---
title: Payment sessions
description: Manage hosted payment flows and secure payment collection
---

A payment session is a hosted flow that collects a payment from start to end. The interface
is built for you. It carries the fraud protection and the payment methods that the brand
supports.

## Payment session entity

A payment session in the API represents:

- **Hosted payment flow**: Secure, pre-built payment interface managed by the platform
- **Session management**: Temporary payment collection context with configurable timeout and validation
- **Security layer**: PCI DSS compliant payment processing with tokenization and fraud detection
- **Integration bridge**: Seamless connection between your application and payment processing infrastructure

## Key capabilities

- **Hosted payment UI** — Provide secure, branded payment interfaces without handling sensitive payment data.
- **Multiple payment methods** — Support credit cards, digital wallets, bank transfers, and alternative payment methods.
- **Session security** — Implement time-limited sessions with automatic expiration and security validation.
- **Real-time updates** — Receive instant payment status updates and transaction completion notifications.

## Common use cases

- **Checkout integration** — Integrate secure payment flows into order completion and service activation processes.
- **Self-service payments** — A customer pays in your self-service portal or in your mobile app.
- **Balance management** — Provide secure payment options for account balance topups and outstanding charges.
- **Mobile payments** — Deliver optimized payment experiences for mobile devices and applications.

## Related resources

Payment Session entities coordinate with other API resources:

- **Payments**: Individual payment transactions processed through hosted sessions
- **Payment profiles**: Customer payment methods stored from successful session completions
- **Orders**: Order-specific payment sessions for checkout and purchase completion
- **Customers**: Customer-specific payment sessions with profile and preference management
- **Subscriptions**: Subscription-related payment collection and recurring payment setup
- **Payment links**: Shareable payment links generated from payment sessions

## Next steps

- [Create payment session](/api-reference/payment-sessions.md#tag/payment-sessions/POST/payment-sessions) — Create a new hosted payment flow
- [Get payment session](/api-reference/payment-sessions.md#tag/payment-sessions/GET/payment-sessions/{paymentSessionId}) — Retrieve payment session status and details
- [Cancel payment session](/api-reference/payment-sessions.md#tag/payment-sessions/POST/payment-sessions/{paymentSessionId}/cancel) — Cancel an active payment session