Contents
What is this integration?
The Checkout.com integration (shown in Golfmanager as Checkout Pay) connects Golfmanager with the international payment gateway Checkout.com. It lets your customers pay online by card — credit or debit — when they make a booking or a purchase.
Beyond one-off payments, it can save the customer's card for future charges, issue refunds (full or partial), and pay out the money collected to the club.
Unlike other gateways where the club brings its own merchant account, Checkout Pay is operated by Golfmanager as the platform: each club is set up as a sub-entity within Golfmanager's Checkout.com account. This simplifies onboarding and lets Golfmanager manage the connection, the commissions and the payouts to the club.
What problem does it solve?
Take online card payments easily, without the club having to contract and maintain its own gateway.
More security: card details are entered in a protected Checkout.com form and never pass through Golfmanager's servers, with the bank's 3D Secure verification.
Saved cards: the customer can pay with one click on future purchases, and it enables recurring charges (for example, fees).
Refunds from Golfmanager: full or partial, without logging into the Checkout.com dashboard.
Full traceability: every charge, refund, commission and payout is recorded.
Which systems does it connect, and which way does the data flow?
It connects Golfmanager's checkout (payment) with the Checkout.com gateway, in real time:
The customer enters their card in a secure Checkout.com form, which turns it into an encrypted code (a token).
Golfmanager sends that token and the amount to Checkout.com, which processes the charge (authorization + capture).
Checkout.com confirms the result through automatic notifications (webhooks): payment approved, declined, refunded, paid out, etc. Golfmanager updates the operation's status when it receives them.
If the payment is approved, the sale is marked as paid.
What information is exchanged?
Information | Direction | Purpose |
Card turned into a token, plus the amount | Golfmanager → Checkout.com | Process the charge securely |
Card data to save (last digits, brand, country, expiry) | Checkout.com → Golfmanager | Save the card for future charges |
Payment result and transaction identifier | Checkout.com → Golfmanager | Confirm the charge and keep a record |
Refund request (full or partial) | Golfmanager → Checkout.com | Reimburse the customer |
🔒 Security: the full card number never reaches Golfmanager. Only non-sensitive data is stored (last digits, brand, country and expiry) plus an encrypted token for future charges.
Prerequisites (before turning the integration on)
Set up the club as a sub-entity in Checkout.com. This step is done by Golfmanager, which manages the platform account. Contact support to start the onboarding.
Have the Checkout Pay module installed in your Golfmanager, along with the billing module.
Agree the economic terms (commissions and, if applicable, the customer surcharge) with Golfmanager. They are set out in the signed contract.
The right permissions to access the Checkout Pay section.
How to set it up (step by step)
Setup is split across two levels: the global configuration, managed by Golfmanager as the gateway operator, and the club's settings.
Step 1 — Onboarding the club as a sub-entity (done by Golfmanager)
Contact support to start the Checkout Pay onboarding.
Golfmanager sets up your club as a sub-entity within its Checkout.com account.
The commissions and the possible customer surcharge are agreed and set out in the contract.
Step 2 — Global configuration (managed by Golfmanager)
Golfmanager fills in the global configuration (which the club normally doesn't touch): the sub-entity identifier, the connection keys, the production mode (to switch on real charges) and the commissions (fixed, percentages and, if applicable, the customer surcharge with its tax). These fields are detailed in the next section.
Step 3 — The club's settings
Log in to Golfmanager.
Go to Settings > Checkout Pay.
Turn Allow saving the card on or off, depending on whether you want to offer one-click payment and recurring charges.
Turn Return money when canceling on or off, depending on your cancellation policy.
Save your changes.
Step 4 — Multi-company (optional)
If the club invoices with several companies, each company can have its own Checkout sub-entity (the Cko subentity field on the company record). In that case, products from different companies cannot be mixed in the same cart: the system will warn you if you try.
⚠️ Recommendation: before operating for real, validate the configuration with Golfmanager and make a test payment and a test refund.
Each configuration field explained
Below, each field is explained: what it is, how it affects the system, how it behaves, and an example of use showing what happens when you use it. They're split into the ones the club adjusts and the ones Golfmanager manages.
Fields the club adjusts (Settings > Checkout Pay)
Allow saving the card
Field name: Allow saving the card. It's a toggle (on/off).
Description: decides whether customers can save their card during payment to use it in the future.
System impact: if it's on, the "Save this card for future payments" checkbox appears and one-click payment and recurring charges are enabled. If it's off, every payment asks for the card details again.
System behavior: when the card is saved, Checkout.com returns a token that Golfmanager stores encrypted (with the last digits, brand, country and expiry) on the customer's Cards tab.
Example of use / what happens: you turn it on and save. The next time a customer pays, they can choose to save their card and, from then on, pay without re-entering it.
Return money when canceling
Field name: Return money when canceling. It's a toggle (on/off).
Description: decides whether, when a sale paid with Checkout Pay is canceled, the amount is automatically refunded to the customer's card.
System impact: if it's on, canceling the sale triggers the refund with no extra steps. If it's off, canceling doesn't refund automatically (you'd have to refund manually from the transaction).
System behavior: on cancel, Golfmanager asks Checkout.com to refund the amount to the original card of the charge.
Example of use / what happens: you turn it on and save. From then on, when a booking paid by card is canceled, the customer is refunded automatically.
Fields Golfmanager manages (global configuration)
These fields are filled in by Golfmanager as the platform operator. They're explained so you understand what they control, but you don't need to change them.
Subentity
Field name: Subentity.
Description: your club's identifier within Golfmanager's Checkout.com account.
System impact: it routes the charges and payouts to your club. It's essential for the integration to work.
System behavior: it's included in every charge and refund to assign the money to the correct sub-entity.
Example of use / what happens: Golfmanager sets it up during onboarding. In multi-company, each company can have its own sub-entity (the Cko subentity field on the company record).
Fixed fees
Field name: Fixed fees.
Description: the fixed amount deducted per operation, as per the contract.
System impact: it's part of the total commission deducted from the amount paid out to the club.
System behavior: it's applied to each charge and appears in the transactions list and the commission invoice.
Example of use / what happens: Golfmanager sets it up as agreed; you see it reflected in the commissions column.
Commission percentage
Field name: Commission percentage.
Description: the standard percentage applied to the amount of each charge.
System impact: it's the variable part of the total commission; together with the fixed fee, it determines what's deducted.
System behavior: it's calculated on the sale amount in each transaction.
Example of use / what happens: it's the percentage stated in your contract for standard cards.
High percentage commission
Field name: High percentage commission.
Description: a higher percentage applied to certain cards, typically those issued outside the European Union.
System impact: those operations carry a higher commission than standard ones.
System behavior: the system detects the card's country and applies this percentage when relevant.
Example of use / what happens: a customer pays with a non-EU card; the commission on that transaction is the "high" one.
Premium percentage commission
Field name: Premium percentage commission.
Description: a percentage applied to premium or corporate cards (for example, American Express or commercial cards).
System impact: those cards carry a different commission from the standard one.
System behavior: the system identifies the card's type/category and applies this percentage when relevant.
Example of use / what happens: a customer pays with a commercial card; the premium commission is applied.
Client fee %
Field name: Client fee %.
Description: an optional surcharge added to the amount the customer pays (it may appear in the cart as "Administration fees").
System impact: if it's configured, the customer sees and pays the amount with the surcharge included before paying.
System behavior: it's calculated on the amount and shown broken down at payment time.
Example of use / what happens: if a surcharge is agreed, a €100 purchase is shown as, for example, €101.50 to pay.
Customer commission tax
Field name: Customer commission tax.
Description: the tax applied to the customer surcharge, when that surcharge exists.
System impact: it ensures the surcharge is treated correctly for tax purposes.
System behavior: it's applied when calculating the surcharge the customer sees.
Example of use / what happens: Golfmanager configures it along with the surcharge, as agreed.
Production
Field name: Production. It's a toggle.
Description: decides whether the integration works in testing or with real charges.
System impact: with the toggle off, the test environment is used (payments aren't real); with it on, cards are charged for real.
System behavior: it selects the Checkout.com keys and addresses (test or live).
Example of use / what happens: Golfmanager validates in testing first and, once everything works, turns on production.
Validate multi-company
Field name: Validate multi-company. It's a toggle.
Description: enables the check that prevents mixing, in the same cart, products from companies with different sub-entities.
System impact: with it on, if a cart mixes products from different companies, the system blocks it and warns.
System behavior: it checks each product's company when adding to the cart and at payment.
Example of use / what happens: in a club with several companies, it prevents charges that couldn't be routed to a single sub-entity.
How it works day to day
The customer's online payment
The customer makes a booking or a purchase and goes to pay.
They select card (Checkout Pay) as the payment method.
If they have saved cards, they can choose one; if not, they enter the details in the secure Checkout.com form.
If it's enabled, they can tick save the card for future payments.
If a customer surcharge has been agreed, the amount with the surcharge included is shown before paying.
If the bank requires it, the customer goes through 3D Secure verification (a security step on their bank's website).
When the payment is approved, the sale is marked as paid.
Charges with a saved card
Once the customer has a saved card, it can be used for charges without them re-entering the details: for example, recurring payments (fees) or charges made from administration against their default card. In these charges, being initiated by the club, 3D Secure verification isn't requested.
Refunds
You can refund a customer in several ways:
From the POS (void the sale)
Go to Main Menu > Bookings/Sales > POS.
Open the sale you want to refund.
Click the red Void button to void the sale.
If you have Return money when canceling turned on, the amount is refunded to the customer's card automatically.
From Checkout Pay > Transactions
Go to Main Menu > Checkout Pay > Transactions.
Find the transaction and select its ID.
Click the Return money button.
Enter the amount to return (leave it blank to return the full amount, or enter a figure for a partial refund) and confirm.
📌 Note: a transaction is valid for 180 days for refunding. The refund cannot exceed the original amount, and it's deducted from the balance of that transaction/payout: if that balance has already been settled to the club, an insufficient balance warning may appear when refunding.
How long does the refund take to reach the customer?
It depends on the card issuer: the customer may receive it within 2 to 30 days. It doesn't depend on Golfmanager: the refund order is immediate on our side (the operation is marked and the acquirer, Checkout.com, sends it to the issuer through the card schemes). The delay is usually between the moment the issuer receives the information and reflects it in the customer's account. With large European banks it's usually 1 to 3 days; with smaller institutions, a bit longer. Debit cards are usually faster than credit cards. Always confirm, in the Transactions list, that the refund order has been issued.
Reviewing transactions and cards
The Checkout Pay menu includes:
Transactions: every movement (payments, refunds and payouts). Each one shows the original total, the commissions, the total without commissions, the payout to the club, the customer, the associated invoice, the card's brand and country, and the status.
Cards: the customers' saved cards (last digits, brand, expiry and which is the default). They also appear on the Cards tab of the customer record.
The possible statuses of a transaction are: initiated, authorized, captured, refunded, partially refunded, declined and voided. The types are: payment, refund, payout (payout to the club) and payout fee. It's the first screen to check when a payment or a refund didn't turn out as expected.
Commissions, payouts and bank reconciliation
When do you receive the money in your bank?
By default, the deposit (payout) you receive in your bank groups the payments your customers make from Wednesday to the following Tuesday, and it reaches you the following Wednesday.
📌 Note: the bank deposit day cannot be changed, because of how the commission payout (-€0.25) on Tuesday works. If there's no balance in the club, it doesn't carry over to the following week and is lost. If there are no transactions, there will be no commission payout.
Three key concepts in the Transactions list
The charges and their sold lines are the Original total.
The amount deposited in your bank is the Total without commissions.
The invoice you receive from Golfmanager corresponds to the Commissions column.
How to reconcile the charges with your bank deposit
From Main Menu > Checkout Pay > Transactions:
Create a filter by Creation date > Period from Wednesday to Tuesday.
Create a filter by Status > Contains and select Captured, Refunded and Partially refunded.
From the three dots, add the columns Client commission, Payout and Original total.
Look at the Totals section (bottom right):
Client commission: the surcharge percentage as per the contract.
Original total: based on the original sale price.
Total without commissions: the Original total minus the Commissions.
Commissions: the contract's percentage, the sum of the fixed commission and the variable commission.
Total: the sum of the lines by their status (Captured + Refunded + Partially refunded).
To see the deposit in your bank: create a filter by Creation date > the Wednesday, add the Payout column and look at that line: it's the deposit in your bank. It must match the Total without commissions from the first list.
How to reconcile the transactions with Golfmanager's invoice
Create a filter by Creation date > Period for the month shown in the description of the received invoice.
Create a filter by Status > Contains and select Captured, Refunded and Partially refunded.
In the Totals section, look at the Commission (the sum of the fixed and variable commission).
📌 Note: Golfmanager's invoice covers the processing fees (the commission: fixed + variable, as per the contract's percentage) and the refund costs (if there have been any).
Is there a different commission % depending on the card type?
Yes. The percentage can vary depending on the card type (for example, non-EU cards or premium/commercial cards have a different percentage). The specific percentages are in the contract you signed.
Limitations to keep in mind
It's for the customer's online payments (bookings, shop and recurring charges), not for taking payment at the physical POS with a card terminal.
Onboarding and the global configuration are managed by Golfmanager as the platform operator; the club only adjusts a couple of options.
Charges are made in euros (EUR).
To charge with a saved card, the customer must have at least one saved and available card.
Multi-company: products from companies with different sub-entities cannot be mixed in the same cart.
Refunds depend on the transaction's available balance (valid for 180 days); if it has already been paid out to the club, there may be no balance to refund this way. Each refund has a small cost reflected in the invoice.
It depends on an external service: if Checkout.com is unavailable, payments can't be processed at that moment.
Frequently asked questions
How is Checkout Pay different from other gateways?
In that it's operated by Golfmanager as the platform. Instead of your club contracting and maintaining its own merchant account, you're set up as a sub-entity within Golfmanager's Checkout.com account. That simplifies onboarding and lets Golfmanager manage the connection, the commissions and the payouts to your bank.
Can it be used to take payment at the club's physical POS?
It's designed for the customer's online payments (bookings, shop and recurring charges). It's not a card terminal for taking payment at the counter. That said, against a saved card you can make charges from administration (for example, fees).
Is it secure? Where does the customer enter their card details?
Yes. The card is entered in a secure Checkout.com form, not in Golfmanager, and is turned into an encrypted token. The full number never passes through Golfmanager. In addition, online payments include the bank's 3D Secure verification.
What is 3D Secure and why does it sometimes redirect me to the bank?
It's a security step from the customer's bank (for example, confirming with their phone or a code) to verify it's the cardholder paying. On online payments it's on by default, so the customer may be redirected to their bank's screen before completing the payment. On club-initiated recurring charges it isn't requested.
What card data is saved?
Only non-sensitive data: the last digits, the brand, the country and the expiry, plus an encrypted token used for future charges. The full card number is not stored.
How does the customer save their card, and how do I enable that option?
If you turn on Allow saving the card in Settings > Checkout Pay, during payment the "Save this card for future payments" checkbox appears. If the customer ticks it, their card is saved and they'll be able to pay with one click going forward.
What are charges with a saved card or recurring charges?
Once the customer has a saved card, you can charge them without them re-entering the details: for example, membership fees automatically, or a one-off charge from administration against their default card.
I get "The client does not have saved cards". What do I do?
You're attempting a saved-card charge on a customer who has none. The customer must save a card on a previous payment (with the save checkbox ticked) before you can charge them this way.
I get "The card is no longer available". What does it mean?
The saved card was deleted or has expired. Ask the customer to save a card again on their next payment.
How do I refund a customer?
In two ways: (1) from the POS, opening the sale and clicking the red Void button (if you have refund-on-cancel enabled, the money is refunded on its own); or (2) from Checkout Pay > Transactions, finding the transaction, opening its ID and clicking Return money.
Can I refund only part of the amount?
Yes. In Return money, enter the amount to return (a figure lower than the total) for a partial refund. If you leave it blank, the full amount is returned. You can't exceed the original amount.
How long does the refund take to reach the customer?
Between 2 and 30 days, depending on the card issuer. The refund order is immediate on our side; the delay depends on when the customer's bank reflects it in their account. With large European banks it's usually 1 to 3 days, and on debit it's usually faster than credit. Check in Transactions that the order has been issued.
I get "There is not enough balance in this transaction". What does it mean?
You're trying to refund more than is available in that transaction, or the balance has already been paid out to the club. Check the amount; if the payout has already settled, handle the refund with Golfmanager.
Is there a cost to issuing a refund?
Yes, a refund carries a small cost (refund charges) reflected in the invoice you receive from Golfmanager, along with the processing commissions.
Until when can I refund a transaction?
A transaction is valid for 180 days for refunding. After that period, it can't be refunded this way.
What is the "automatic refund on cancel"?
It's the Return money when canceling option. If you turn it on, when a sale paid with Checkout Pay is canceled, the amount is refunded to the customer's card automatically, with no extra steps.
When do I receive the money in my bank?
The deposit (payout) groups your customers' payments from Wednesday to Tuesday and reaches you the following Wednesday. That amount corresponds to the Total without commissions in the transactions list.
Can I change the bank deposit day?
No. The day can't be changed because of how the commission payout (-€0.25) on Tuesday works. If there's no balance in the club, it doesn't carry over to the following week and is lost; and if there are no transactions, there will be no commission payout.
How do I reconcile my bank deposit with the transactions?
In Transactions, filter by Creation date > Period from Wednesday to Tuesday and by Status (Captured, Refunded and Partially refunded), add the columns Client commission, Payout and Original total, and compare in Totals. The Total without commissions must match the Payout line for the Wednesday (the deposit in your bank). You have the step-by-step detail in the "Commissions, payouts and bank reconciliation" section.
What is the invoice I receive from Golfmanager?
It's the commissions invoice. It covers the processing fees (fixed commission + variable commission, as per the contract's percentage) and the refund costs if there have been any. It corresponds to the Commissions column in the transactions list.
Is there a different commission percentage depending on the card type?
Yes. Non-EU cards or premium/commercial cards may have a different percentage from the standard one. The specific percentages are in your signed contract.
What do the transaction statuses mean?
Initiated: the charge has started. Authorized: the bank approved the operation. Captured: the charge completed. Refunded / Partially refunded: all or part was reimbursed. Declined: the bank or Checkout.com didn't approve the payment. Voided: the operation was canceled before completing.
I see "Products from different companies cannot be mixed in the shopping cart". Why?
The cart includes products from companies with different sub-entities, and a single charge can only be routed to one sub-entity. Split the purchase by company and pay each one separately.
The payment is declined or I get "Payment has been declined". What do I do?
It means the bank or Checkout.com didn't approve the charge (card declined, insufficient funds or a failed verification). Check the detail in Transactions; the customer can try another card.
I get "The payment method is not configured". What should I check?
A detail in the global configuration is missing (keys, sub-entity, etc.), which Golfmanager manages. If you see it, contact support so they can review your Checkout Pay configuration.
What currency are charges in?
In euros (EUR).
What is the customer surcharge or the "Administration fees"?
It's an optional surcharge that, if agreed, is added to the amount the customer pays to cover part of the commission. When it exists, the customer sees the amount with the surcharge included before paying (it may appear as "Administration fees").
Where do I see a customer's saved cards?
In Checkout Pay > Cards, or on the Cards tab of the customer record. You'll see the last digits, the brand, the expiry and which is the default.
What happens if Checkout.com is unavailable?
While the service is down, payments can't be processed at that moment. The customer can retry later; once the service is restored, everything works normally again.
Recommended best practices
Coordinate onboarding with Golfmanager and make a test payment and a test refund before operating for real.
Decide whether to enable card saving based on whether you want to offer one-click payment and recurring charges.
Decide whether you want automatic refund on cancel, based on your cancellation policy.
Reconcile regularly: match your bank deposit and the commission invoice against the Transactions list, using the filters described.
When a payment fails, check Transactions first: the status and detail usually point to the cause.
Remember the 180-day window for refunding a transaction.