How to Build a Custom Payments Integration in GoHighLevel

If you use ClickUp or other project tools to manage development work and want to connect a custom payment flow into your CRM, understanding how to build a payments integration for GoHighLevel is essential. This guide walks you through the official Payments API, webhooks, and the correct way to move from sandbox to production so you can safely charge customers from within the platform.

The process relies on the public Payments API, which is designed for PCI-compliant payment processors. You will configure a sandbox account first, test your solution, and only then request production access.

Prerequisites for GoHighLevel Custom Payments

Before you start coding or wiring up endpoints, make sure you meet the core requirements for integrating payments into GoHighLevel:

A payment processor that is fully PCI compliant.
Ability to host secure HTTPS endpoints.
Familiarity with REST APIs and webhooks.
Administrative access to your GoHighLevel account.

The integration will allow you to create charges, manage payment methods, and react to updates using webhooks sent from the platform to your server.

Understanding the GoHighLevel Payments API

The Payments API is the heart of a custom payments integration in GoHighLevel. It exposes endpoints that your payment connector can use to interact with invoices, transactions, and card details without directly handling sensitive card data inside the CRM.

At a high level, the API lets your system:

Create and confirm payment intents.
Attach or update payment methods for contacts.
Receive notifications about successful or failed payments.

Your processor remains responsible for securely storing card data and complying with PCI rules. GoHighLevel communicates with your integration rather than with the processor directly.

Step 1: Set Up a Sandbox Integration in GoHighLevel

All work begins in a sandbox environment. This lets you simulate payments and validate your connector without risking real charges.

1.1 Create Your Sandbox Configuration

Sign in to your GoHighLevel agency account.
Navigate to the payments or integrations area where custom processors are configured.
Select the option to add or configure a custom payment integration.
Choose the sandbox or test mode environment if prompted.

In this step you will be given information such as API keys or configuration IDs that your connector must use when talking to the Payments API.

1.2 Register Your Webhook Endpoints

To keep your integration in sync with events, GoHighLevel will send HTTP requests to your webhooks whenever a payment-related action happens.

Typical webhook events include:

Payment created or updated.
Payment succeeded.
Payment failed.
Refund issued.

For each event, you should:

Expose a secure HTTPS URL that can accept POST requests.
Verify signatures or authentication tokens included with webhook calls.
Return appropriate HTTP status codes (for example, 200 for success).

Make sure your webhook processing is idempotent so duplicate events do not cause double processing.

Step 2: Implement the Payments API Integration

Once the sandbox is configured in GoHighLevel and your webhooks are ready, you can start building the core logic that talks to your payment processor.

2.1 Map GoHighLevel Objects to Your Processor

You will need to map fields from the Payments API to the concepts used by your processor. Common mappings include:

Customer or contact IDs.
Payment method tokens or IDs.
Invoice or order identifiers.
Currency and amount fields.

The goal is to ensure that when GoHighLevel sends a payment request, your connector can translate it into the processor’s expected format and then return the result back through the Payments API.

2.2 Handle Payment Creation and Confirmation

A typical payment flow for GoHighLevel may look like this:

The CRM triggers a payment using the Payments API.
Your integration receives a structured request with contact details and amount.
You call your payment processor to create and/or confirm a charge.
You respond to the Payments API with the status (succeeded, pending, or failed) and relevant metadata.

Always ensure that any error messages passed back are clear enough to troubleshoot but do not expose sensitive data.

2.3 Securely Manage Payment Methods

Card data must never be stored directly in GoHighLevel or your integration’s logs. Instead, your system should use:

Tokens or payment method IDs supplied by your processor.
Tokenization workflows for adding or updating cards.
Hosted fields or payment pages provided by the processor, when available.

Your integration then references these tokens when processing subsequent charges.

Step 3: Test Your GoHighLevel Integration in Sandbox

Comprehensive sandbox testing is required before you can request production access.

3.1 Test Payment Scenarios

Using the sandbox mode in GoHighLevel and your processor’s test environment, validate these scenarios:

Successful one-time payments.
Declined transactions and error handling.
Refund flows.
Webhook retries and idempotency behavior.

Check both the CRM interface and your processor’s dashboard to confirm that data stays consistent end to end.

3.2 Validate Webhook Security and Logging

To operate reliably at scale, your integration should:

Validate authentication for all webhooks.
Log webhook payloads securely for debugging.
Handle timeouts or network issues gracefully.

After you are confident everything works as expected, you can prepare to move to production with GoHighLevel.

Step 4: Request Production Access in GoHighLevel

Production access is not automatic. You must submit details about your integration so the platform team can verify that it is secure and stable.

4.1 Provide Required Business and Technical Details

According to the official documentation for custom payments, GoHighLevel may require information such as:

Your company and contact details.
Which payment processor you are using.
Confirmation of PCI compliance.
A description of your webhook endpoints and security model.

Submit this information following the steps indicated in the documentation.

4.2 Switch Configuration from Sandbox to Production

After your request is approved, you will receive confirmation and may be given separate production credentials or configuration values.

Update your integration to use the production credentials for the Payments API.
Point your GoHighLevel configuration at the production endpoints.
Run a set of low-value live test payments to double-check everything.

Once verified, your team and clients can start processing live payments through the CRM.

Best Practices for Maintaining Your GoHighLevel Integration

To keep your custom payments solution secure and reliable over time, follow these practices:

Regularly review the Payments API documentation for updates.
Implement monitoring and alerting on webhook failures.
Rotate API keys and credentials on a scheduled basis.
Keep your server and libraries patched and up to date.

Staying aligned with these practices helps ensure your GoHighLevel payments integration remains compliant and stable as your transaction volume grows.

Where to Learn More About GoHighLevel Custom Payments

For implementation details, refer directly to the official guide on how to build a custom payments integration on the platform: GoHighLevel custom payments documentation.

If you need strategic help planning or optimizing your CRM and payments stack around GoHighLevel, you can also consult experts at Consultevo for tailored implementation and integration support.

By following the sandbox-first process, implementing the Payments API correctly, and completing the production access review, you can deliver a secure, fully integrated custom payment experience inside GoHighLevel.

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