At SmartTix we use Stripe for all our online and offline payments and fraud protection.

Our security and the protection of your data is paramount to our business.

The Stripe payment gateway is an online tool that allows us to securely process debit or credit card payments, digital wallets and bank transfers from you, the customer.

Our payment gateway acts like a bridge, connecting our website to its payment processing provider. When you place your order, the Stripe payment gateway securely conveys the payment information from you to the payment processor, which then completes the transaction authorisation and settlement process.

This is a complex, multi-step process that ensures that the transaction is secure, accurate and efficient. Payment gateways play an important role in transferring funds and protecting sensitive customer information.

Here’s an overview of how that works:

• The process begins with the encryption of data. When a customer places an order on a website, they enter their credit card information, which the web browser immediately encrypts. This encrypted data is then sent to the vendor's web server. The use of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption ensures that the data remains secure during this step.
• Once the data has been encrypted and sent, the secure order information is transmitted to the payment gateway. The payment gateway then sends this encrypted data via a secure SSL connection to the business's processor.
• The transaction processing stage follows. The business's payment processor forwards the transaction data to the appropriate credit card network. This network then routes the data to the bank that issued the customer's credit card.
• In the fourth step, the payment processor initiates an authorisation request. The issuing bank receives the authorisation request and sends the processor a response code. This code may indicate approval for the transaction or a decline, due to reasons such as insufficient funds or a lost or stolen card.
• The final step in the process is order fulfilment. The payment gateway receives confirmation from the customer's bank or credit card company that the payment has been approved. The payment gateway sends this response to the business's interface, usually their e-commerce platform or website. This is the moment the payment is officially considered processed. After this, the business can then proceed with fulfilling the order.

While this might seem like a lot of steps, this process occurs almost instantaneously. A payment gateway is not just about facilitating a transaction, it's also about maintaining the integrity and security of sensitive financial information.

Smarttix does not does not hold any financial information directly. Stripe handles all payment processing and securely stores sensitive data, meaning that Smarttix only receives the necessary details to manage orders and transactions without retaining customer financial information. This setup helps ensure better security and compliance with data protection standards.

As such your financial information is protected by one of the world’s most secure payment solutions.

If you have more questions about this, feel free to ask! support@smarttix.au