Webhooks & Notifications
Receive real-time event notifications via webhooks, email, Slack, and SFTP. Subscribe to payment events and settlement reports for merchants and partners.
Overview
Surfboard Payments provides two mechanisms for receiving real-time updates about payment events:
- Callback URL (webhook): A per-order webhook URL that receives HTTP callbacks for order and payment state changes.
- Notification subscriptions: Persistent subscriptions for merchants or partners that deliver event notifications via email, Slack, or SFTP.
Use callback URLs for immediate, order-level status updates during checkout. Use notification subscriptions for ongoing operational alerts such as daily settlement reports.
Callback URL (Per-Order Webhook)
When creating an order, set controlFunctions.callBackUrl to receive webhook callbacks for that order’s payment lifecycle events.
POST /merchants/:merchantId/orders
{
"terminal$id": "YOUR_TERMINAL_ID",
"orderLines": [ ... ],
"controlFunctions": {
"callBackUrl": "https://your-server.com/webhooks/payments",
"initiatePaymentsOptions": {
"paymentMethod": "CARD"
}
}
}The callBackUrl is a dynamic callback URL that Surfboard uses to perform webhook calls relating to the order and payment. Your endpoint should return a 200 status code to acknowledge receipt.
Notification Subscriptions
For persistent, account-wide notifications, subscribe to events at the merchant or partner level. Each subscription supports multiple delivery channels: email, Slack, and SFTP.
Subscribe to Merchant Report Notifications
POST /merchants/:merchantId/notifications/reports
{
"event": "DAILY_FILE_TRANSFER",
"email": "finance@yourcompany.com",
"slackUrl": "https://hooks.slack.com/services/T00/B00/xxx"
}You must provide at least one delivery channel (email, slackUrl, or sftpInfo). You can include multiple channels in a single request.
Response:
{
"status": "SUCCESS",
"data": [
{
"notificationId": "abc123",
"NotificationChannel": "EMAIL"
},
{
"notificationId": "def456",
"NotificationChannel": "SLACK"
}
],
"message": "Notification subscription created successfully"
}Subscribe to Partner Notifications
Partners use the same structure with the partner endpoint:
POST /partners/:partnerId/notifications/reports
{
"event": "DAILY_FILE_TRANSFER",
"email": "ops@partner.com"
}SFTP Delivery Channel
For automated file-based delivery (such as settlement CSVs), include sftpInfo:
{
"event": "DAILY_FILE_TRANSFER",
"sftpInfo": {
"host": "sftp.yourserver.com",
"user": "surfboard-reports",
"port": 22,
"remoteDirectory": "/reports/daily",
"separator": ","
}
}The response includes a publicKey for SFTP channels. Add this key to your SFTP server’s authorized keys to allow Surfboard to deliver files.
Fetching Existing Subscriptions
Retrieve all configured notification subscriptions for a merchant or partner:
GET /merchants/:merchantId/notifications
GET /partners/:partnerId/notificationsBoth endpoints support optional query parameters: event, notificationChannel, and notificationId.
{
"status": "SUCCESS",
"data": [
{
"notificationId": "abc123",
"event": "DAILY_FILE_TRANSFER",
"notificationChannel": "EMAIL",
"address": { "email": "finance@yourcompany.com" },
"status": "ACTIVE"
}
]
}Unsubscribing from Notifications
Remove a subscription by its ID:
DELETE /merchants/:merchantId/notifications/:notificationId
DELETE /partners/:partnerId/notifications/:notificationIdBest Practices
- Return 200 quickly. Process webhook payloads asynchronously. Return a
200response before performing business logic to avoid timeouts. - Handle retries. Surfboard may retry failed deliveries. Use the
orderIdornotificationIdto deduplicate and ensure idempotent processing. - Verify the source. Validate incoming webhook requests against expected IP ranges or signatures to prevent spoofed callbacks.
- Monitor subscriptions. Periodically fetch your active subscriptions with the GET endpoint to confirm they are still active and correctly configured.
- Use HTTPS. Always use HTTPS URLs for callback URLs and Slack webhook URLs to protect data in transit.
- Store notification IDs. Save the
notificationIdreturned when subscribing — you need it to unsubscribe or filter notifications later.
API Reference
| Action | Method | Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Set per-order webhook | POST | /merchants/:merchantId/orders (via controlFunctions.callBackUrl) |
| Subscribe merchant reports | POST | /merchants/:merchantId/notifications/reports |
| Subscribe partner reports | POST | /partners/:partnerId/notifications/reports |
| Fetch merchant notifications | GET | /merchants/:merchantId/notifications |
| Fetch partner notifications | GET | /partners/:partnerId/notifications |
| Unsubscribe merchant | DELETE | /merchants/:merchantId/notifications/:notificationId |
| Unsubscribe partner | DELETE | /partners/:partnerId/notifications/:notificationId |
Other Guides
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Self-Hosted Checkout
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Server-to-Server API
Process online payments entirely from your backend with Merchant Initiated Transactions. Full control over recurring payments, subscriptions, and tokenized card flows.
Create an Order
Learn how to create orders with line items, tax, customer details, and control functions. The starting point for accepting payments with the Surfboard API.
Merchant Onboarding
Set up merchants and stores on the Surfboard platform. Walk through the full onboarding flow from merchant creation to KYB completion and store setup.
Payment Lifecycle
Manage the full payment lifecycle from order creation through capture, void, cancel, and refund operations using the Surfboard Payments API.
Capture a Payment
Finalize a previously authorized payment by capturing funds. Covers delay capture and pre-authorization flows with step-by-step API examples.
Terminal & Device Management
Manage payment terminals and devices via the Surfboard API. Register in-store and online terminals, configure settings, and handle device operations.
Cancel a Payment
Stop an in-progress payment before it completes. Use cancellation when a customer abandons checkout or a payment needs to be halted mid-process.
Recurring Payments
Implement subscription billing and recurring charges using tokenization, recurring payment configuration, and Merchant Initiated Transactions.
Void a Payment
Reverse a completed payment before settlement. Voiding stops funds from transferring to the merchant's account, avoiding incorrect transactions.
Receipts
Generate, email, print, and customise receipts for in-store transactions using the Surfboard Receipts API.
Refund an Order
Process a full refund by creating a return order with negative quantities. Covers the complete refund flow with API examples and payment method requirements.
Partial Refund
Refund specific items or a reduced amount from a completed order. Process partial returns by creating a return order with only the items to be refunded.
Tips Configuration
Configure tipping on Surfboard payment terminals at the merchant, store, or terminal level using a hierarchical override model.
NFC Tag Reading
Use the NFC Reading API to create tag-reading sessions on payment terminals, scan NFC/RFID-tagged products, and retrieve scanned tag data.
Partial Payments
Split an order across multiple payment methods or transactions. Accept card, cash, and Swish in any combination to settle a single order.
Multi-Merchant Terminals
Set up shared payment terminals for multiple merchants using the Multi-Merchant Group API. Ideal for food courts, events, and co-located businesses.
Store Management
Create, update, verify, and manage in-store and online stores using the Surfboard Payments Store APIs.
Gift Cards & Promotions
Issue and manage gift cards, track transactions, and create marketing promotions using the Surfboard Payments APIs.
Product Catalog
Create and manage product catalogs, products, variants, inventory levels, and analytics through the Catalog API.
Settlements & Reporting
Retrieve settlement reports, view adjustments, manage merchant charges, and register customer profiles for reconciliation and billing.
Account & Service Provider Management
Create merchant and partner accounts, manage user roles, register service providers, and configure external notifications via the Surfboard API.
Payment Methods
Activate, deactivate, and list payment methods for a merchant. Manage card, Swish, Klarna, AMEX, Vipps, MobilePay, and more via the API or Partner Portal.
Client Auth Tokens
Generate client-side authentication tokens for secure API access from browsers and mobile apps without exposing your API key or secret.
Partner Branding
Configure white-label branding for terminals and payment pages. Set colors, fonts, logos, and cover images at the partner level via API or Partner Portal.
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