💳 Payment Providers

Pavilion supports four payment methods. Only one provider is active at a time, but all historical payment records are preserved when you switch.

GoCardless — Direct Debit

The UK market leader for Direct Debit. Members authorise a mandate once and renewals are collected automatically each year. Lowest fees (~1% + 20p per payment, capped at £4). Best for clubs with 20+ paying members.

Stripe — Card Payments

Accept credit/debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay via Stripe Checkout. 1.5% + 20p per transaction (UK/EU cards). Instant bank settlement.

PayPal

Accept PayPal balance, credit and debit cards. 3.4% + 20p per transaction. Simpler setup but higher fees.

Manual / BACS

No payment gateway — members pay by bank transfer, cash or cheque; the committee marks payments received. Zero transaction fees.

Test vs Live mode

Always configure and test using Test Mode first. No real payments are taken in test mode. Switch to Live Mode only when you are ready to accept real money.

Common questions

Where do I get GoCardless API keys?

Log in to your GoCardless Dashboard → Developers → API keys. Copy the Access Token. Create a webhook endpoint pointing to the Pavilion webhook URL shown in the settings card, and copy the Webhook Signing Secret.

Where do I get Stripe keys?

Log in to dashboard.stripe.com → Developers → API keys. Copy the Publishable Key and Secret Key. For webhooks: Developers → Webhooks → Add endpoint → paste the Pavilion Stripe webhook URL → select: checkout.session.completed, payment_intent.payment_failed, charge.refunded.

Can I switch providers without losing payment history?

Yes. All payment records are stored in Pavilion’s own database independent of the provider. Switching only affects where new payments are processed.