On This Page

Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
 Migration Guide

This section describes how to use this guide and where to find further information.
Audience and Purpose
This migration guide is written for merchants who want to update their payment processing system from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
. It provides an overview of the differences between the products and describes the migration process to
Unified Checkout
 and testing and validation procedures.
Related Documentation
Visit the
Cybersource
 documentation hub to find additional technical documentation.
Customer Support
For support information about any service, visit the Support Center:

Recent Revisions to This Document

26.06.01

Added global support for upgrading to
clientVersion
1.0
.

26.01.01

Updated the fields for migrating to the
Checkout API
. See Unified Checkout Payment Page Options.

25.11.02

Removed
Click to Pay
 as a supported feature for
Secure Acceptance
.

25.11.01

Initial release.

Introduction to Migrating from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout

Introduction to
Unified Checkout

Unified Checkout
 is an advanced, streamlined payment processing solution designed to enhance the customer experience and simplify merchant operations. This document provides a high-level overview to help existing merchants who use the
Secure Acceptance
 (
Checkout API
 and
Hosted Checkout Integration
 products) transition seamlessly to
Unified Checkout
.

Value of
Unified Checkout

  • Low-Code Support
    • Manage the addition of new payment methods and payment processing services using the
      Business Center
      .
    • Configure the UI and UX the align with the look and feel of your payment page using the
      Business Center
      .
  • Enhanced User Experience:
    • A consistent and intuitive interface across all devices.
    • Faster and smoother checkout process, reducing cart abandonment rates.
  • Increased Conversion Rates:
    • Optimized for mobile and desktop, ensuring higher conversion rates.
    • Supports various payment methods, catering to a wider audience.
  • Improved Security:
    • Robust security features, including
      Token Management
       and fraud detection.
    • Compliance with the latest PCI DSS standards.
    • Card testing mitigation protection
    • Duplicate transaction protection
  • Streamlined Integration:
    • Simplified API structure for easier implementation and maintenance.
    • Modern
      REST
       API interface
    • Comprehensive developer resources and support.
    • Unified Checkout
       normalizes the integration across payment types making adding payment methods & services simple
  • Increased Payment Method Support:
    Designed to support card, and non-card payment options, offering clients a robust set of payment options and supporting scale both domestically and globally.
    • Debit and credit card support for multiple global schemes
    • eCheck
       ACH Support (US and Canada)
    • Click to Pay
       (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
    • Apple Pay
    • Google Pay
    • Paze
    • Alternative Payment Methods
      • Afterpay/Clearpay
      • iDEAL
      • Multibanco
      • Bancontact
      • Dragonpay
      • MyBank
      • Tink Pay By Bank (EU and UK)
      • Konbini
      • P24
      • PayPal
      • Venmo

Secure Acceptance
 and
Unified Checkout
 Feature Comparison

This topic provides key differences and a detailed comparison of features between
Secure Acceptance
 and
Unified Checkout
.
Secure Acceptance
 and
Unified Checkout
 Differences
Secure Acceptance
Unified Checkout
Create Hash Value
Generate Sessions API
Compile post message & post to new Page or embedded post
Capture Payment response through redirect
Response captured from
Unified Checkout
 JS
Webhook implement webhook response with NVP
Webhook implement webhook response with JSON

Feature Comparison

Secure Acceptance
 and
Unified Checkout
 Features
Secure Acceptance
Unified Checkout
  • Hosted Payment Page
  • Multiple payment options
    • Manual Card Entry
    • Echeck/ACH Services (US, Canada)
  • Service Orchestration
    • Authorization and Capture
    • Decision Manager
    • Payer Authentication
    • Token Management Service
       Token Creation/Update
  • Card Enumeration Controls
  • UX Customization
  • Embedded Payment selection list
  • Sidebar or embedded payment page
  • Multiple payment options
    • Manual Card Entry
    • Echeck/ACH Services (US & Canada)
    • Click to Pay
    • Apple Pay
    • Google Pay
    • Paze (US Only)
    • Afterpay/Clearpay
    • iDEAL
    • Multibanco
    • Tink Pay By Bank (EU and UK)
    • PayPal
    • Venmo
    • Bancontact
    • Dragonpay
    • MyBank
    • Konbini
    • P24
  • Service Orchestration
    • Authorization and Capture
    • Decision Manager
    • Payer Authentication
    • Payer Authentication
       Data Only
    • Token Management Service
       Token Creation
    • Token Management Service
      -Pay By Token
    • Token Management Service
       - Token Update (June 2026*)
  • Card Enumeration Controls
  • UX Customization
* Target availability.

API Differences

This topic outlines the key differences between
Secure Acceptance
 and
Unified Checkout
 APIs.

Endpoint Changes

API Endpoint Comparison
Secure Acceptance
Unified Checkout
https://secureacceptance.cybersource.com/pay
https://api.cybersource.com
/uc/v1/sessions
https://secureacceptance.cybersource.com/token/create

Request/Response Format Changes

Secure Acceptance
:
  • Uses form-encoded data for requests.
  • Responses are typically in HTML or form-encoded format.
Unified Checkout
:
  • Uses JSON for both requests and responses.
  • Supports more detailed response structures.

Authentication Method Changes

Secure Acceptance
:
  • Uses a combination of profile ID, access key, and secret key.
  • Requires signing requests with HMAC.
Unified Checkout
:
  • Unified Checkout
     uses
    Cybersource
     REST HTTP signature authentication. With REST HTTP signature authentication, requests sent to the
    sessions
     API and other APIs are signed using merchant REST credentials. For information configuring REST HTTP signature authentication, see
    Set Up an HTTP Signature Message
     in the Getting Started with REST Developer Guide.
  • Requires obtaining an access token before making API calls.

Migration Prerequisites

These are the account setup prerequisites for migrating from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
:

Unified Checkout
 Payment Page Options

Implementation Options

Unified Checkout
 is a payment solution that is designed to be placed within your existing payment experience to offer a seamless payment journey without having to redirect your clients to external web pages.
These are the options depending on your current
Secure Acceptance
 integration:

Merchants leveraging
Secure Acceptance
 through page redirects

Merchants leveraging
Secure Acceptance
 through page redirects have two options:
  1. Embed
    Unified Checkout
     on one of your existing pages
  2. Create a new payments page to integrate
    Unified Checkout
     within the checkout page.

Merchants leveraging
Secure Acceptance
 through iframe implementation

You should be able to replace your existing
Secure Acceptance
 implementation with
Unified Checkout
 with minimal changes to your page.

Checkout API
 migration

Unified Checkout
 has been created to be highly configurable and can be tailored to have a very small form factor. If you are using Secure Acceptance
Checkout API
, you can continue to capture all the payment information from within your own form except for the Payment information (PAN, CVV, Expiration Date & Cardholder Name). You should replace these elements with
Unified Checkout
. When loading
Unified Checkout
, you can set
BillingType=NONE
 and
requestShipping=false
, but you must include the address information in the capture context to ensure that the payment is processed successfully.
For the payment experience where no
Unified Checkout
 card payment button is required,
Unified Checkout
 also supports the
Trigger
 and
Components
 SDK experiences. These enable
Unified Checkout
 to be integrated behind your existing payment button or embedded within the page itself. For information about
Unified Checkout
 integration methods, see the
JavaScript API Reference
 section of the
Unified Checkout
 Developer Guide.

Figure:

Manual Entry Payment Details

Migration Process:
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout

Follow these steps to migrate your integration from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
.
This guide provides a step-by-step process for migrating your payment integration from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
. Ensure you have completed the pre-migration checklist before proceeding.
  1. Review
    Unified Checkout
     Documentation

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    Familiarize yourself with the
    Unified Checkout
     Overview
    .
  2. Prepare Your Environment

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  3. Update Integration
    1. Frontend Changes

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    2. Backend Changes

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

      • Update server-side code to handle new API endpoints and response structures
      • Migrate existing payment flows to the
        Unified Checkout
         API
  4. Test the Integration

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Utilize the Sandbox environment to test your integration thoroughly.
    • Conduct end-to-end testing to ensure all payment flows work as expected.
  5. Go Live

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Once testing is complete, switch to the production environment.
    • Monitor transactions and user feedback to ensure a smooth transition.

Detailed Integration Steps

  1. Create a Sessions Request API Call:
    • This call replaces your
      Secure Acceptance
       hash value.
    • Refer to the
      Unified Checkout
       API Documentation for detailed instructions and examples. For information about the Sessions API see the
      Sessions API
       section of the
      Unified Checkout
       Developer Guide      .
  2. Initiate
    Unified Checkout
     in Your Web Page:
    • Unified Checkout
       is initiated using a JavaScript-based application instead of the POST method used in
      Secure Acceptance
      .
    • Implement the
      Unified Checkout
       SDK on your webpage. For information about implementing
      Unified Checkout
      , see the
      JavaScript API Reference
       section of the
      Unified Checkout
       Developer Guide      .
  3. Capture the Response on Your Web Page:
    • Ensure your frontend captures the response from the
      Unified Checkout
       process.
    • Handle the response appropriately to update the user interface and communicate transaction status. For information about handling responses, see the
      Handle Errors
       section of the
      Unified Checkout
       Developer Guide      .
  4. Recommended: Webhook implementation:
    • Subscribe to the
      Unified Checkout
       webhook to receive the full payment details
Information that is captured by
Unified Checkout
, including the billing and shipping address, can be retrieved using the payment details API.
This figure shows the
Unified Checkout
 payment flow.

Figure:

Unified Checkout
 Payment Flow
Diagram that shows the sequence and flow of a Unified Checkout payment.

Testing and Validation

This topic provides guidance on setting up a test environment, recommended test scenarios, and how to validate a successful migration from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
.
Thorough testing and validation are crucial steps in ensuring a smooth migration from
Secure Acceptance
 to
Unified Checkout
. This process helps identify and resolve issues before going live with the new integration.
  1. Set up the test environment

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Create a separate
      Unified Checkout
       sandbox account for testing
    • Configure your development environment to use the sandbox API endpoints
    • Ensure you have test credit card numbers and other payment method details for various scenarios
  2. Prepare test data

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Create a set of test orders with various amounts, currencies, and payment methods
    • Prepare test customer data, including different countries and regions
    • Set up test scenarios for successful transactions, declines, and error conditions
    For information about testing your configuration, including test payment data, see the
    Test Your Configuration
     section of the
    Unified Checkout
     Developer Guide    .
  3. Execute test scenarios
    1. Test basic payment flows

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

      • Process a successful payment using various payment methods
      • Attempt transactions with invalid card numbers or expired cards
      • Test behavior with insufficient funds
    2. Validate
      3-D Secure
       2.0 functionality (where required)

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

      • Process payments requiring
        3-D Secure
         authentication
      • Test both successful and failed
        3-D Secure
         authentications
    3. Test error handling and edge cases

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

      • Simulate network errors and timeouts
      • Test with missing or invalid request parameters
      • Verify proper handling of duplicate transactions
    4. Validate webhook functionality

      ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

      • Confirm receipt of webhook notifications for various events
      • Verify proper handling of webhook payloads in your system
  4. Perform integration testing

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Test the entire payment flow from your application through to
      Unified Checkout
    • Verify that order information is correctly passed to
      Unified Checkout
    • Ensure that transaction results are properly recorded in your system
  5. Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT)

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Involve business stakeholders in testing the new integration
    • Verify that the checkout experience meets business requirements
    • Test on various devices and browsers to ensure responsiveness
  6. Validate reporting and reconciliation

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Confirm that transaction data is correctly reflected in
      Unified Checkout
       reports
    • Verify that your internal reporting systems can properly process
      Unified Checkout
       data
    • Test any custom reconciliation processes you have in place
  7. Perform security testing

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Conduct penetration testing on your integrated system
    • Verify PCI DSS compliance of your new integration
    • Test data encryption and tokenization features
  8. Document test results

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

    • Record the outcomes of all test scenarios
    • Document any issues encountered and their resolutions
    • Prepare a test summary report for stakeholders

RESULT

After completing these steps, you should have a thoroughly tested and validated
Unified Checkout
 integration. Address any issues identified during testing before proceeding with the production migration.

Resources and Support for
Unified Checkout
 Migration

This topic provides links to key resources and information on how to get support during your migration to
Unified Checkout
.

Support and Assistance

Should you need any assistance during the migration process, please reach out to our support team.

Frequently Asked Questions about
Unified Checkout

This topic provides answers to frequently asked questions about
Unified Checkout
 and the migration process from
Secure Acceptance
.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enable
Unified Checkout
?
Unified Checkout
 is enabled by your partner or through Client Support.
How do I enable the payment methods required for
Unified Checkout
?
Digital Payment options must be enrolled onto and configured by the merchant conducting the integration. Details on how to enable digital payment can be found in the
Unified Checkout
 Configuration.
How do I add
Unified Checkout
 to my mobile applications?
Unified Checkout
 is primarily built for web pages. However, it can be integrated into mobile applications through use of a WebView. Additionally, the
Cybersource
 Acceptance platform has a number of additional products such as
Flex API
 that can be used to power acceptance in mobile apps. For more information, visit https://github.com/cybersource
What card types are supported on
Unified Checkout
?
Support is dependent on your processing capability. See the current list at
Unified Checkout
 Card Types.
What payment methods are supported on
Unified Checkout
?
See the current list of supported payment methods at
Unified Checkout
 Payment Methods .
Can I customize the look and feel of
Unified Checkout
 to fit in with my web page branding?
Yes, this can be managed through both
Unified Checkout
 configuration within the
Business Center
 and using the
sessions
 API request. For information about configuring the look and feel in the
Business Center
, see the
Customize the
Unified Checkout
 Look and Feel
 section of the
Unified Checkout
 Developer Guide.
How does authentication work in
Unified Checkout
?
Unified Checkout
 uses
Cybersource
 REST HTTP signature authentication. Requests to the
sessions
 API and other REST APIs are signed using merchant REST credentials.
I am using
Secure Acceptance
Checkout API
/ Silent Order Post. Can I keep my existing forms?
Unified Checkout
 is designed by be highly customizable but does not provide a fully headless solution. For
Checkout API
 migration, you can continue collecting most fields in your form but payment details such as the PAN, CVV, and expiration date are captured by
Unified Checkout
. Capture of the billing and shipping information is determined by capture context configuration. In addition, there are multiple ways to integrate
Unified Checkout
 using the SDK. It is your choice to render or not render a payment button for card payments in
Unified Checkout
.
Do I need webhooks?
Cybersource
 strongly recommends that you use webhooks for production integrations to retrieve final transaction status information.
Unified Checkout
 provides a response to your browser to enable you to understand the result of the transaction, but webhooks provides all of the information that is returned from the payments request.