Payment webhooks push real-time status updates to merchant systems instantly when payment events occur, while polling requires merchants to repeatedly query payment provider APIs at intervals to check for status changes.
How It Works in Practice
- 1Configure webhook endpoints on merchant servers to receive HTTP POST notifications from payment processors
- 2Authenticate incoming webhook requests using HMAC signatures or API keys to prevent spoofing attacks
- 3Parse webhook payloads containing transaction IDs, status codes, and timestamp data for order processing
- 4Store webhook acknowledgment receipts and retry failed deliveries using exponential backoff strategies
Common Pitfalls
Webhook endpoint downtime creates payment notification gaps requiring robust polling fallback mechanisms
PCI DSS compliance requires webhook endpoints to validate SSL certificates and log all transaction data securely
Duplicate webhook deliveries occur during network retries, necessitating idempotency checks using transaction IDs
Rate limiting on polling APIs can block critical payment status updates during high transaction volumes
Key Metrics
| Metric | Formula |
|---|---|
| Webhook Delivery Success Rate | Successfully delivered webhooks / Total webhook attempts × 100 |
| Payment Status Latency | Time between payment completion and merchant notification receipt |
| API Call Efficiency Ratio | Polling API calls / Webhook notifications for same transaction volume |
Related Terms
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