Payments Suite

Integrating a payment layer is a significant milestone. That is why Hyperswitch is modular by design: you can adopt the full stack for a unified experience, or selectively integrate specific modules like our Vault or Smart Router.

Navigating these choices is easier when you view the ecosystem as four main blocks. By defining who owns which block—Hyperswitch or your team—you can quickly identify the integration flow that suits your needs.

The Four Core Components

Before selecting your integration flow, it is critical to define who owns which component in your architecture. Each block can be handled by Hyperswitch, managed by your own team, or even sourced from a third-party provider(e.g. Vault).

1. Checkout (Frontend SDK) : The user interface where the customer enters their payment details. This layer dictates your PCI compliance scope.

2. Intelligent Routing & Orchestration (Backend) : The brain of the operation. It manages the payment lifecycle, executes routing logic, and handles post-payment operations like refunds.

3. Acquirer & Processor Connectivity (Connectors) : The actual pipelines that process the transaction (e.g., Stripe, Adyen, Worldpay).

4. Vault (Card Data Storage) : The secure locker for sensitive card data to enable "One-Click" recurring payments without the user re-entering details.

Integration architecture

With the components defined, the next step is to select your integration architecture. This choice hinges on a single question: Who controls the orchestration and processing logic?

There are two primary integration models:

1. Orchestrator Model :

You leverage Hyperswitch’s intelligent core to manage the payment lifecycle. We route payments dynamically to global processors (Stripe, Adyen, etc.) using our pre-built Connectors.

If you are planning to use Hyperswitch Managed orchestration, you can choose from these combinations:

1. Using Hyperswitch SDK and Hyperswitch Vault : The standard Unified flow (Fastest, No PCI Scope).

2. Using Merchant SDK and Hyperswitch Vault : The Headless flow (Custom UI, higher control).

3. Using Hyperswitch SDK and External Vault : The Hybrid flow (Hyperswitch UI, 3rd-party storage).

4. Using External SDK and External Vault : The External flow (Max decoupling).

2. Vault and Relay Model (Without HS Orchestration) :

You utilize Hyperswitch strictly as a secure infrastructure layer (Vault & Pipe). You act as the orchestrator, defining the specific destination yourself, while Hyperswitch securely forwards the payload via the Proxy API.

This model is ideal if you are planning to keep existing processor integrations (e.g., direct calls to Checkout.com or legacy gateways) but need to remove raw card data from your systems to reduce PCI scope.

You can implement this model using two primary combinations:

1. Using Hyperswitch SDK and Hyperswitch Vault

2. Using Merchant SDK and Hyperswitch Vault