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Switch payment service provider to Worldpay

This guidance explains how to switch your payment service provider (PSP) to Worldpay.

You must be a GOV.UK Pay admin user to switch PSP. To check if you are an admin user for a service:

  1. Select View team members or Manage team members next to the service on the Overview page.

  2. If your email address is listed under Administrators, you are an admin user.

Set up a Worldpay account

To set up a Worldpay account, email Government Banking at serviceteam.gbs@hmrc.gov.uk.

Warning It can take up to 6 weeks for Government Banking to set up your Worldpay account. You should complete this step as soon as possible.

Configure your Worldpay account

You need to configure your Worldpay account to use it with GOV.UK Pay. You only need to configure your Worldpay account once.

Switch to Production Mode in Worldpay

Worldpay uses the term ‘production’ for live accounts.

Sign in to your Worldpay account and select your merchant code.

If Test Mode is at the bottom of the left-hand menu, select Test Mode to switch to Production Mode.

Set your XML password

  1. In your Worldpay account, select Account.

  2. Select the Profile tab.

  3. If you’re asked for your merchant code, enter it.

  4. If you see a checkbox called Disabled Original XML Username, check the checkbox.

  5. Select Save Profile.

  6. If you have not set your XML password for this merchant code before, select the pencil icon next to XML Password and enter a password.

  7. Confirm your password by selecting Add new password, then OK.

  8. Save the new password by selecting the pencil icon again, then Complete, then OK.

If you’ve set your XML password before but cannot remember it, you can set a new password. If you set a new password, you must add it to your other services that use this Worldpay account, or they’ll stop working.

You’ll need your XML password to switch PSP.

Turn off Capture delay

  1. In your Worldpay account, select Account.

  2. Select the Profile tab.

  3. Go to the Payment service.

  4. Set Capture delay (days) to Off (not 0).

Set up Worldpay ‘Merchant Channels’

You must set up your Worldpay ‘Merchant Channels’ so Worldpay can notify GOV.UK Pay about payment events.

Set up your Worldpay ‘Merchant Channels’

In your Worldpay account, select Integration then the Merchant Channel tab.

Make the following changes in both the Merchant Channels (Production) and Merchant Channels (Test) sections.

Set Active to:

  • no in the email row
  • yes in the http row
  • no in the shopper email row

In the http row, set:

  • Content to xml
  • Address to https://notifications.payments.service.gov.uk/v1/api/notifications/worldpay
  • Method to POST
  • Client certificate to no

Set up your Worldpay ‘Merchant Channel Events’

In your Worldpay account, select Integration then the Merchant Channel tab.

In both the Merchant Channel Events (Production) and Merchant Channel Events (Test) sections, select the following in the http row.

  • SHOPPER_REDIRECTED
  • SENT_FOR_AUTHORISATION
  • AUTHORISED
  • ERROR
  • CANCELLED
  • CAPTURED
  • CAPTURE_FAILED
  • SETTLED
  • SETTLED_BY_MERCHANT
  • SENT_FOR_REFUND
  • REFUNDED
  • REFUNDED_BY_MERCHANT
  • REFUSED
  • REFUSED_BY_BANK (production only)
  • REFUND_FAILED

Prepare to switch to Worldpay

Email govuk-pay-support@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk asking to switch PSP to Worldpay on all services for your organisation, or list out specific services.

The GOV.UK Pay support team will confirm when we’ve turned on the switch PSP feature for your service.

To switch to Worldpay, you’ll need:

  • your Merchant Code - found in your Worldpay account in the left-side navigation
  • your New Username - found in your Worldpay account under Account, then Profile
  • your XML password - found in your Worldpay account under Account, then Profile
  • a debit or credit card - to make a refundable payment to test your service
Warning For security reasons, copy and paste your details directly from the Worldpay admin tool into GOV.UK Pay. Do not store these details in an unsecure way, such as in plain text documents or written on paper.

To get to the Switch payment service provider page:

  1. Sign in to the GOV.UK Pay admin tool.

  2. Select the service you want to switch from the Overview page - services you can switch are labelled LIVE - SWITCH PSP.

  3. On your service dashboard, select the ‘…how to switch to Worldpay‘ link in the banner, or select Settings in the navigation.

  4. In Settings, select Switch PSP from the side navigation.

Switch to Worldpay

You need to repeat the following process for each service you want to switch to Worldpay.

To test the integration between Worldpay and GOV.UK Pay, you need to make a live payment. This step makes sure you have integrated your GOV.UK Pay and Worldpay accounts correctly.

The live payment is £2.00 and is refundable. Your new Worldpay account will be debited a small transaction fee.

  1. Select Link your Worldpay account with GOV.UK Pay.

  2. Using your Worldplay credentials you configured earlier, enter your Merchant Code, New Username and XML Password.

  3. Select Save credentials. If your credentials are correct, GOV.UK Pay will return you to the Switch payment service provider page. If your credentials are not correct, you’ll need to re-enter them.

  4. Select Make a live payment to test your Worldpay PSP - you need a debit or credit card for this step.

  5. Select Continue to live payment.

  6. Enter your card details.

  7. Select Continue. You’ll be returned to the Switch payment service provider page.

A Success banner confirms the payment and you can also find it in the Transactions list.

If your service uses the GOV.UK Pay API for reporting, you may want to check the test transaction appears correctly in your systems.

Warning Your existing PSP is still processing this service’s payments. You have not switched your PSP yet.

Switch PSP to Worldpay

Once you’ve successfully linked your Worldpay account with GOV.UK Pay and made a live payment to test the integration, you’re ready to switch your PSP to Worldpay.

To switch, select Switch to Worldpay on the Switch payment service provider (PSP) page. A Success banner confirms the switch.

You have now switched PSP to Worldpay but you must turn on 3DS Flex to begin taking payments.

Users making payments as you switch are unaffected. Your old PSP will process their payments.

Turn on 3DS2 (3DS Flex) before taking payments

3DS Flex is a Worldpay product that turns on 3DS2 payment authentication. You must turn on 3DS Flex to take payments using GOV.UK Pay.

Once you’ve connected your Worldpay account to GOV.UK Pay, Worldpay will send you your 3DS Flex credentials. You can also find your 3DS credentials in Worldpay’s Merchant Admin Interface by selecting INTEGRATION and then 3DS Flex.

  1. In the GOV.UK Pay admin tool, select the account you want to set up on the Overview page.

  2. In Your PSP, enter your 3DS Flex credentials.

  3. Select Save credentials.

  4. Select Turn on 3DS Flex.

Worldpay will now process any new payments.

Refund payments after switching to Worldpay

After you switch to Worldpay, you can still refund old payments through your old PSP.

For now, GOV.UK Pay will maintain an integration with your old PSP to let your service process refunds through your old PSP. However, if your contract with your old PSP expires, or your old PSP stops operating, your service cannot refund payments through GOV.UK Pay.

If you cannot refund a payment through your old PSP, use an alternative like a cheque or bank transfer.

Refund payments by signing into the GOV.UK Pay admin tool, selecting your service, and choosing the Transactions tab. Alternatively, you can use the GOV.UK Pay API.