Offline Credit Card Processing for WooCommerce

Take card payments without a payment gateway, using the terminal on your desk

Some shops can't or don't want to connect a payment gateway: the bank requires its own terminal, orders are confirmed by phone, or the final amount is adjusted afterwards. The usual result is asking for card numbers by email or phone, with the risk that entails. Offline Credit Card Processing for WooCommerce collects the details at checkout and lets you run the charge manually on your terminal.

Whoever installs this already has a manual charging process and needs the data to arrive in an orderly way and with as little risk as possible. The plugin doesn't charge anything by itself: the money moves when you process it.

How it splits the card number so it is never whole in one place

The core idea is to divide the card:

• Only the first four and last four digits are saved in the shop's database.
• The eight middle digits and the security code are sent to a dedicated email address.

That way, if someone gets into your site, they don't find the full number. To charge, you put the two parts together. Once the payment is processed, you can delete the card data from WooCommerce.

As a safeguard in case email fails, the plugin can send the data to an included PHP script that you upload to another server, which stores it in a CSV file. It works as write-only storage: the script itself offers no way to read back what was saved.

Checkout validation and details that save mistakes

The Offline Credit Card Processing for WooCommerce form detects the card type automatically and validates the number using its checksum and the expiry date, so expired cards or invalid numbers are stopped before they reach you. It works with 16-digit credit and debit cards.

• Recognised types: American Express, Australian BankCard, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover/Novus, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.
• Built-in card logos, or you can use your own.
• Subject and content of the generated email can be customised.
• Option to ask for the cardholder name.
• Warning if you forgot to enable SSL.

There is also a test mode, handy for rehearsing the whole flow with official test card numbers.

Deciding if manual charging is worth it: SSL, email and limits

Before committing to this plugin, be clear about what it requires and what it doesn't do. It needs an SSL certificate; without it, it only works in test mode. Besides SSL, you need your own card processing terminal. It doesn't automate charging, issue refunds or reconcile payments: every order means manual work on your side. It only recognises 16-digit cards.

On regulatory compliance: although the plugin is designed to reduce risk, the responsibility for following your country's rules when handling card data remains yours.

What happens if the email with the middle digits doesn't arrive?

That data is lost, unless you have set up the backup storage. Test thoroughly with test orders and with an email provider that doesn't filter these messages. If some arrive and others don't, sending via SMTP with a plugin such as WP Mail SMTP or Post SMTP Mailer usually helps.

Can I log all emails for debugging?

Only with your own test orders. An email log would store the full number and security code in the database, which defeats the purpose of splitting the card.

What kind of SSL certificate works?

Any, as long as you can tick the forced secure checkout option in WooCommerce checkout settings.

Can I add text to the confirmation email only for this payment method?

Yes, by copying the email template into your theme and wrapping the text in a condition that checks the payment method. It requires editing code.