Suppose you’re running online stores, a SaaS platform, a marketplace, or any kind of business online, or want to reach new markets. In that case, you might be looking for ways to accept online payments that will not require advanced website development from your team.
That’s exactly why hosted payment pages exist.
A hosted payment page is one of the simplest and safest ways to handle online payments, reduce your PCI DSS compliance burden, and offer customers a clean, secure checkout experience.
And yes – Genome provides hosted payment pages designed specifically for modern EU businesses.
Find out more about payment processing, hosted payment pages, and why a payment gateway and such a page may take your business to the next level.
What is a hosted payment page?
A hosted payment page (sometimes called a hosted payment solution or external payment page) is a ready-made checkout page provided by a payment processor or payment gateway provider.
Such payment services make the entire transaction process (payment data, security, PCI rules, etc) pretty simple by redirecting customers from a store’s website to this secure page.
The checkout process on the payment page supports debit cards or credit cards, and any payment methods depend on the provider, except for cash payments for obvious reasons. Open Banking is also supported and encouraged.
Main benefits:
The checkout isn’t on your server – the merchant’s payment gateway / financial provider hosts it externally.
Customers land on a secure page or open a payment link to enter payment details (cards, bank transfers, Pay-by-Bank, digital wallets, and more).
The provider takes over the checkout process, including PCI DSS compliance, encryption, storage, and authorization.
When the transaction is done, the customer is redirected back to the merchant website with instant confirmation after the purchase is made.
In short, it is a very handy feature, especially for small businesses and any ecommerce business that doesn’t want to create a self-hosted payment gateway and manage its software. Plain and simple: a reliable service for a merchant, a good solution for small businesses.
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How a hosted payment page works
The technical part of how payments work here may be confusing, but the integration process is actually very simple, which is why it is becoming a selling point for merchant businesses.
Step 1: Customer clicks “Pay”
After a customer chooses to purchase on the website, they will reach the merchant’s checkout page and complete the order there.
When they click the final “Pay” or “Place Order” button, the merchant’s system initiates the payment request.
Step 2: They’re redirected to a secure hosted page
The merchant’s system generates a secure payment request and sends the customer’s browser to a dedicated payment page or generates a payment link.
This hosted payment page is maintained by the payment gateway or payment processor and is operated in a PCI DSS–compliant environment.
In this payment processing scenario, the merchant and its website never touch or store the raw payment information (such as the card number), and only the payment gateway has access to it.
Hosted page significantly simplifies the merchant’s PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance requirements, as payment gateway providers are responsible for the highest level of data security.
Step 3: The customer enters their payment details on the checkout page
On the payment page, the customer inputs their credit card number, expiration date, and CVV / uses other payment methods.
In order to accept online payments, a payment gateway, during payment processing, must get access to the customer’s data. That’s why this step often involves Strong Customer Authentication (especially for transactions within the European Economic Area, which requires a two-factor authentication process (e.g., password + one-time code sent to a mobile phone) to verify the identity of a customer.
Payment methods on the hosted payment site may include:
Debit cards/credit cards
Instant bank transfers
Open Banking / Pay-by-Bank transfers
Apple Pay, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, or other digital wallets
Local payment methods depending on the region
Step 4: The processor handles authorization
In this part, the entire transaction process takes place on the checkout page outside your existing site. Behind the scenes, so to speak, the payment gateway “communicates” with banks.
The hosted payment page (acting as the payment gateway) securely encrypts or tokenizes the card details, sends a request to the payment processor, and then routes the request to the customer’s bank (the issuing bank).
In the process, a transaction goes through:
PCI compliance
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) under PSD2
Tokenization of sensitive data
Fraud prevention tools
Tokenization is a tool that replaces sensitive card data and payment information with a unique, non-sensitive string of characters (a token). The merchant can securely store this token for future purchases or subscription payments without storing the actual card details on their website, thereby improving the customer checkout experience.
Step 5: Merchant receives confirmation
Once the payment is approved, the merchant receives an instant notification, and the customer is returned to the company’s existing website.
Simultaneously, the payment page sends an instant, secure confirmation message to the merchant, indicating that the order has been paid and allowing the merchant to proceed with fulfilling the order.
Hosted payment page vs. custom checkout
Here’s a clear comparison:
PCI compliance | Handled by the provider | Merchant is fully responsible |
Setup | Very fast, minimal coding for website | Requires developers + ongoing maintenance for hardware and software part |
Security | Strong, maintained by the payment gateway | Merchant must ensure enhanced security by itself |
UI customization | Basic to moderate | Full control over the design |
Ideal for | Small businesses, startups, SaaS, global expansion | Large companies with engineering teams |
Risk exposure | Low (no sensitive data stored) | Higher (you process/store payment data) |
If you want to serve customers quickly and safely without building your own payment gateway for the checkout process, a hosted solution is the way to go.
Features of a modern hosted payment page
A good hosted gateway should offer:
Fully secure, PCI DSS-compliant environment for transactions
The checkout page should support multiple payment methods: cards, bank transfers, Pay by Bank, and digital wallets (Google Pay, etc.);
Mobile-friendly responsive design;
Customizable branding options;
Real-time payment confirmation;
Multi-currency support;
Fraud prevention and risk scoring to secure transactions;
Customer data tokenization for subscriptions and recurring billing.
These features allow businesses to accept payments safely without over-engineering their infrastructure or website. The checkout process will be automated in a very sophisticated way.
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Benefits of hosted payment pages for businesses
The reason hosted payment pages remain popular, even with modern tools like Open Banking, is simple: they solve real problems.
1. Fast integration with almost no engineering work
Add a link or a button. That’s it. Hosted pages are designed for quick and simple setup. A merchant typically integrates them by copying and pasting a few lines of code or using a simple redirect link. So, you don’t really need a big in-house development team to manage the payment process.
2. Secure handling of sensitive data
No card storage, no liability, no complex encryption on your end. It all remains on the payment gateway provider’s site.
3. Much lower compliance costs
Since the gateway handles PCI DSS, your annual PCI scope shrinks dramatically.
4. Reduced checkout abandonment
A clean, trusted, secure payment page improves conversion rates. Hosted pages are often professionally designed and mobile-optimized for a good customer experience, reducing friction points that cause users to leave.
Additionally, the presence of recognized payment provider logos and visible security seals builds instant customer trust.
5. Higher authorization success rates
Payment processors optimize routing and risk checks. Good hosted payment gateways usually have powerful hardware to handle large volumes of payments and network issues, leading to fewer false declines and more completed sales.
6. Supports subscriptions & recurring payments
Tokenization enables seamless renewals or transactions without re-entering card details.
Hosted pages typically utilize tokenization after the first successful payment. The merchant receives a secure, non-sensitive token instead of the card number. This token can be used to process future payments for subscriptions or one-click checkouts without the customer needing to re-enter their details, enabling a seamless recurring revenue model.
7. Ideal solutions for small and mid-sized businesses
Especially those without dev teams or wanting to test new markets. Overall, it’s a simple way to process payments, reduce risk, and accept payments from anywhere in the world using a third-party checkout page.
Don’t hesitate – start a business account, apply for a merchant account, and unlock easy-to-use hosted payment pages today.
Who should use a hosted payment page?
SaaS platforms
Perfect for subscription billing and simple sign-ups.
E-commerce businesses
Online stores that want to accept online payments safely without the cost of a custom checkout.
Marketplaces
A hosted payment page makes onboarding easier for vendors and simplifies payment flows.
Digital products & services
Fast and clear payment experience for software, downloads, courses, and more.
Businesses expanding globally
Multi-currency support, combined with international payment methods, offers easier scaling.
Hosted payment pages and open banking
A payment gateway does not equal open banking, despite some similarities. An open banking payment uses a direct bank transfer to bypass card networks, while a payment page is part of a checkout page.
So, how do they interact?
Modern hosted payment gateways are actively expanding and now often include Open Banking capabilities.
Here are the benefits that checkout can enable:
Support for Pay-by-Bank with instant confirmation of the transaction;
SEPA Instant Transfers for near-real-time settlement;
Built-in compliance with PSD2 and SCA rules;
Higher success rates because bank-to-bank payments rarely fail;
Improved checkout conversion due to reduced friction.
Basically, Open Banking turns the hosted payment page into a high-speed, low-fee alternative to card payments.
But not every payment gateway provider can enable it for customers.
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How Genome’s hosted payment page works
Genome provides a secure, hosted payment solution for businesses that want a fast, safe way to accept payments from multiple countries.
We are operating under an Electronic Money Institution license issued by and supervised by the Bank of Lithuania. We provide financial services online, including a hosted payment page.
Our hosted payment pages let you redirect customers via a link to a secure checkout where they can enter their payment details and complete transactions without disrupting their browsing experience.
Genome also offers:
Instant bank payments from customers to merchants via the combination of Open Banking and SEPA Instant Transfers.
Dedicated IBANs are included for settlements and payouts.
Fraud prevention, risk scoring, and PCI DSS compliance.
API and webhook support for instant notifications about incoming C2B payments.
Multi-currency accounts that support 12 currencies: USD, GBP, EUR, PLN, CHF, JPY, CAD, CZK, HUF, SEK, AUD, and DKK.
Seamless connection with our corporate physical cards and virtual Visa cards for team expenses, online subscriptions, and ad spend – all managed from a single business account.
In short, Genome makes payment processing and compliance much easier and the checkout experience better. The EU-based companies seeking a professional, reliable payment experience can find it with us!
