Supported payment methods
A payment method defines how a customer pays for services, for example, with a bank card or by direct debit from a bank account. The method represents the type of payment instrument.
PortaBilling supports multiple payment methods for online payments.
Generally, the following payment methods are supported by PortaBilling:
- American Express
- E-check (direct debit from bank account)
- Direct Debit
- Discover
- Maestro
- MasterCard
- VISA
However, a specific payment processor may support only some of these payment methods.
You can choose acceptable payment methods while configuring a payment system.
Cryptocurrency (bitcoin)
Service providers and their resellers may accept Bitcoin cryptocurrency payments for the provided services.
The main advantage of Bitcoin is user anonymity, since Bitcoin transactions do not require personal identifying information such as name or address. With Bitcoin support in PortaBilling, service providers and resellers can register Bitcoin payments through admin and reseller portals, as well as via API, and offer services to customers who value privacy and want it preserved.
To enable Bitcoin payments in PortaBilling, an administrator or reseller specifies:
- The address of a centralized Bitcoin wallet that stores incoming payments.
- The minimum payment amount.
For configuration details, refer to the Bitcoin payments handbook.
A service provider has developed a custom portal for their customers that integrates with PortaBilling via API and supports Bitcoin payments.
A customer logs in to the custom portal and selects Pay with Bitcoin to top up the balance. PortaBilling generates a unique Bitcoin address linked to the customer and returns it to the portal. The portal displays this address (for example, as a text or a QR code), to which the customer sends the required amount from their own Bitcoin wallet. Once the payment is confirmed, PortaBilling updates the customer’s balance.
