Paid Memberships Pro offers native support for the Authorize.net payment gateway, no extra modules are required. You can use your existing Authorize.net account or sign up for a new account.

Types of Authorize.net Accounts

If you are new to Authorize.net, there are two options available to you: using Authorize.net as a combined Payment Gateway and Merchant Account or as a Payment Gateway only.

Option 1: Combined Payment Gateway and Merchant Account

Authorize.net’s Pricing Plan option fees are:

  • Setup Fee: $0.00
  • Monthly Gateway Fee: $25.00
  • Per-Transaction Fee: $0.30 + 2.9%

Option 2: Authorize.net as Payment Gateway Only

This option is meant for customers who already have a merchant account, typically through their bank. Make sure when comparing prices to include all merchant account and gateway fees.

The fees for a Card Not Present (CNP) Payment Gateway account are:

  • Non-Refundable Setup Fee: $0.00
  • Monthly Gateway Fee: $25.00
  • Per-Transaction Fee: $0.10

A list of all the fees associated with an Internet Merchant Account can be found at https://www.authorize.net/content/dam/anet-redesign/documents/cybersource_pricing.pdf

The fees above, as well as fees for Card Present (CP) payment gateway and merchant accounts and all Authorize.Net value-adding services will be outlined in the application as well.

Important Notes When Applying For Your Authorize.net Account

Before you begin, there a few things about the online application you should be aware of:

  • After clicking the Apply for Authorize.Net button, you will be taken to the online application home page. Before you can access the application, you will need to create an account by clicking the Register button.
    • Enter your email address and create a password.
    • Once you are finished, click Submit.
    • You will be taken back to the online application home page where you can then sign in and begin the application process.
  • During the application process, you will need to either sign up for a merchant account, or provide specific information on your existing merchant account. If you need help finding this information, please call your assigned sales representative.
  • If you have questions regarding any page or section of the application, please click the Help link located in the upper right hand corner of any application page. These help files are extremely useful and should answer any questions you have.

Once you have completed and submitted the application, Authorize.Net will review the provided information and contact you directly concerning your account.

Notes About Failed Payments and Authorize.net

If your membership site has recurring subscriptions, there are few key notes to consider when using Authorize.net as your payment gateway.

First, you must enable the Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) module. This must be activated on your merchant account in order to process recurring payments.

Second, it is important to add the custom code to Cancel Membership After the First Failed Payment via this guide. Authorize.net does not currently offer any settings to trigger a subscription cancellation after payment failure. Without this recipe, members will retain access to your site even after their payment has failed.

How to Use Authorize.net in Sandbox/Testing mode

Using the Authorize.net Sandbox allows you to simulate the production environment where no actual card processing is performed. You will need to set up a sandbox account with Authorize.net and enter separate “sandbox” credentials for Authorize.net.

  1. Log in to your Authorize.net Sandbox account.
  2. Navigate to the Memberships > Payment Settings page of your WordPress site.
  3. Set your “Payment Gateway” to “Authorize.net”.
  4. Set the “Gateway Environment” to “Sandbox/Testing”.
  5. Enter your Authorize.net Sandbox account’s “Login Name” and “Transaction Key”.

After saving the settings, log out or browse to your membership levels page in incognito mode to test checkout for a paid level. Authorize.net’s testing documentation for page has test card numbers you can use for checkout. Use any valid future expiration date, any 3 digit CVV (or 4 digits for Amex) and the test card number below:

NumberCard type
Visa4111111111111111
MasterCard5424000000000015
American Express370000000000002
Discover6011000000000012

For more information, visit Authorize.net’s Testing Guide.

Looking to change payment gateways on your live PMPro membership site? We have a guide on switching payment gateways without affecting your existing customers.

Read Now: Switching Payment Gateways