> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rc.cleverhub.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Card Payment API Overview

> Hello Clever’s Card API supports authorisation, capture, refund, void, and tokenisation for AUD and USD card payments in SDK or server-to-server mode.

Hello Clever’s Card API lets you accept credit and debit card payments, with full support for 3DS2 authentication, delayed capture, refunds, voids, and card tokenisation for repeat customers. You can integrate using the JavaScript SDK for a client-side drop-in UI, or via server-to-server (S2S) requests for full backend control.

## Integration modes

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="SDK Integration" icon="browser" href="/api/cards/create-payment-via-tokenisation">
    Client-side JavaScript SDK for web and mobile. Supports USD and AUD. Hello Clever renders the card input UI: no PCI scope on your frontend.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Server-to-Server (S2S)" icon="server" href="/api/cards/create-payment-via-card-information-s2s">
    Submit raw card data from your PCI DSS-compliant server directly to the Card API. AUD only. Full control over the authorisation and capture flow.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Authentication

The Card API uses `app-id` and `secret-key` as request headers, not a Bearer token.

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.lightningpay.me/api/v2/cards/charges \
  -H "app-id: your-app-id" \
  -H "secret-key: your-secret-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{...}'
```

Retrieve your `app-id` and `secret-key` from the Merchant Portal. See [Integration Keys](/integration-keys).

## Payment lifecycle

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a charge">
    Submit card details (S2S) or use the SDK to collect them. The API returns an authorisation result.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Handle 3DS if required">
    If the card requires 3DS authentication, the response includes a `3ds_url`. Redirect your customer to this URL. After authentication, the customer returns to your `return_url`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Capture the payment">
    If you set `capture: false`, explicitly call the capture endpoint when you’re ready to collect funds. If `capture: true`, the payment is captured automatically on authorisation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Refund or void">
    Issue full or partial refunds after capture, or void a payment that hasn’t been captured yet.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Card token reuse

When a payment reaches `authorised` status, Hello Clever returns a `token` object (e.g. `tok_dfe1988a1ffc...`). Save this token to charge the same customer in future without re-entering card details. See [Card Tokenisation](/api/cards/create-payment-via-tokenisation).

## Webhook notifications

Card payment status changes are delivered to your configured webhook endpoint. Subscribe to events like `authorised`, `received`, `failed`, and `return_received`. See [Webhooks](/api/webhooks) for the full event reference and payload schema.


## Related topics

- [Overview](/platform-overview/payment-concepts/overview.md)
- [Hello Clever API Overview](/api/overview.md)
- [Japanese Card Schemes: JCB and Beyond](/platform-overview/payment-concepts/jp/card-schemes.md)