Understanding the various Checkout Types in PhonePe PG: A Guide for Online Businesses
4 min read
How your customers complete their payments can have a major impact on your bottom line. A checkout experience that’s fast, secure, and easy to use doesn’t just improve customer satisfaction, it can directly influence whether a sale goes through or gets dropped at the last step.
For online businesses integrating with a payment gateway like PhonePe PG, selecting the right checkout type is a critical decision. Each method offers its own level of flexibility, effort, and control.
This guide walks you through the different PhonePe PG checkout options, explaining how they work, what makes each one unique, and how to align your choice with your technical setup and business needs.
What are the various types of checkout in PhonePe PG?
PhonePe PG offers multiple checkout types to suit different business needs, levels of technical expertise, and platform requirements.
1. Hosted Checkout
Hosted Checkout is the standard payment flow offered by PhonePe PG, where customers are redirected to a secure, PhonePe PG-hosted payment page to complete their transactions. It requires minimal setup and is ideal for businesses looking for a quick, compliant solution.
How it works:
Redirect customers to PhonePe PG’s hosted payment page using a generated URL.
No need to build or maintain your own payment interface.
PhonePe PG handles all payment methods, security, and compliance.
After payment, customers are redirected back to your website/app with the transaction status.
Suitable for businesses seeking a fast, low-effort integration.
2. Embedded Checkout (iFrame)
Embedded Checkout allows you to place the PhonePe PG payment interface within your website via an iFrame. This gives customers a smoother, more consistent user experience by keeping them on your domain during the entire payment process.
How it works:
Embed PhonePe PG’s secure payment module in your checkout page using an iFrame.
Customers complete payments without leaving your site.
PhonePe PG manages the secure collection of sensitive data within the iFrame.
You retain full control of your site’s design outside the payment frame.
Offers a seamless experience with minimal compliance burden.
3. API-Based Checkout (Custom Checkout)
API-Based Checkout is a fully customizable solution from PhonePe PG, allowing businesses to build and manage their own payment flows using backend APIs. This is ideal for businesses with advanced technical capabilities and specific UX requirements.
How it works:
You design and implement your own checkout interface.
Collect payment details and initiate transactions using PhonePe PG’s APIs.
You handle payment method rendering, validation, retries, and error handling.
Direct access to APIs gives you flexibility to implement custom flows like subscriptions or saved cards.
Requires PCI compliance if you handle card or sensitive data directly.
4. SDK-Based Checkout
PhonePe PG’s Mobile SDK enables in-app payments for Android and iOS apps. It provides a native, secure, and optimized experience for mobile users, without any redirection to external browsers or pages.
How it works:
Integrate the PhonePe PG SDK into your mobile app.
Launch the payment flow directly within the app using the SDK.
Customers complete payments without leaving the app environment.
The SDK handles payment authentication, success/failure callbacks, and security.
Ideal for app-first businesses aiming to reduce payment friction.
5. Payment Links Payment Links from PhonePe PG are shareable URLs that allow you to collect payments without integrating a checkout into your site or app. They’re perfect for remote payments, quick invoicing, or businesses without a digital storefront.
How it works:
Generate payment links via the PhonePe PG dashboard or APIs.
Share the link with customers via email, chat, SMS, or any channel.
Customers open the link and complete payment on a PhonePe PG-hosted page.
Get real-time payment status updates and notifications.
Zero-code solution to start accepting payments quickly.
Choosing the right checkout flow is more than a technical decision; it directly impacts how your customers experience your brand and how smoothly your business runs. With support for every major integration type, PhonePe PG gives businesses the flexibility to design payment experiences that match their product, audience, and growth goals.
What makes it even more accessible is the pricing: no setup costs, no monthly fees, and for a limited time zero transaction charges. Whether you’re launching a new online store or optimizing an existing platform, PhonePe PG offers the tools and infrastructure to scale securely and efficiently. So, why wait? Explore integration options and get started today.
