Sofort

Start accepting payments using Sofort, a favorite payment method in Europe.

Sofort is a direct payment method allowing your customers to use only their online banking details. Shortly after making a purchase, they receive a transaction confirmation so you can start processing the order immediately.

You process a Sofort payment in two steps:

1. Request a payment
2. Redirect the customer

You can find the full list, as well as complete request and response examples, in our API reference.

1{
2      "source": {
3        "type": "sofort"
4      },
5      "amount": 1000,
6      "currency": "EUR"
7    }

If a payment id is returned, your request was successful.

1{
2      "id": "pay_ylcikkxovyjunekfu7a444mmvy",
3      "status": "Pending",
4      "customer": {
5        "id": "cus_izfg7cwguvxuhaquys6qtof2f4"
6      },
7      "_links": {
8        "self": {
9          "href": "https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments/pay_ylcikkxovyjunekfu7a444mmvy"
10        },
11        "redirect": {
12          "href": "https://sandbox.checkout.com/LP.Core/api/payment/108689"
13        }
14      }
15    }

Redirect your customer to the redirect link’s href in the above response. The redirect transfers the customer to their bank's website where they will be asked to enter their authorization details; if successful, the payment can be approved.

Once completed, the customer is transferred to your predefined success or failure URL. Confirmation of a Sofort payment is communicated only through webhooks. When you receive a payment_captured webhook notification, the transaction has been completed successfully. Until the payment_captured webhook is received (response code 10000), all payments are labeled as Pending.

You can retrieve details about an existing Sofort payment with the following request.

If the payment has been approved by a customer on the banking page, you’ll receive a payment_capture_pending webhook and the payment response will include the bic, iban, and account_holder_name fields.

You can find the full list, as well as complete request and response examples, in our API reference.

1{
2      "id": "pay_ylcikkxovyjunekfu7a444mmvy",
3      "requested_on": "2018-11-22T15:58:35Z",
4      "source": {
5        "type": "sofort"
6      },
7      "amount": 100,
8      "currency": "EUR",
9      "payment_type": "Regular",
10      "status": "Pending",
11      "risk": {
12        "flagged": false
13      },
14      "customer": {
15        "id": "cus_izfg7cwguvxuhaquys6qtof2f4"
16      },
17      "_links": {
18        "self": {
19          "href": "https://api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments/pay_ylcikkxovyjunekfu7a444mmvy"
20        }
21      }
22    }

Sofort supports both partial and full refunds. You can refund a payment through the refund API.

If the customer cancels or fails to complete the transaction at any point after the payment is created, it will automatically be canceled, and we’ll send you a payment_canceled webhook.

When using Sofort, you may receive the following webhooks.

1. Create a Sofort transaction as above, and then follow the redirect link (to Sofort or Klarna's website)
2. To simulate different payments from bank accounts in other countries, enter specific amounts into the Sofort payment form:
   • German bank accounts: 88888888 (8x 8)
   • Belgium bank accounts: 999 (3x 9)
   • For all other countries: 00000 (5x 0) or select Demo Bank
3. You are then redirected to your predefined success URL