What it means
The gateway’s role
A gateway handles part of the communication between a customer-facing payment flow and the payment infrastructure behind it. Providers can bundle gateway, processing, custody and other services, but those roles are not automatically identical.
Check the complete flow
A merchant evaluates supported payment methods, integration options, status reporting, refunds, fees and payout arrangements. For crypto payments, network and asset identification, confirmation policy and custody are additional questions. A polished checkout page alone does not explain what happens to funds or who is responsible at each stage.
Related concepts
Payment service provider, Checkout, Payment settlement, Application programming interface.
In practice
A concrete example
A store embeds a hosted checkout and separately checks how its provider reports payment status, handles refunds and transfers merchant funds.
Technical notes & boundaries
A gateway is not necessarily a bank, custodian or regulated payment institution. Capabilities and legal roles depend on the actual service and jurisdiction.
Go to the source.
Original references used for this definition. Product details and standards can change.
