Payments
The Payments module will handle all payment processing functionality within the UBU Digital Finance Solution.
Overview
This module will provide comprehensive functionality for processing, tracking, and managing payments, including:
- Payment processing for various payment methods
- Payment gateway integration
- Payment verification and reconciliation
- Payment status tracking
- Integration with other system modules
Planned Features
Payment Processing
The system will support various payment methods:
- Bank Transfers: Direct transfers between bank accounts
- Mobile Money: Integration with mobile money providers
- Card Payments: Debit and credit card processing
- Digital Wallets: Integration with digital wallet providers
- Cash Payments: Recording of cash payments at branches
Each payment will:
- Be assigned a unique payment ID
- Include payer and payee information
- Record the payment amount and currency
- Capture the payment method and status
- Store a reference and description
- Track creation and processing timestamps
Payment Gateway Integration
The system will integrate with various payment gateways:
- Card Payment Processors: For debit and credit card payments
- Mobile Money Providers: For mobile money transactions
- Bank APIs: For direct bank transfers
- Digital Wallet Providers: For digital wallet payments
The integration will support:
- Payment initiation
- Payment status updates
- Refund processing
- Dispute handling
- Settlement reconciliation
Payment Verification
All payments will undergo verification to ensure:
- Payment source is valid
- Payment destination is valid
- Payment amount is correct
- Payment is not duplicated
- Fraud detection checks are passed
Payment Status Tracking
The system will track payments through their lifecycle:
- Initiated: Payment has been initiated
- Processing: Payment is being processed
- Completed: Payment has been successfully processed
- Failed: Payment processing has failed
- Refunded: Payment has been refunded
- Disputed: Payment is under dispute
Recurring Payments
The system will support recurring payment functionality:
- Scheduled Payments: Set up payments to occur at regular intervals
- Standing Orders: Regular payments of fixed amounts
- Direct Debits: Variable payments authorized by the payer
- Subscription Payments: Recurring payments for subscription services
Integration Points
The Payments module will integrate with other system components:
- Accounts Module: To verify account status and update balances
- Transactions Module: To record payment transactions
- User Management: To verify user information for payments
- Authentication Module: To verify user permissions for payment operations
- Loans Module: To process loan repayments
Planned API Endpoints
| Endpoint | Method | Description |
|---|---|---|
/payment/ |
POST | Create a new payment |
/payment/ |
GET | Get all payments (with filtering) |
/payment/{payment_id} |
GET | Get a specific payment |
/payment/{payment_id}/status |
GET | Get payment status |
/payment/{payment_id}/refund |
POST | Process a refund |
/payment/methods |
GET | Get available payment methods |
/payment/recurring |
POST | Set up a recurring payment |
/payment/recurring/{recurring_id} |
GET | Get a specific recurring payment |
/payment/recurring/{recurring_id} |
PUT | Update a recurring payment |
/payment/recurring/{recurring_id} |
DELETE | Cancel a recurring payment |
Planned Data Model
The Payments module will use the following database tables:
Payment_Methods
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| method_id | UUID | Primary key |
| method_name | VARCHAR | Name of the payment method |
| method_description | VARCHAR | Description of the payment method |
| processor | VARCHAR | Payment processor/gateway |
| is_active | BOOLEAN | Whether the method is active |
| config | JSONB | Configuration parameters |
Payments
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| payment_id | UUID | Primary key |
| payer_id | UUID | Foreign key to Users table (payer) |
| payee_id | UUID | Foreign key to Users table (payee) |
| method_id | UUID | Foreign key to Payment_Methods table |
| transaction_id | UUID | Foreign key to Transactions table |
| amount | DECIMAL | Payment amount |
| currency | VARCHAR | Payment currency |
| status | VARCHAR | Payment status |
| reference | VARCHAR | Payment reference |
| description | VARCHAR | Payment description |
| external_reference | VARCHAR | Reference from payment processor |
| created_at | TIMESTAMP | When the payment was created |
| processed_at | TIMESTAMP | When the payment was processed |
| completed_at | TIMESTAMP | When the payment was completed |
Recurring_Payments
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| recurring_id | UUID | Primary key |
| payer_id | UUID | Foreign key to Users table (payer) |
| payee_id | UUID | Foreign key to Users table (payee) |
| method_id | UUID | Foreign key to Payment_Methods table |
| amount | DECIMAL | Payment amount |
| currency | VARCHAR | Payment currency |
| frequency | VARCHAR | Payment frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) |
| start_date | DATE | When recurring payments should start |
| end_date | DATE | When recurring payments should end (optional) |
| next_payment_date | DATE | Date of next scheduled payment |
| status | VARCHAR | Status of the recurring payment |
| reference | VARCHAR | Payment reference |
| description | VARCHAR | Payment description |
| created_at | TIMESTAMP | When the recurring payment was created |
| updated_at | TIMESTAMP | When the recurring payment was last updated |
Payment_Logs
| Column | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| log_id | UUID | Primary key |
| payment_id | UUID | Foreign key to Payments table |
| status | VARCHAR | Status at the time of logging |
| message | VARCHAR | Log message |
| created_at | TIMESTAMP | When the log was created |
Implementation Plan
Phase 1: Core Payment Processing
- Implement payment method data models
- Create payment data models
- Develop basic payment processing APIs
- Implement payment status tracking
Phase 2: Payment Gateway Integration
- Implement integration with card payment processors
- Develop integration with mobile money providers
- Create integration with bank APIs
- Implement integration with digital wallet providers
Phase 3: Advanced Features
- Implement recurring payment functionality
- Develop payment reporting and analytics
- Create payment reconciliation processes
- Implement dispute handling
Security Considerations
The Payments module will implement several security measures:
- Encryption: Protection of payment information in transit and at rest
- Tokenization: Use of tokens instead of actual payment details
- Fraud Detection: Monitoring for suspicious payment patterns
- Authentication: Strong authentication for payment operations
- Audit Trail: Comprehensive logging of all payment activities
Compliance Requirements
The Payments module will be designed to meet regulatory requirements:
- PCI DSS: Compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
- AML: Anti-Money Laundering monitoring and reporting
- KYC: Know Your Customer verification for payments
- Data Protection: Adherence to data protection regulations
- Reporting: Supporting regulatory reporting requirements