data to the payment gateway.
4. Bank verification: The gateway forwards data to the bank for verification.
5. Transaction response: The gateway sends the transaction result back to the app.

Payment workflow

Choosing the Right Payment Gateway: Key Factors

Key factors to choose

Payment Gateways Compared

Payment gateways

Technical Integration Guides

Let’s dive into the step-by-step integration for Stripe, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

Stripe Integration (Android)

1. Add Stripe SDK

To include the Stripe SDK in your project, modify your build.gradle file. This step ensures your app has access to the necessary libraries for Stripe functionalities. Add the following code:

dependencies {
    implementation 'com.stripe:stripe-android:20.9.0'
}

2. Initialize Stripe

In your MainActivity.java file, initialize the Stripe SDK by specifying your Stripe publishable key. This step allows the Stripe API to recognize and process transactions from your app. Add this code:

PaymentConfiguration.init(
    getApplicationContext(),
    "pk_test_YourPublishableKey"
);

3. Add Payment Widget

Add a CardInputWidget to your app’s layout XML file. This widget simplifies the card input process for users. Example:

<com.stripe.android.view.CardInputWidget
    android:id="@+id/cardInputWidget"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

3. Create and confirm payment

Use Stripe’s APIs to handle the Payment Intent and manage transaction results. This step includes confirming the payment and managing errors or success responses programmatically.

Stripe Integration (iOS)

1. Install Stripe SDK

Include Stripe in your iOS project by adding it to the Podfile. Run pod install to integrate the library:

pod 'Stripe', '~> 22.4.0'

2. Initialize Stripe
In AppDelegate.swift, set the default publishable key for Stripe API. This connects your app to your Stripe account:

StripeAPI.defaultPublishableKey = "pk_test_YourPublishableKey"

3. Add Payment Field and Confirm Payment

Integrate a payment field into your UI, and programmatically handle payment confirmation using Stripe’s APIs.

Google Pay Integration (Android)

1. Add Dependencies

Modify your build.gradle file to include the Google Pay library, enabling your app to utilize Google’s payment ecosystem:

implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-wallet:19.2.0'

2. Set Up payments.json

Create a payments.json configuration file to specify supported card networks (e.g., Visa, Mastercard) and tokenization methods for Google Pay transactions.

3. Add Google Pay Button

Add a button in your app’s layout XML file to allow users to initiate payments via Google Pay. Example:

<Button
    android:id="@+id/googlePayButton"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Pay with Google Pay" />

4. Handle Payment Request

Use PaymentsClient to manage user payment requests and process transactions securely through Google Pay.

Apple Pay Integration

1. Enable Apple Pay

In Xcode, go to the Signing & Capabilities tab and enable the Apple Pay capability. This step ensures your app is authorized to handle Apple Pay transactions.

2. Check Apple Pay Availability

Verify that the device supports Apple Pay and that required networks (e.g., Visa, Mastercard) are available. Example:

if PKPaymentAuthorizationViewController.canMakePayments(usingNetworks: [.visa, .masterCard]) {
    print("Apple Pay is available")
}

3. Create Payment Request

Set up a PKPaymentRequest object with your merchant identifier, supported networks, and transaction details:

let paymentRequest = PKPaymentRequest()
paymentRequest.merchantIdentifier = "merchant.com.yourApp"
paymentRequest.supportedNetworks = [.visa, .masterCard]
paymentRequest.countryCode = "US"
paymentRequest.currencyCode = "USD"

4. Present Apple Pay Sheet

Handle the payment result using PKPaymentAuthorizationViewControlerDelegate .

Cost of integration

Conclusion

Integrating mobile payment gateways like Stripe, Google Pay, and Apple Pay makes your app ready for today’s digital-first users. Whether your app is on Android, iOS, or both, these payment solutions offer security, global reach, and ease of use.

By following the steps in this guide, you can deliver a seamless checkout experience that improves user satisfaction and boosts conversions.