Payments API for SaaS: Charge Your Customers Inside Your Own System

Payments API for SaaS: Charge Your Customers Inside Your Own System

Cakto offers a REST payments API with credit card, debit card, direct debit and payment split. Native transparent checkout: your customer pays without leaving your platform. Free sandbox, complete documentation, integration in days.

Cakto offers a REST payments API with credit card, debit card, direct debit and payment split. Native transparent checkout: your customer pays without leaving your platform. Free sandbox, complete documentation, integration in days.

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+180 countries

+R$ 100M processed

500K creators

Why integrate with the Cakto API

Why integrate with the Cakto API

6 reasons to switch from your current gateway

Carteiras digitais são aplicativos que armazenam os dados de pagamento do cliente de forma segura.

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Competitive card rates

Traditional gateways stack fees across authorization, settlement and chargeback handling. Cakto consolidates everything into a single transparent rate with no hidden costs. For a SaaS processing $100K/month, that difference compounds fast.

Native transparent checkout

Your customer pays inside your system, with no redirect. Up to 78% of consumers abandon when redirected to external pages (Opinion Box). Transparent checkout eliminates that loss.

Direct debit for recurring billing

Charge recurring plans directly from your customer's bank account, without depending on card limits or expiration dates. Higher renewal rates. Less involuntary churn. Fewer failed payments.

Native payment split

Automatically divide the amount between multiple accounts at settlement. Ideal for platforms with co-producers, affiliates and commissioned partners. Configure percentages or fixed amounts via API, with no manual transfers.

Divida automaticamente o valor entre múltiplas contas na compensação. Ideal para plataformas com coprodutores, afiliados e comissionados. Configure percentuais ou valores
fixos via API — sem transferências manuais.

White label included

The entire payment experience with your brand. Your customer never sees "Cakto" at any point. Customizable notifications, checkout and receipts.

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Integration in days, not weeks

REST API with complete documentation, free sandbox and dedicated dev support. Average integration time: 3 to 7 days versus 2 to 6 weeks with traditional gateways.

What you can do with the Cakto API

One integration. All the features.

What is the Cakto Payments API?

Cakto is a REST API that allows SaaS and digital platforms to process payments via credit card, debit card, direct debit and bank transfer within their own system, with transparent checkout and native split.

Card charges via credit and debit, with one-click tokenization

Card charges via credit and debit, with one-click tokenization

Direct debit and bank transfer for recurring billing without card dependency

Direct debit and bank transfer for recurring billing without card dependency

Transparent checkout with no redirect and no conversion loss

Transparent checkout with no redirect and no conversion loss

Payment split with automatic division between accounts

Payment split with automatic division between accounts

Subscriptions and recurring billing with plans, cycles, trial and automatic dunning

Subscriptions and recurring billing with plans, cycles, trial and automatic dunning

Real-time webhooks with instant notification for each event

Real-time webhooks with instant notification for each event

White label with your brand across the entire payment experience

White label with your brand across the entire payment experience

Sub-accounts for platforms with multiple producers or partners

Sub-accounts for platforms with multiple producers or partners

Card tokenization (one click buy) for one-click repurchase

Card tokenization (one click buy) for one-click repurchase

Free sandbox to test everything before going live

Free sandbox to test everything before going live

Complete documentation and dedicated developer support

Complete documentation and dedicated developer support

Platforms with transparent checkout convert up to 35% more than
those that redirect to an external page (Baymard Institute).

Platforms with transparent checkout convert up to 35% more than
those that redirect to an external page (Baymard Institute).

How to integrate

How to integrate

4 Steps from Sandbox to Go-live

4 Steps from Sandbox to Go-live

1. Create your account and generate your API Key

Open your Cakto account. Generate the API key in the dashboard. Instant sandbox access. Time: 5 minutes.

2. Test in the sandbox

An environment that replicates 100% of production. Simulate card and direct debit charges. Configure webhooks. Validate the complete flow.

3. Integrate with your application

REST API compatible with Python, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, Java, Go and any language that makes HTTP requests. Documentation with examples for each endpoint.

4. Go live

Switch the sandbox key for the production key. Start processing real charges. Dedicated support throughout the entire migration.

Example: create a card charge

Example: create a card charge

POST /v1/payments
{
"customer": "cus_abc123",
"billingType": "PIX",
"value": 97.00,
"dueDate": "2025-12-15"
}

How long does it take to integrate the Cakto API?

Developers make the first test charge within a few hours. Full integrations take
3 to 7 days, with a free sandbox and dedicated support.

How much does your SaaS save with Cakto

How much does your SaaS save with Cakto

Do the math

Carteiras digitais são aplicativos que armazenam os dados de pagamento do cliente de forma segura.

Savings on card fees (traditional gateway vs. Cakto):

Savings on card fees (traditional gateway vs. Cakto):

Beyond fees: SaaS platforms that activate direct debit for
recurring billing reduce involuntary churn by up to 32%, retaining customers
who would have been lost due to card failure, expiration or limit issues.

Beyond fees: SaaS platforms that activate direct debit for
recurring billing reduce involuntary churn by up to 32%, retaining customers
who would have been lost due to card failure, expiration or limit issues.

The migration pays for itself in the first month.

The migration pays for itself in the first month.

Cakto vs. Other Payment APIs

Cakto vs. Other Payment APIs

Head-to-head comparison

For SaaS platforms looking for the best payments API, the decisive criteria are: card rates,

transparent checkout, direct debit for recurring billing, native split and integration speed.

Other APIs

Cakto API

High card rates with hidden fees

High card rates with hidden fees

Single transparent rate, no surprises

Single transparent rate, no surprises

No direct debit for recurring billing

No direct debit for recurring billing

Native direct debit with high renewal rates

Native direct debit with high renewal rates

Checkout with redirect

Checkout with redirect

Native transparent checkout

Native transparent checkout

Limited or paid split

Limited or paid split

Full and flexible split included

Full and flexible split included

White label as add-on

White label as add-on

White label included

White label included

Limited sandbox

Limited sandbox

Free sandbox with 100% of features

Free sandbox with 100% of features

Integration: 2 to 6 weeks

Integration: 2 to 6 weeks

Integration: 3 to 7 days

Integration: 3 to 7 days

Generic support

Generic support

Dedicated developer support

Dedicated developer support

Focus on e-commerce

Focus on e-commerce

Focus on SaaS and digital platforms

Focus on SaaS and digital platforms

What is the best payments API for SaaS?

Cakto stands out by offering competitive card rates, direct debit for recurring billing, transparent checkout,
native split and integration in days, with features built specifically for SaaS and digital platforms.

Who is the Cakto API for

Who is the Cakto API for

SaaS with recurring billing:

Automate charges via card or direct debit. With direct debit, renewal no longer depends on card limits or expiration dates.

Digital product and community platforms:

Sub-accounts and split to manage co-producers and affiliates. Each partner gets paid automatically.

Online education and course platforms:

Charge enrollments, subscriptions and installments with transparent checkout that does not lose the student midway.

Apps and digital service platforms:

Payments integrated directly into the app. Webhooks syncing the backend in real time.

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Fintechs and SaaS:

Build financial solutions with white label and a complete API. Your brand, our infrastructure.

The payment experience is where your SaaS wins or loses the customer.
Every extra step in the checkout is revenue left on the table.

Security

Enterprise-grade infrastructure

TLS encryption on all communications

TLS encryption on all communications

Card tokenization with sensitive data never passing through your server

Card tokenization with sensitive data never passing through your server

API Key authentication with permission controls

API Key authentication with permission controls

Production environment isolated from sandbox

Production environment isolated from sandbox

Continuous fraud monitoring

Continuous fraud monitoring

PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure

PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure

Is the Cakto API secure?

Is the Cakto API secure?

Yes. It operates with TLS encryption, card tokenization, API Key authentication and
continuous monitoring, built on PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure.

Yes. It operates with TLS encryption, card tokenization, API Key authentication and
continuous monitoring, built on PCI-DSS compliant infrastructure.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What payment methods are supported?

Credit card, debit card, direct debit and bank transfer. All methods are available natively via API.

What is direct debit recurring billing?

It is a recurring charge made directly from the customer's bank account, without depending on a card. It delivers higher renewal rates and significantly reduces involuntary churn.

Does it work with any programming language?

Yes. The Cakto API is REST and compatible with Python, Node.js, PHP, Ruby, Java, Go and any language capable of making HTTP requests.

Is there a sandbox?

Yes, free and with 100% of production features. You can simulate card and direct debit charges before going live.

How long does integration take?

Between 3 and 7 days on average, with free sandbox and dedicated developer support throughout the process.

Does it support white label?

Yes. The entire payment experience carries your brand. Your customer never sees "Cakto" at any point.

Is there a cost to use the API?

No monthly fee. You only pay per transaction, with a single transparent rate and no hidden fees.

How does split work?

You configure percentages or fixed amounts via API. At the time of settlement, the amount is automatically distributed between the registered accounts.

Is the checkout transparent?

Yes. Your customer pays directly inside your platform, with no redirects to external pages.

Integrate billing into your SaaS.

Não force seu cliente a digitar o que ele pode aprovar com um toque

Stop forcing your customer to
type what they can approve
with a tap.

Não force seu cliente a digitar o que ele pode aprovar com um toque

Competitive rates. No redirect. No hassle.
Complete platform. Global reach. 24/7 human support.

Plataforma completa. Alcance global. Suporte humano 24/7.