How to Integrate a Payment Gateway in Shopify Without Shopify Plus

If you’ve ever tried setting up a Shopify store and wanted to use a payment gateway that isn’t natively supported, you know the frustration. Shopify makes things easy — until it doesn’t.

Maybe you want to accept payments through a local provider in your country. Or maybe your business model requires a niche gateway like crypto, subscription-based billing, or buy-now-pay-later services that Shopify doesn’t support out of the box.

The problem? Shopify’s native integrations are limited. And if you search online, you’ll quickly notice that most guides recommend Shopify Plus — the enterprise-level plan that costs over $2,000/month. For most small or growing businesses, that’s not even an option.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need Shopify Plus to integrate a third-party payment gateway. With the right apps, middleware tools, and a little bit of configuration, you can set this up on a regular Shopify plan.

In this guide, I’ll walk you step by step through how it works. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to accept payments through third-party providers without paying for Shopify Plus.

Why Would You Even Need a Third-Party Payment Gateway?

Before we dive into the “how,” let’s quickly talk about the “why.”

Shopify already supports a lot of gateways — PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, Amazon Pay, etc. So why bother going through extra steps?

Here are some common reasons:

• Local payment providers: Shopify doesn’t always support regional gateways, especially in countries outside North America and Europe.
• Lower fees: Some third-party gateways charge less per transaction compared to Shopify Payments.
• Specialized payments: Maybe you want to accept cryptocurrency, installment payments, or even a niche industry-specific provider.
• Business model restrictions: Shopify Payments won’t work for certain industries (e.g., supplements, CBD, digital products in some cases). A third-party gateway might be your only option.

Have you ever lost a sale because your customer couldn’t use their preferred payment method? If yes, you already know why this matters.

The Challenge with Shopify and Custom Gateways

Here’s the catch: on standard Shopify plans, you can’t directly add unsupported gateways. The system is designed to work only with Shopify-approved providers.

On Shopify Plus, you get access to something called the “Custom Payment API,” which lets you connect anything. But again — that’s way out of budget for most small stores.

So how do we get around it? The answer lies in third-party apps and middleware tools.

Think of middleware as a bridge. Your customer pays through the external gateway, and the middleware tool “talks” to Shopify, confirming the order and updating everything in your dashboard.

Solutions: Integrating a Payment Gateway Without Shopify Plus

There are a few different ways you can do this, depending on your needs. Let’s go through the most common solutions.

1. Using Payment Gateway Apps from the Shopify App Store

The easiest option is to check if your desired gateway already has an app in the Shopify App Store.

For example:

• Mollie (popular in Europe)
• PayTabs (used in the Middle East)
• Pace or Atome (Buy Now, Pay Later apps in Asia)

These apps act as plug-and-play integrations. Once installed, they’ll show up as a payment option at checkout.

Pros:

• Quick setup, no coding required.
• Officially supported apps often provide customer support.

Cons:

• Not every provider has a Shopify app.
• Extra app fees may apply.

👉 Tip: Always check the app reviews and support history. Payment issues can make or break your business, so reliability is everything.

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2. Using Middleware Solutions (Hosted Payment Pages)

When your gateway doesn’t have a Shopify app, middleware comes into play. These tools essentially redirect customers to a hosted payment page, where they complete the transaction.

Some popular middleware providers include:

• NMI (Network Merchants)
• Apto Payments
• Spreedly
• Rapyd

Here’s how it works:

1. A customer checks out on Shopify.
2. At payment step, they’re redirected to a secure external payment page (from your provider).
3. Once they pay, the middleware updates Shopify with order confirmation.

Pros:

• Works with almost any gateway.
• Secure, PCI-compliant processing handled externally.

Cons:

• Extra redirect may reduce conversion rates (some customers drop off).
• Setup requires more technical configuration.

👉 Analogy: Think of it like online banking — when you buy something and then get redirected to your bank’s website to log in and approve the payment. It’s not as seamless, but it works reliably.

3. Using “Manual Payment Methods” with Automation

If your gateway doesn’t integrate at all, you can use Shopify’s Manual Payments feature as a workaround.

Here’s how:

1. In Shopify Admin, go to Settings → Payments → Manual Payment Methods.
2. Create a new custom option, e.g., “Pay with XYZ Gateway.”
3. Customers choose this at checkout, and you redirect them (via instructions) to your gateway’s link.
4. Once payment is received, you manually (or automatically via API/Zapier) mark the order as paid in Shopify.

Pros:

• 100% flexible — you can link to any payment form or invoice system.
• No Shopify Plus needed.

Cons:

• Not a smooth checkout experience (requires customer trust).
• More manual work unless automated.

👉 Tip: Combine this with Zapier or Make (formerly Integromat) to automate order confirmation when your gateway processes a payment.

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4. Custom Checkout via Middleware Apps

Some third-party apps build custom checkout flows on top of Shopify. For example:

• Bold Checkout (supports external gateways via integrations)
• Recharge (subscription billing with external processors)
• CartHook (for advanced checkout flows)

These solutions often replace Shopify’s checkout with their own hosted page, giving you freedom to add gateways not natively supported.

Pros:

• Seamless checkout experience.
• Advanced features like upsells, subscriptions, and A/B testing.

Cons:

• Additional monthly cost.
• Requires trust in a third-party checkout provider.

Step-by-Step Example: Connecting a Local Gateway Using Middleware

Let’s say you’re in Malaysia and want to use a local provider like iPay88, which isn’t supported directly by Shopify.

Here’s how you could set it up:

1. Sign up for a middleware provider (e.g., NMI, Spreedly, or even a custom iPay88-hosted payment page).
2. Enable Manual Payment Method in Shopify with the name “Pay with iPay88.”
3. Redirect customers to iPay88’s secure checkout page after they place their order.
4. Use middleware/webhooks to send confirmation back to Shopify when payment is successful.

• Example: iPay88 notifies your middleware, which triggers a Shopify API call to mark the order as paid.

1. Test thoroughly with small transactions before going live.

👉 Pro tip: Always include clear instructions on the checkout page so customers know what to expect. A line like:

“After clicking Complete Order, you’ll be redirected to our secure iPay88 payment page.”

This sets expectations and reduces cart abandonment.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When integrating third-party gateways, a few pitfalls are common:

1. Not testing enough — Always run multiple test transactions. Some gateways only confirm payments after a delay or require manual reconciliation.
2. Forgetting mobile users — Test the flow on mobile. Redirect-heavy checkouts often break on smaller screens.
3. Unclear communication — Customers get nervous if checkout feels “weird.” Always explain what’s happening.
4. Ignoring compliance — Make sure your middleware provider is PCI DSS compliant. You don’t want liability issues.
5. Not considering fees — Middleware may add an extra layer of transaction fees. Compare total costs before committing.

Tips for Smoother Integrations

• Use automation tools like Zapier, Make, or Pabbly to reduce manual work.
• Keep customers informed with email/SMS notifications when payments are confirmed.
• Track abandoned carts — redirect flows can increase drop-offs, so set up recovery emails.
• Negotiate rates with your provider. If you’re bringing volume, most gateways are willing to lower fees.
• Back up your setup — document how everything is connected so future troubleshooting is easier.

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Bottom Line

Shopify is an incredible platform, but its checkout limitations can feel restrictive if you’re outside the “default” countries or industries. Luckily, with the right apps and middleware, you can still integrate almost any payment gateway — without upgrading to Shopify Plus.

Whether it’s using official gateway apps, middleware tools, manual payment methods with automation, or custom checkout apps, the flexibility is there if you know where to look.

The key takeaway? Don’t let payment limitations stop you from growing your business. With a bit of creativity, you can offer your customers the payment options they actually want.

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