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Payment Gateway for Website: The Easiest Way to Add Payments

· 6 min read
OrcaRail
OrcaRail
Crypto payment rails for web2 apps

Want the easiest way to add payments to your website or app? Pick a payment gateway for your website that gives you a hosted checkout, so you never build a payment form, store card data or watch a blockchain yourself. You add a button or a few lines of code, and the gateway tells you when an order is paid.

This guide shows three ways to add payments with OrcaRail, from a no-code embed to a full API, and how to test each one before you take real money. OrcaRail is a crypto payment gateway: customers pay with crypto such as USDC and USDT, not cards.

What a payment gateway for a website does​

A payment gateway sits between your site and the money. For each order it:

  1. Shows the customer a checkout page with the price.
  2. Takes the payment.
  3. Tells your site the order is paid, usually with a webhook (a signed message from server to server).
  4. Sends the funds to you.

With a hosted checkout, steps 1–2 happen on the gateway's page. That is why it's the easiest option: your site only sends the customer there and listens for the "paid" message.

3 ways to add payments to your website with OrcaRail​

OptionCode neededBest forTime to set up
Embed a pricing widgetNone: paste one iframeLanding pages, SaaS plans, simple shopsMinutes
Install the WooCommerce pluginNone: upload a ZIPWordPress + WooCommerce storesUnder an hour
Use the API or an SDKA few backend callsCustom websites and mobile or web appsAn afternoon

All three use the same hosted pay page, the same sandbox for testing and the same pricing.

Option 1: Embed a pricing widget (no code)​

This is the simplest way to accept payments online with OrcaRail.

  1. In the OrcaRail dashboard, open Widgets → Create widget.
  2. Add your products and prices (one-time or recurring, with an optional free trial).
  3. Pick the look: language, font, button shape and a highlighted plan.
  4. Click Save & get embed code and copy the snippet. It looks like this:
<iframe src="https://pay.orcarail.com/widget/<your-widget-id>" title="Widget" style="width:100%;border:0;min-height:480px"></iframe>
  1. Paste it into your page, in any site builder that allows custom HTML.

Customers pick a plan in the widget and pay on the hosted pay page.

Option 2: Install the WooCommerce plugin​

On WordPress with WooCommerce, install the free, open-source OrcaRail plugin. It adds OrcaRail at checkout and marks orders paid only after the payment is verified. The full steps are in How to accept crypto on WooCommerce, and the download is on the plugins page.

Option 3: Use the API or an SDK​

For a custom website or an app, your backend creates a payment intent, sends the customer to the hosted pay page, and waits for the signed webhook. With the Node.js SDK or PHP SDK this is a few calls. See the step-by-step guide in Payment gateway integration.

How to accept payments on your website, step by step​

  1. Sign up at app.orcarail.com and finish the guided setup (selling mode, a product, a price, an API key and a widget).
  2. Go to the sandbox. Click Go to sandbox to get a test copy of your organization with ak_test_ keys. It runs on testnets with no real funds. See Create a sandbox.
  3. Choose what you receive. For example USDC on a testnet now, and USDC on Base when you go live. See Networks and tokens.
  4. Add the payment option to your site: widget, plugin or API (above).
  5. Place a test order. On a sandbox pay page you can simulate the payment without a wallet, and check that your site shows the order as paid.
  6. Go live. Repeat the setup in your live organization with live keys. See Going live.

What it costs​

Hosted OrcaRail charges 0.5% of each completed transaction, and the first 100 transactions are free. There is no monthly fee. Network fees are separate. See pricing and Fees and limits.

Is a crypto payment gateway right for your website?​

It's a good fit when your customers already hold crypto, when you sell to many countries, or when you want to get paid in USDC or USDT on your own wallet. It is not a card processor: if most of your buyers only pay by card, use a card gateway for them and add OrcaRail next to it. To compare crypto providers, see the list of crypto payment gateways.

FAQ​

What is the easiest way to add payments to my website?​

Embed a hosted checkout. With OrcaRail you create a pricing widget in the dashboard and paste one iframe into your page. No backend code is needed.

Do I need a developer?​

Not for the widget or the WooCommerce plugin. For a custom checkout inside your own website or app, a developer uses the API or an SDK.

Which coins can customers pay with?​

Customers can pay with many tokens across EVM networks, Solana and Bitcoin, and you choose the token and network you receive, such as USDC or USDT. Tron (TRC20) is not supported yet. See Networks and tokens.

Can I test before taking real money?​

Yes. A sandbox organization uses testnets and ak_test_ keys, and you can simulate payments without a wallet. See Sandbox.

Can I add payments to a mobile app?​

Yes. Your app's backend creates the payment, and the app opens the hosted pay page. See Payment gateway integration.

Start in the sandbox · Get the plugin · Pricing