PayArc Terminal Gateway
The PayArc Terminal gateway lets you take in-person payments on a PayArc PAX terminal from WCPOS through PayArc Connect. A payment is started from WooCommerce and completed on the terminal, and the order is marked paid only after PayArc confirms it.
Features
PAX Terminal Integration
Send payments to your PayArc PAX terminal through PayArc Connect in the cloud, with no local pairing
Verified Completion
The amount and currency must match the order before completion; card brand, entry mode and last 4 are saved on the order
Clear Decline Reasons
Decline reasons are shown to the cashier and added as an order note
Terminal Receipts
Print a merchant receipt, a customer receipt or both on the terminal
Built-in Diagnostics
Check your connection with the Validate Settings button and a diagnostics table with masked identifiers
How It Works
WordPress calls PayArc Connect, and PayArc reaches the PAX terminal. The POS only talks to your site. Each payment charges the full order total.
The payment page checks the result every 1.5 seconds and stops after 5 minutes. PayArc callbacks to the Webhook URL speed up the result; payments still complete by polling without callbacks. Keep the payment page open while the customer pays on the terminal.
Setup
Install PayArc Terminal for WooCommerce
Install from WP Admin > POS > Settings > Extensions, or download the payarc-terminal-for-woocommerce.zip asset from the GitHub releases page and upload it via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin. Activate the plugin.
Enter your PayArc credentials
- Go to
WP Admin > WooCommerce > Settings > Paymentsand open PayArc Terminal - Choose Mode:
Liveis the default. UseTestonly with PayArc test dashboard credentials and the PayArc Connect Test app. Never mix environments - Enter PayArc login email, the email used to sign in to your PayArc merchant dashboard
- Enter PayArc MID from the PayArc Merchant Profile, not the terminal ID
- Enter PayArc ClientSecret from the dashboard API section and PayArc SecretKey / API bearer token from the PayArc dashboard
- Leave Callback bearer token blank unless PayArc support issued one; it is optional
Connect
Click Connect using these credentials. On success, the screen asks you to enter or confirm the terminal serial number and save settings. If it says the credentials look like the other environment, switch Mode and connect again.
After any change to mode or credentials, click Connect using these credentials again and save. Payments are blocked until the mode and credentials match the saved connection. If upgrading from before 0.1.14, press Connect once.
Add your terminal
- Enter the PAX Terminal serial number from the S/N label on the back of the device, as configured by PayArc for your account
- Choose Tender type and Print receipt
- Check that the Webhook URL is HTTPS. Give it to PayArc only if they ask
- Click Save changes
Live mode needs an HTTPS site.
Enable in WCPOS
- Go to
WP Admin > POS > Settings > Checkout - Find the PayArc Terminal gateway and enable it for the POS
- Save your settings
The Enable/Disable checkbox on the WooCommerce settings screen controls the online store checkout only. WCPOS uses this gateway once it is configured, whether or not that box is ticked.
Most stores leave this unchecked.
Settings reference
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Enable/Disable | Enables PayArc Terminal for online store checkout. Off by default; POS enablement is controlled under POS > Settings > Checkout |
| Title | The checkout label; defaults to PayArc Terminal |
| Description | The checkout description; defaults to Pay in person at a PayArc PAX terminal. |
| Mode | Live (default) or Test. Test requires PayArc test dashboard credentials and the PayArc Connect Test app |
| PayArc login email | Your PayArc merchant dashboard login email; required before connecting |
| PayArc MID | The merchant MID from your PayArc Merchant Profile, not the terminal ID |
| PayArc ClientSecret | The secret from the dashboard API section; stored on your server only |
| PayArc SecretKey / API bearer token | The token from the PayArc dashboard, used to log in and retrieve the terminal registry |
| Callback bearer token | Optional. Fill it in only if PayArc support issued one |
| PayArc connection | Connect using these credentials, Refresh Terminals and Disconnect buttons |
| Terminal serial number | The PAX S/N assigned to your account, required for payments. Filled from the registry if found; enter or confirm it before saving |
| Tender type | CREDIT (default) or DEBIT |
| Print receipt | 0 — none (default), 1 — merchant, 2 — customer, 3 — both |
| Webhook URL | Read-only callback address. Check that it is HTTPS; give it to PayArc only if they ask |
| PayArc diagnostics | Connection information and a Validate Settings button; secrets are never displayed |
Saved secret fields show only the last 4 characters. Leave a secret field blank to keep the saved value.
The PayArc diagnostics table shows mode, endpoints, masked MID / tenant ID / serial number, whether the Connect access token is configured, the Webhook URL, the last callback and the last PayArc error. Use Validate Settings to check your settings.
Usage
Processing Payments
- Select Gateway: Choose PayArc Terminal as the payment method in the POS
- Start Payment: Click Start Payment to send the order total to the terminal
- Customer Payment: Keep the page open while the customer completes payment on the PAX terminal. Follow the status messages:
Starting terminal payment...→Payment sent to terminal.→Waiting for the terminal result...→Payment approved. Completing the order... - Automatic Completion: When PayArc confirms payment, the order completes automatically
Payment Controls
- Cancel Payment appears once a payment starts. If PayArc has not returned a trace id yet, wait a moment before cancelling
- After a decline, cancel or timeout, you can try again. Check the terminal before retrying a timed-out payment
- The payment activity log is collapsed by default. Use Show activity to view it and Clear to clear the displayed activity
Receipts
The Print receipt setting controls printing on the terminal: none, merchant, customer or both.
Refunds
Refunds are not supported through the plugin. Refund through PayArc, then record the refund in WooCommerce manually.
Logs
Find logs in WooCommerce > Status > Logs, under source payarc-terminal-for-woocommerce. Logs include connection attempts, sales started or failed, cancellations, and callbacks accepted or rejected. Identifiers are masked and secrets are redacted.
There is no support-bundle download. When asking for help, send the order number and the relevant log lines. Do not share full MIDs, terminal IDs, tokens or card data.
Requirements
Scope & Limitations
- Refunds are not supported through the plugin
- Payments charge the full order total; partial or split payments are not supported
- Tips are not supported
- One terminal per store: a single serial-number setting, with no cashier picker
- Currencies are limited to USD, CAD, GBP, EUR and JPY
- Payments are blocked until mode and credentials match the saved connection
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
The credentials look like the other environment
- The selected mode and credentials come from different environments
- Switch Mode to match the credentials, or replace the credentials with those for the selected mode
- Click Connect using these credentials again and save
Unable to connect PayArc
- PayArc refused the login credentials. Check the entered credentials and try again
- Check
WooCommerce > Status > Logs, sourcepayarc-terminal-for-woocommerce, for details
Unable to process payment request. (HTTP 500)
- This cashier message is generic. Find PayArc payment action failed in the WooCommerce log for the real cause
- After a mode or credential change, click Connect using these credentials again and save
- Check that Terminal serial number is filled in
- If the log says PayArc rejected both the Connect access token and SecretKey, ask PayArc support to confirm PayArc Connect V3 is enabled for your merchant account
- Check that the store currency is USD, CAD, GBP, EUR or JPY
Access denied. (HTTP 403) on Start Payment
- Update to 0.1.12 or later, which fixes this error for POS sessions
Terminal Registry is empty
- An empty registry, or a terminal shown without a POS identifier, is normal
- Registry data is only reporting information. Payments use the Terminal serial number
A payment waits too long
- Check the terminal screen and keep the payment page open
- Check the order notes and the PayArc dashboard before retrying
- The page checks every 1.5 seconds and stops after 5 minutes
Getting Help
- Include the order number and relevant log lines with your support request
- Visit the GitHub repository to report issues
- Contact PayArc support for account, PayArc Connect and terminal setup