PF

PayFlow Docs

🚀 Best Practices

Integration Best Practices

Follow these best practices to build secure, reliable, and scalable payment integrations.

Security Best Practices
Protect your integration and customer data

✅ Do This

  • Store API keys securely (environment variables)
  • Use HTTPS for all API calls
  • Verify webhook signatures
  • Implement proper error handling
  • Use test mode for development

❌ Don't Do This

  • Never expose API keys in client-side code
  • Don't store sensitive data in logs
  • Avoid hardcoding credentials
  • Don't ignore webhook failures
  • Never use live keys in development
Error Handling
Build resilient integrations with proper error handling
// Good error handling example
try {
  const payment = await payflow.payments.create({
    amount: 2500,
    currency: 'PKR'
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error.code === 'card_declined') {
    // Handle declined card
    showUserMessage('Payment declined. Please try another card.');
  } else if (error.code === 'insufficient_funds') {
    // Handle insufficient funds
    showUserMessage('Insufficient funds. Please try another payment method.');
  } else {
    // Log unexpected errors
    console.error('Payment error:', error);
    showUserMessage('Payment failed. Please try again later.');
  }
}

Key Error Handling Principles

  • • Always catch and handle API errors gracefully
  • • Provide user-friendly error messages
  • • Log errors for debugging (without sensitive data)
  • • Implement retry logic for transient failures
  • • Have fallback payment methods when possible
Performance Optimization
Build fast and efficient payment experiences

Frontend Optimization

  • • Lazy load payment forms
  • • Use loading states for better UX
  • • Implement optimistic updates
  • • Cache payment link data
  • • Minimize API calls

Backend Optimization

  • • Use webhooks instead of polling
  • • Implement proper caching strategies
  • • Batch operations when possible
  • • Use connection pooling
  • • Monitor API response times
Testing Strategy
Comprehensive testing for reliable integrations
1

Unit Tests

Test individual functions and components

2

Integration Tests

Test API interactions and webhooks

3

E2E Tests

Test complete payment flows

Pro Tip: Always test with PayFlow's test mode first. Use test payment methods and verify webhook delivery before going live.

Monitoring & Observability
Keep track of your integration's health

Key Metrics to Monitor

  • • Payment success/failure rates
  • • API response times
  • • Webhook delivery success
  • • Error rates by type
  • • Payment volume trends

Alerting & Notifications

  • • High error rate alerts
  • • Webhook delivery failures
  • • Payment processing delays
  • • API rate limit warnings
  • • Security event notifications