Payment Gateway

A payment gateway is a service that processes online financial transactions between a buyer and a seller. It securely transmits payment information from the customer to the payment processor, handles authorization, and confirms whether the transaction was approved or declined. Common payment gateways include Stripe, PayPal, and Square.

Without a payment gateway, there is no way to accept online payments for digital content. It is the infrastructure that makes selling ebooks, reports, guides, and other publications possible on the web. A reliable payment gateway also handles security, fraud prevention, and compliance so publishers can focus on their content rather than payment logistics.

FlipLink integrates directly with Stripe as its payment gateway for the [sell documents](/features/sell-documents) feature. When you enable sales on a publication, FlipLink connects to your Stripe account to handle all payment processing. Readers pay through a secure Stripe checkout, and upon successful payment, they are automatically granted access to the publication. You manage payouts, refunds, and transaction history through your Stripe dashboard. No additional payment setup or third-party tools are required.

A business consultant sells a strategy playbook through FlipLink for $49. A reader clicks the purchase link, enters their credit card details on the Stripe checkout page, and receives instant access to the full document. The consultant sees the payment in their Stripe dashboard and the funds settle into their bank account on the standard Stripe payout schedule.