Integrate Paynet checkout in 15 minutes

This guide takes you from zero to a working payment in about fifteen minutes. You will create a payment, send the shopper to checkout, and confirm the result from a webhook, all in test mode, so no real money moves.

1. Get a test API key

Every Paynet account starts with a test API key named Default. You find it under API keys in your dashboard, or you can create another one there. Test keys start with sk_test_, and every payment made with one is a sandbox payment: no bank is contacted, nothing is billed, and you do not need a verified domain yet.

2. Create a payment

Send a single request with the amount in Armenian dram, your order id, and where to return the shopper:

curl https://paynet.am/api/v1/payments \
  -H "X-Paynet-Key: sk_test_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "amount": 5000,
    "currency": "AMD",
    "order_id": "ORD-1001",
    "return_url": "https://shop.am/return",
    "callback_url": "https://shop.am/webhooks/paynet"
  }'

processor is optional. Leave it out and the shopper picks a payment method on the hosted checkout. The response includes a checkout_url. Redirect the shopper there.

3. Use the test cards

On the sandbox checkout the card number decides the outcome:

• 4111 1111 1111 1111 - approved
• 4000 0000 0000 0002 - declined
• 4000 0000 0000 0069 - insufficient funds
• 4000 0000 0000 0119 - processor timeout

Expiry, CVV and cardholder name are not checked, so enter anything.

4. Verify the webhook

When the payment reaches a final status, Paynet POSTs a signed payload to your callback_url. Paynet sends two events:

• transaction.status.updated - the payment reached a final status: completed, failed or expired.
• payment.refunded - a refund went through. The body then also carries a refund object.

A completed sandbox payment looks like this (shortened):

{
  "delivery_id": "...",
  "event": "transaction.status.updated",
  "livemode": false,
  "timestamp": "2026-06-02T09:00:00+04:00",
  "transaction": { "uuid": "...", "order_id": "ORD-1001", "status": "completed", "amount": 5000, "currency": "AMD" }
}

Match on the event name and the transaction.status field, not on a single event per outcome. Verify the X-Paynet-Signature header first: it is the hex HMAC-SHA256 of the raw request body, computed with the webhook secret of the website the payment is booked on (Websites, the webhook button, Reveal secret). For a test payment while you have no verified website of your own, that is your Paynet hosted page, m plus your account number .pay.paynet.am. That signature check is the one step you should never skip. Then dedupe on delivery_id and read the payment back with GET /api/v1/orders/{order_id}/payment before you mark the order paid.

5. Go live

Live payments need a few things in place: a verified domain for your return_url and callback_url, a verified business, and a real provider (ARCA, Idram or Telcell) connected and turned on for that domain. Then swap your test key for a live key (sk_live_). The same code path you just tested handles production, no rewrite required.