Paymob Payment Gateway Integration

This skill guides an AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Replit, Lovable, etc.) through integrating a merchant's project with Paymob, covering Shopify app installation, the Intention API for web/backend (via Unified Checkout), and Mobile SDKs for native iOS/Android/Flutter/React Native apps, then operating the integration: go-live, day-to-day dashboard work, diagnostics with Paymob's own tools, and support tickets (Phase 4). Paymob operates in Egypt, UAE, KSA, and Oman.

If the user asked for "a payment gateway" generically (without naming Paymob) for a business in one of these four markets, briefly confirm Paymob is the right fit (or ask if they already have a different provider in mind) before proceeding — don't silently assume.

Stay current. This skill embeds known-good specs as of 2026-06, but Paymob updates endpoints, field orders, and SDK versions independently of this file. Before finalizing code for exact request shapes, HMAC field orders, or SDK method signatures, cross-check the live docs — see Live Paymob resources at the bottom of this file (references/live-resources.md), especially the machine-readable llms.txt doc index. When the embedded spec and the live docs disagree, the live docs win.

Live account access (optional). Paymob also runs an official MCP server (https://mcp.paymob.com/mcp) that lets you act on the merchant's real account from inside the agent — create intentions/payment links, pull transactions/balances, export reports, request settlements — using the merchant's own API credentials. It's ideal for interactive testing and reconciliation, but it does not replace the HMAC-verified webhook as the source of truth for the merchant's app. Connection, authentication, and the full tool list are in references/mcp-server.md. The server is bundled when this skill is installed as a Claude or Codex plugin.

Live Paymob action safety

These rules apply to every authenticated account action, whether the host uses one agent or many:

• Keep credentials and authenticated Paymob tools with the primary agent. Never give secrets or live-tool access to a subagent.
• Before each live write, obtain the user's explicit confirmation for the current account, test/live mode, operation, target, amount, and currency. Do not reuse a broad or earlier approval for a different operation.
• Read the current remote state first. Build a stable operation fingerprint from the account, mode, operation, target, amount, currency, and merchant reference; reuse the same merchant reference/idempotency key for the same intended action.
• Never automatically retry a write after a timeout or ambiguous response. Query Paymob by the reference/fingerprint to learn whether the first request succeeded; retry only after the result is known and the user reconfirms if the action could duplicate or move money.
• After a write, query and report the resulting remote object/status. A successful tool call is not by itself proof of the intended financial outcome.

Multi-agent coordination

For a broad integration or audit, delegate only independent, bounded work when the host supports subagents:

• Have one read-only agent map the merchant's platform, stack, checkout flow, and existing payment code.
• Have one read-only agent verify current Paymob API, SDK, and HMAC details against references/live-resources.md.
• Have one security-focused agent review secret handling, webhook verification, idempotency, and reconciliation.
• Keep one primary agent responsible for requirements, final code integration, tests, and the user-facing answer.

By default, subagents receive no Paymob credentials, cannot call authenticated Paymob tools, and return findings only with file/line references. The primary agent owns all final edits, tests, and live actions. If edit delegation is necessary, assign exclusive non-overlapping paths and merge through the primary agent. Never let multiple agents create intentions, payment links, refunds, voids, captures, or settlements against the same account.

What this skill can help with

Show this menu only when the user asks what you can do, or opens with a vague request ("help me with Paymob", "set up payments") and no platform or goal is clear yet. Show only the rows that fit their platform once you know it — for example, don't offer custom-code features to a Shopify or plugin merchant. Keep it short; then ask the platform question in Step -1.

After a successful first integration or test payment, end with one line of relevant next steps from this table (e.g. "Next I can add refunds, saved cards, or a reconciliation job") — not the whole menu.

Step -1 — Check the platform first

Running in Replit? Read references/replit.md first. Verify the skill was imported and its references are readable; inspect the existing app backend and host restrictions before choosing an integration route. A missing payment connector is not by itself proof that a custom Paymob API integration is prohibited. Respect an enforced host restriction, explain the exact blocker, and never substitute another provider without the user's choice.

Resolve references from the installed skill folder. A folder-only install includes this file and references/, but not the repository-root AGENTS.md, Claude commands, or MCP registration. If a referenced file is missing, fetch that specific file from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PaymobAccept/Paymob-AI-Integration-Skill/main/skills/paymob-integration/references/. If retrieval is unavailable, name the missing file and stop the affected task rather than inventing API details or declaring Paymob unsupported. Prefer a complete skill import to relying on remote fallback.

Before anything else, find out what the store is built on. If it's not already obvious from context, ask:

"Is your store on Shopify or another e-commerce platform (WooCommerce, Magento, Odoo, …), is this a custom-built site/app, or do you just want to share payment links without a website?"

Shopify path

Read references/shopify-apps.md in full before responding. In short: Paymob ships as installable Shopify apps, not a custom API integration —

• Paymob - Native Card Checkout (on-site/embedded) — cards only, no wallets/BNPL/installments
• Paymob Accept (off-site/redirect to Unified Checkout) — all Paymob methods
• Sympl and valU (off-site, Egypt only) — standalone BNPL apps, installed separately

Ask which payment methods the merchant wants, recommend the matching app(s) per the reference file, and hand them the install link(s) directly — each install flow handles Paymob onboarding itself, so the merchant doesn't need the standalone onboarding link below. After install, run the test checkpoint in references/testing-guide.md: the merchant turns on the app's test mode button, pays a storefront order with the test details for their methods, then turns test mode off before going live. Do not write Intention API, HMAC, or webhook code for a standard Shopify checkout — the apps handle that. Only fall through to the phases below if the merchant is explicitly building a custom/headless checkout (web or mobile app) that intentionally bypasses Shopify's native checkout and these apps.

Prebuilt-plugin path (WooCommerce, Magento, Odoo, and other platforms)

Paymob maintains official plugins/extensions for WooCommerce/WordPress, Magento 2, Odoo, OpenCart, PrestaShop, WHMCS, CS-Cart, ZenCart, Joomla, Laravel-Bagisto, osCommerce, Drupal, and Staah. If the merchant is on one of these, the fastest correct path is to install and configure Paymob's official plugin for that platform — it already handles Intention creation, Unified Checkout, callbacks, and HMAC. Do not hand-write Intention API / HMAC / webhook code for a standard checkout on these platforms.

• Point the merchant to the plugin for their platform (search "Paymob {platform}" in that platform's marketplace/extension directory, or use the developer docs in references/live-resources.md), then have them enter their Paymob credentials and Integration IDs in the plugin's settings.
• Once configured, run the test checkpoint in references/testing-guide.md: plugin in Test Mode with test keys and Test Integration IDs, then a store order paid with the test details for the enabled methods.
• WordPress/WooCommerce: also suggest Store Check on the Integration Wizard (https://wizard.paymob.com/store-doctor/), now and after every plugin or theme update. A public scan needs only the store address; the deeper check of gateway settings and orders needs the Paymob Wizard Connector plugin (https://wizard.paymob.com/store-doctor/downloads/paymob-wizard-connector.zip). The connector is a diagnostic helper — not the Paymob payment plugin. Details in references/live-resources.md.
• Only fall through to Step 0 and the phases below if the merchant is building a custom/headless checkout that intentionally bypasses the platform's native checkout and its Paymob plugin.

Payment Links path (no code)

For merchants who just want to get paid without a website or developer (social selling, invoicing):

• The merchant creates a link in the Paymob Dashboard: Create → Quick Link, set amount, currency, reference and image, choose payment methods and their Integration IDs, then share it by QR, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, or email. Unpaid links can be cancelled.
• If they have no account yet, send them through Phase 1 onboarding first (the onboarding links work without any code).
• With the Paymob MCP server connected, the agent can also create links on the merchant's account (references/mcp-server.md) — the live-action safety rules above apply.
• To generate links from their own system, use Paymob's QuickLink APIs (see the developer docs via references/live-resources.md) and handle the callback as in Phase 2A.
• Test before sharing real links: see the Payment Links section of references/testing-guide.md.

Step 0 — Determine merchant status (custom-built stores only)

Before writing any code, ask the merchant/user this single question (don't assume):

"Do you already have a Paymob merchant account with API credentials (API Key, Secret Key, Public Key) and at least one Integration ID? Or do you need to register/onboard first?"

Route based on the answer:

Until Phase 1 is complete, allow scaffolding, environment-variable placeholders, and local mocked tests. Do not make authenticated Paymob API requests or claim a working end-to-end integration without the required test credentials and Integration IDs.

Phase 1 — Onboarding (new merchants)

Goal: get the merchant a Paymob account, verified business, and live + test credentials.

1. Send the merchant to Paymob's onboarding flow, using the link that matches whichever AI coding agent is running this skill (so Paymob can attribute the signup correctly):

Each link starts with the same country-selection step, then walks through business info → document upload (commercial registration / ID, bank account) → choosing payment methods to enable.

• Fallback link (if the merchant hits an error on their agent-specific link, or is in a region where it doesn't resolve): https://accept.paymob.com/portal2/en/register
• Self-serve interactive helper: the merchant can also use Paymob's Integration Wizard at https://wizard.paymob.com/ for a guided, personalized roadmap, a Code Lab that runs requests against the sandbox, and an HMAC Signature Troubleshooter (see references/live-resources.md).
• Document verification can take up to ~3 business days. They'll get an email when it's done.

1. While waiting, the agent can still scaffold the codebase (env var placeholders, route stubs, DB schema for orders) — just don't hardcode real keys yet.
2. Wait/checkpoint: ask the merchant to confirm they've received the "verification complete" email before continuing, OR confirm they already have test-mode credentials (test credentials are often available immediately, even before full live verification — ask the merchant to check Dashboard → Settings → API Keys).
3. Once verified, instruct the merchant to collect these from the Paymob Dashboard:

• API Key, Secret Key, Public Key, HMAC Secret — Dashboard → Settings → API Keys (click "View" to reveal each)
• Integration ID(s) — Dashboard → Settings → Payment Integrations (one ID per payment method, e.g. Cards, Wallets, Kiosk; each has a Test and Live version)
• Note: every account starts in Test mode. Switch the toggle in the dashboard top-left to Live only after the integration is tested end-to-end (see Phase 3).

1. Tell the merchant to store these as environment variables (never hardcode):

   PAYMOB_SECRET_KEY=
   PAYMOB_PUBLIC_KEY=
   PAYMOB_API_KEY=
   PAYMOB_HMAC_SECRET=
   PAYMOB_INTEGRATION_ID_CARD=
   PAYMOB_BASE_URL=
   APP_URL=
   # add one var per enabled payment method (wallet, kiosk, etc.)

(PAYMOB_API_KEY is only needed for the Transaction Inquiry / reconciliation flow — see references/transaction-inquiry.md.) APP_URL is the merchant app's externally reachable HTTPS origin, used to build callback and redirect URLs; it is not the Paymob regional base URL. Verify test and production origins separately. On hosted platforms, use their environment-variable/Secrets facility instead of requiring a local .env file.

Exit criteria for Phase 1: merchant has Secret Key, Public Key, HMAC Secret, and at least one Integration ID (Test mode is enough to proceed). Then continue below.

Step 0.5 — Web/API or Mobile App?

Before moving to integration, find out what the merchant is building, if not already obvious:

"Is this for a website/backend (API integration) or a native mobile app (iOS/Android/Flutter/React Native)?"

Both branches share the same Phase 1 onboarding and the same Phase 3 testing — only the checkout-launch step differs.

Phase 2A — Web/API Integration (Intention API + Unified Checkout)

Read references/intention-api.md for the full request/response spec, field names, and error handling before writing code. Then use the stack-specific code reference that matches the merchant's backend (clean, copy-ready, correct interpolation and auth headers):

Key shape of the flow:

1. Ask the merchant which payment methods to support (Cards, Mobile Wallets, Apple/Google Pay, BNPL, Kiosk) if not already specified — each needs its own Integration ID from Phase 1 step 4.
2. Backend: Create a Payment Intention — POST to the Intention endpoint with amount (in cents, computed server-side from the merchant's own order record — never taken from the browser request), currency, the Integration ID(s), items, billing_data, and your notification_url / redirection_url. Returns a client_secret. Send your own order id as special_reference so you can correlate the callback later.

• `notification_url` must be a public HTTPS URL — Paymob can't reach localhost. If the merchant is developing locally, ask what they want to do: just see the callback → have them open https://hooks.paymob.com and paste back their unique Hook URL; test their own handler → a tunnel (ngrok, cloudflared) or a deployed preview URL. Never leave either in live config. Details: Making `notification_url` reachable in references/intention-api.md.

1. Frontend: Launch checkout — ask whether the merchant wants a redirect or a form embedded in their page:

• Unified Checkout (redirect, simplest): {base_url}/unifiedcheckout/?publicKey={PUBLIC_KEY}&clientSecret={client_secret} ({base_url} is the full regional origin with no trailing slash) (e.g. https://accept.paymob.com/unifiedcheckout/?publicKey=pk_test_...&clientSecret=csk_test_... for Egypt). See references/intention-api.md for per-region base URLs.
• Pixel (embedded): Paymob's checkout component rendered inside the merchant's page — cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay. See Option B in references/code-frontend.md.

1. Customer pays — Paymob handles card entry, 3D Secure, wallet OTP, etc. You don't touch raw card data.
2. Backend: Handle the callback (webhook) — Paymob POSTs the full transaction result to your notification_url. This callback, not the redirect, is the source of truth for payment status. Read references/hmac-verification.md and implement HMAC verification before trusting any callback data — reject/ignore any callback whose computed HMAC doesn't match.
3. Update order state atomically after HMAC verification: insert obj.id under a unique constraint, compare-and-set the order state, and insert a uniquely keyed transactional outbox record in one database transaction. Use order.id / special_reference only for correlation; only the committed outbox worker triggers fulfillment.
4. Add a Transaction Inquiry fallback. Don't rely on the callback alone — read references/transaction-inquiry.md and add a way for the merchant's backend to actively pull a transaction/order's status. Use it for: orders stuck "pending" past an expected window, a periodic reconciliation job, and support/admin lookups. This uses a different auth flow (API Key → short-lived auth token) than the Intention API's Secret Key.

Always implement HMAC verification — never mark an order paid based on the redirect URL alone, since redirect parameters are not authenticated.

For subscriptions, saved cards (CIT/MIT), Auth/Capture, refunds/void, split payments, or convenience fees, see references/advanced-features.md.

Phase 2B — Mobile SDK Integration (iOS / Android / Flutter / React Native)

Read references/mobile-sdks.md in full before writing code — the backend half (Intention creation, callbacks, HMAC) is identical to Phase 2A (reuse the same references/code-*.md backend code), but the checkout UI is presented natively in-app via Paymob's SDK instead of a browser redirect. Key shape of the flow:

1. Ask which payment methods to support, same as the web flow.
2. Backend: Create a Payment Intention — identical request to Phase 2A. Always create it from your backend (using the Secret Key) — never from inside the mobile app, so the Secret Key never ships in the app binary.
3. Mobile app: Initialize the SDK with the client_secret returned from your backend.
4. Mobile app: Present checkout — ask the merchant whether they want Normal (Hosted) Checkout (SDK shows Paymob's full screen) or Embedded Checkout (SDK renders inside a view in the merchant's own screen).
5. Backend: Handle the callback (webhook) — same as Phase 2A: HMAC-verify it (references/hmac-verification.md) and treat it as the source of truth.
6. Mobile app: Handle the SDK result — use this only to update the UI (success/failure screen); never to confirm payment or trigger fulfillment, since it isn't independently authenticated the way the backend callback is.
7. Add a Transaction Inquiry fallback, same as Phase 2A (references/transaction-inquiry.md).
8. Pull current SDK setup details (package name, install method, init code) from the platform-specific SDK docs before writing app code — don't guess method signatures, since they're versioned independently of this skill (see references/live-resources.md).

Set the expectation that Mobile SDK integration takes longer (days–weeks) and is more technical than the web/Unified Checkout path (days).

Phase 3 — Test the integration

Don't skip this checkpoint. When the code is done, ask the user "Ready to run a test payment?", then follow references/testing-guide.md: confirm test mode, show only the test details for the payment methods they enabled (copied from references/test-credentials.md, never from memory), and say what a passing test looks like.

Before going live, validate the whole flow in sandbox using Paymob's test credentials:

1. Confirm the merchant is using Test mode keys/Integration IDs (status must match between Secret Key and Integration ID, or you'll get a 404).
2. Run through: create intention → checkout → pay with a test card → confirm callback fires → confirm HMAC verifies → confirm order updates.
3. Use the test cards and wallet numbers in references/test-credentials.md to simulate success scenarios (decline/error simulation isn't officially documented by Paymob — confirm with the merchant if they need failure-path testing, and note that sandbox test data expires after 30 days).
4. Have the merchant inspect the raw callback payload (log it) the first time, to confirm field names match what the code expects, then verify the HMAC matches manually against references/hmac-verification.md if anything looks off. To capture a payload without a public server, point a test intention's notification_url at their https://hooks.paymob.com Hook URL (keep the page open — nothing is stored), then paste the payload into the Integration Wizard's HMAC Signature Troubleshooter (https://wizard.paymob.com/; it runs entirely in the browser) to confirm the HMAC logic in isolation. That only proves what Paymob sends — the test still has to pass through the merchant's own handler.
5. Also exercise the Transaction Inquiry fallback (references/transaction-inquiry.md) during testing — generate an auth token, then look up the test transaction you just made by transaction ID/order ID, and confirm the merchant system can reconcile correctly if a callback were ever missed.
6. For Mobile SDK integrations (Phase 2B): run through the same test cards inside the SDK's native checkout UI, on both a real device and simulator/emulator if possible, and confirm the backend callback (not just the SDK's in-app result) is what your test asserts on.
7. Kiosk and BNPL can't be tested in sandbox at all — don't block go-live on it. Sandbox has no test path for them (references/test-credentials.md). That doesn't hold up launch: every method uses the same Intention API, the same Unified Checkout, and the same callback + HMAC verification, so a passing card test already validates effectively all of the merchant's own integration code. The merchant enables the remaining methods in the Dashboard and goes live. Four things a card test doesn't cover — check each on the first real transaction for each newly enabled method, not before:

• Integration ID — each method has its own, and it must be enabled on this account in the matching mode. A wrong one fails loudly with 404 "Integration ID does not exist".
• Callback field shape — references/hmac-verification.md notes wallets and cards return slightly different nested shapes, and the HMAC concatenation includes the card-shaped source_data.pan / source_data.sub_type / source_data.type. Log the first real callback per method and confirm the computed HMAC still matches. If it doesn't, the callback is rejected and a genuinely paid order never completes — worth five minutes per method.
• Kiosk settles asynchronously — the customer pays cash at an outlet, so the callback can arrive hours or days after checkout, or never. Expect long-lived pending orders and rely on Transaction Inquiry (references/transaction-inquiry.md) instead of treating pending as failed.
• Refunds — kiosk and most BNPL don't support them (references/advanced-features.md), so don't ship a refund path that assumes they do.

1. Once the card flow passes end to end, run the go-live checklist (references/post-integration.md §1, or /paymob-go-live-check). Only then does the merchant flip Dashboard to Live mode and swap in live keys/Integration IDs (same code, same base URL — only the keys/IDs change). Live credentials exist only after Paymob's own approval stages (paperwork, contract, risk, technical approval) — code alone doesn't make an account live. Make sure notification_url points at the production endpoint, not a hooks.paymob.com or tunnel URL.
2. Close with one line of relevant next steps from What this skill can help with (above).

Phase 4 — Go live, operate, diagnose, get support (post-integration)

Read references/post-integration.md before answering any post-integration request. Route by what the merchant needs:

Rules for this phase:

• Wizard tools, Store Check, and the Contact Support form are human-facing. Hand over the link and exact steps; don't script them.
• Never put a Secret Key, API Key, HMAC Secret, auth token, full card number, CVV, OTP, or MPIN into a ticket, chat, or file. Mask customer PII.
• Settlement schedules, fees, reserves, and dispute deadlines are contractual or case-specific. Don't state them from memory; send the merchant to Paymob.

Troubleshooting

Reference files

• references/replit.md — Replit install verification, skill/connector/MCP separation, host restrictions, Secrets, callback URLs, and test checkpoint; read first when running in Replit

Integration paths & security (current as of 2026-06; post-integration checked 2026-09):

• references/shopify-apps.md — Paymob's Shopify apps (on-site, off-site, Sympl, valU), install links, which to recommend when
• references/intention-api.md — Create Intention endpoint, request/response fields, Unified Checkout redirect, common errors
• references/mobile-sdks.md — Native mobile SDK flow (iOS/Android/Flutter/React Native), Hosted vs Embedded checkout, backend callback vs SDK result
• references/hmac-verification.md — Callback payload, exact field order for HMAC, SHA-512 calculation, worked example
• references/transaction-inquiry.md — Pull-based status checks (by order ID, transaction ID, or merchant order ID), reconciliation jobs, auth-token flow
• references/test-credentials.md — Sandbox test cards, wallet numbers, OTPs
• references/testing-guide.md — Test checkpoint, which test details to show per payment method, and how to test each integration type (custom web, Pixel, mobile, Shopify, plugins, Payment Links)

Stack-specific adaptation templates: Retain the merchant's framework bootstrap and implement the required durable persistence adapters; these snippets are not standalone runnable apps.

• references/code-nodejs.md — Node.js / TypeScript / Express / NestJS
• references/code-python.md — Python / Django / Flask / FastAPI
• references/code-php.md — PHP / Laravel
• references/code-dotnet.md — .NET / C# / ASP.NET
• references/code-ruby.md — Ruby / Rails
• references/code-frontend.md — React / Next.js / Vue / Unified Checkout redirect / Pixel (embedded)

Advanced & live resources:

• references/advanced-features.md — Subscriptions, saved cards (CIT/MIT), Auth/Capture, refund/void/capture, split payments, convenience fees
• references/post-integration.md — After the first test payment: Paymob's go-live stages and a merchant-side go-live checklist, Dashboard operations (transactions, orders, links, users/roles, refunds, balances, disputes), monitoring and reconciliation, diagnosing with Paymob's tools, support channels and a redacted ticket template, key rotation and post-launch changes
• references/live-resources.md — Live Paymob developer resources: llms.txt doc index, developer docs, Integration Wizard (Code Lab, account tools, HMAC Signature Troubleshooter, Store Check and the Wizard Connector, Mobe, Contact Support), community forum, hooks.paymob.com — and exactly when/how the agent should use each
• references/mcp-server.md — Official Paymob MCP server: how to connect (plugin/CLI/.mcp.json), authenticate with the merchant's keys, the ~25-tool catalog, security notes, and when to use it vs. the code references

Live Paymob resources (always-current)

When you need authoritative, current details that may have changed since this skill was packaged, use these (full details and usage rules in references/live-resources.md):

• `llms.txt` doc index — https://developers.paymob.com/paymob-docs/getting-started/overview/llms.txt — machine-readable map of all Paymob docs. Fetch this first to resolve the exact current URL for any endpoint/field-order before hardcoding it.
• Developer docs — https://developers.paymob.com/ — the authoritative API reference.
• Integration Wizard — https://wizard.paymob.com/ — personalized roadmap, Code Lab (runs requests against the sandbox, generates handlers and tests), Postman export, Virtual Showroom, account tools (keys, test Integration IDs, test transactions, sandbox links, Switch to live, go-live document upload), HMAC Signature Troubleshooter, Store Check (/store-doctor/), the Mobe AI assistant, and Contact Support. Point the merchant here for self-serve help, debugging, go-live paperwork, and support tickets.
• Webhook inspector — https://hooks.paymob.com — a unique Hook URL that shows incoming callbacks live (no retention). Use as a test-mode notification_url to see what Paymob sends; it doesn't forward to the merchant's server.
• Community forum — https://community.paymob.com/ — Discourse Q&A for troubleshooting and escalation.
• MCP server — https://mcp.paymob.com/mcp — official first-party MCP server for acting on the merchant's live account (create intentions/links, pull transactions/balances, exports, settlements) with their own API credentials. Full setup and tool catalog in references/mcp-server.md.

Never expose the Secret Key, API Key, or HMAC Secret in frontend code or commit them to source control. Only the Public Key is safe client-side.