> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dokumentation.websale.de/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview - Payment methods

> Overview of WEBSALE payment methods: configure payment nodes, define IDs, labels, icons and availability rules for checkout integration.

## Basic principle

Every payment method is first created as its own configuration node under `payment.payment.<ID>`.

The ID can be chosen freely; there are no fixed predefined names per payment method. This means that payment methods can be defined, for example, under nodes such as `payment.payment.bill`, `payment.payment.applepay`, `payment.payment.googlepay`, or `payment.payment.paypal`.

Among other things, `payment.payment` defines whether the payment method is active, what label it has in the checkout, which image or icon is used, and which rules and restrictions apply to its availability. The official documentation describes `payment.payment` precisely as the area in which payment methods are bundled and properties such as `active`, `id`, `name`, `image`, `validations`, and the connection to online clearing are configured.

Typical specifications for a payment method are, for example:

* Active/inactive switching
* Name and description
* Image or icon
* Permissibility or exclusion for certain countries
* Permissibility or exclusion for certain products or baskets
* Additional input fields or checks
* Type of payment processing

More information on the general configuration options of a payment method can be found on the [payment - Payment methods](/en/konfiguration/payment-zahlungsmethoden) page.

***

## Offline and online payment methods

For the configuration, it is first important to distinguish between **offline** and **online** processed payment methods. The documentation explicitly mentions typical values for `type` such as `offline` for manually processed payments and `online` for payments via a provider.

### Offline payment methods

For a pure offline payment method, the configuration is generally complete with `payment.payment.<ID>`. The payment method is created, named, and offered in the checkout without an additional provider connection being required.

A typical example is **prepayment**. Here, defining the payment method in `payment.payment.prepayment` is sufficient, since no real-time communication with a payment service provider is necessary.

**Example configuration** `payment.payment.prepayment`

```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"},"languages":{"custom":["/languages/websale.json"]}}
{
  "active": true,
  "basicCost": null,
  "description": "Text",
  "discount": 0,
  "displayedPaymentTypes": [],
  "freeFields": null,
  "id": "prepayment",
  "image": "",
  "labels": null,
  "name": "Prepayment",
  "onlineClearing": null,
  "orderText": "Text",
  "provider": "",
  "type": "",
  "validations": [ ]
}
```

### Online payment methods

For online payment methods, the payment method is also first created under `payment.payment.<ID>`. The payment method itself always remains initially a standalone configuration under `payment.payment.ID`.

Only when it is to be processed online is a suitable online connection added, in which the payment method is linked to a specific provider via the `onlineClearing` parameter, e.g., `payment.paypal-checkout`.

**Example configuration** `payment.payment.GooglePay`

```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"},"languages":{"custom":["/languages/websale.json"]}}
{
  "active": false,
  "basicCost": null,
  "description": "Text",
  "discount": 0,
  "displayedPaymentTypes": [],
  "freeFields": null,
  "id": "paypalCheckoutGooglePay",
  "image": "",
  "labels": null,
  "name": "GooglePay",
  "onlineClearing": {
    "options": {
      "type": "googlePay",
      "view": "paypal_checkout_pending.htm"
    },
    "service": "payment.paypal-checkout"
  },
  "orderText": "Text",
  "provider": "",
  "type": "",
  "validations": [ ]
}
```