Identifying the payment processor used by an online store

[Student]

Introduction​

A payment processor (or merchant) is a service that processes transactions between a buyer, their bank, and the merchant, ensuring security and convenience. Examples of popular international processors include:

• Stripe: Used for card payments, subscriptions, and custom integrations (e.g. Shopify, Notion).
• PayPal: Popular for securing purchases and P2P transactions (e.g. Etsy, eBay).
• Square: Focus on small businesses and online sales (e.g. Blue Bottle Coffee).
• Adyen: For global transactions and subscriptions (e.g. Spotify, ASOS).
• Braintree (part of PayPal): For custom solutions (e.g. Uber).

Determining the processor used by a store is useful for educational purposes:

• Carding: Collecting BINs suitable for a specific merchant (successful carding).
• Business Analysis: Choosing a Processor for Your Own Store.

Methods for determining a payment processor​

Below are five key methods to help you determine which processor a foreign online store uses. Each method includes step-by-step instructions, examples, advantages, disadvantages, and educational aspects. These methods are focused on international stores (US, EU, Asia) and exclude local processors (e.g., Yandex.Pay).

1. Analysis of the payment (checkout) page​

Why it works: The store's checkout page often displays processor logos, payment forms, or branded elements (such as a "Pay with PayPal" button).

Steps:

1. Go to the store's website (for example, glossier.com).
2. Add the item to your cart and begin the checkout process.
3. Search for:
   • Processor logos (e.g. "Powered by Stripe" or "PayPal Checkout").
   • Branded forms (for example, Stripe's card input with a distinctive design).
   • Text in the checkout footer (e.g. "Secured by Adyen").
4. If the processor is not explicitly specified, check the redirect URL when checking out (for example, checkout.stripe.com or paypal.com).
5. For accuracy: Compare your form design with your processor's documentation (e.g. stripe.com/docs/payments).

Examples:

• Glossier (USA, cosmetics): The checkout displays a Stripe form with fields for a card and the text "Powered by Stripe."
• ASOS (UK, fashion): "Pay with PayPal" button and redirect to paypal.com.
• Spotify (Global, Music): Adyen appears in the checkout footer as "Secured by Adyen".

Advantages:

• Simplicity: No special tools required.
• Accuracy: Direct observation of the actual payment process.
• Educational value: Shows UX/UI integrations.

Flaws:

• Checkout access required (sometimes an account is required).
• Some shops hide the processor until the final step.

Educational aspect:

• UX/UI: Explore how processors influence checkout design (e.g. minimalist Stripe vs. branded PayPal).
• Practice: Visit 3 stores (e.g. Notion, Etsy, Zalando) and write down which processors appear on checkout.

2. Check the website footer and the "About Us" or "Payments" pages​

Why it works: Stores often list their processors in the footer of their website, on the "About Us" page, or in the "Payment Methods" section to increase trust.

Steps:

1. Open the store's website (for example, notion.so).
2. Scroll to the footer and look for:
   • Logos (Stripe, PayPal, Square).
   • Text like "Payments by Adyen" or "Powered by Braintree".
3. Check the "About", "FAQ" or "Payment Options" pages.
4. If nothing is found, use the site search function (Ctrl+F) with queries: "Stripe", "PayPal", "Adyen".

Examples:

• Notion (US, Productivity): Checkout footer says "Powered by Stripe".
• Etsy (US/EU, handmade): The "Payment Methods" page mentions PayPal.
• Blue Bottle Coffee (USA, food): Footer with Square logo.

Advantages:

• Fast: No need to checkout.
• Availability: Works on most websites.

Flaws:

• Not all stores clearly indicate the processor.
• Requires manual verification.

Educational aspect:

• Marketing: Learn how processors are used to build trust (e.g. the PayPal logo increases conversions).
• Practice: Compare the footers of 5 websites (e.g. Figma, ASOS, Spotify) and identify the processors.

3. Using web technology analysis tools​

Why it works: Services like BuiltWith, Wappalyzer, and SimilarTech scan website code and identify the technologies used, including payment processors.

Steps:

1. Sign up at BuiltWith.com, Wappalyzer.com, or SimilarTech.com (free limits apply).
2. Enter the store URL (e.g. figma.com).
3. Check the "Payment" or "E-commerce" section of the report.
4. Alternative: Install the WhatRuns Chrome extension and visit the store website.
5. For accuracy: Test multiple tools as data may vary.

Examples:

• BuiltWith:
  • Website: figma.com.
  • Result: "Stripe" in the "Payment" section.
• Wappalyzer:
  • Website: glossier.com.
  • Result: "Stripe" as a payment technology.
• WhatRuns:
  • Website: allbirds.com.
  • Result: "Stripe" in the technology stack.

Advantages:

• Accuracy: Based on site code.
• Scale: Suitable for analyzing hundreds of websites.
• Automation: Possible via API.

Flaws:

• Requires subscription for full access.
• Ethical for public data only.

Educational aspect:

• Web Analysis: Teaches you how to understand the technology stack.
• Programming: Try the BuiltWith API for automation.
• Practice: Analyze 5 websites (e.g. Patreon, Substack, Zalando) using BuiltWith and Wappalyzer.

4. Analyzing network requests using DevTools​

Why it works: When paying, the site sends requests to the processor's servers, revealing its URL or API (e.g., api.stripe.com).

Steps:

1. Open the store's website in a browser (e.g. Chrome).
2. Press F12 to open DevTools and go to the Network tab.
3. Start checkout by adding the item to your cart.
4. Look for queries to processor domains:
   • Stripe: api.stripe.com, checkout.stripe.com.
   • PayPal: paypal.com, paypalobjects.com.
   • Adyen: checkoutshopper-live.adyen.com.
   • Square: squareup.com, connect.squareup.com.
5. If your requests are encrypted, check your redirects (for example, to paypal.com).

Examples:

• Patreon (US, Content): DevTools shows requests to api.stripe.com.
• Uber (global, transport): Requests to braintree-api.com.
• ASOS (UK, fashion): Redirect to paypal.com when choosing PayPal.

Advantages:

• Accuracy: Shows real APIs.
• Technical Depth: Teaches how to analyze network requests.

Flaws:

• Requires skills in working with DevTools.
• Some stores mask requests through proxies.

Educational aspect:

• Cybersecurity: Teaches how to analyze network interactions.
• Development: Shows how processor APIs are integrated.
• Practice: Test network queries on 3 websites (e.g. Spotify, Etsy, Notion).

5. Social networks and communities​

Why it works: Users and companies share information about processors in discussions, reviews, or posts.

Steps:

1. On X (twitter.com):
   • Search: "[store] payment processor" or "#[processor]".
   • Follow processor accounts (@Stripe, @@paypal ).
2. On Reddit:
   • Subreddits: r/ecommerce, r/fintech.
   • Запрос: "What payment processor does [store] use?".
3. On forums (Quora, Stack Overflow):
   • Поиск: "Payment processor for [store]".

Examples:

• X: Tweet from @Stripe mentions Figma as a client.
• Reddit: Post on r/ecommerce about Substack using Stripe.
• Quora: Answers to "What processor does Zalando use?" point to Adyen.

Advantages:

• Relevance: Real user reviews.
• Availability: Free and fast.

Flaws:

• Subjectivity: Requires verification.
• Limited Coverage: Not all stores are discussed.

Educational aspect:

• Communications: Teaches how to interact with communities.
• Critical Thinking: Requires filtering data.
• Practice: Find discussions about processors for 3 stores (e.g. Spotify, ASOS, Notion) on Reddit.

Recommendations for the application of methods​

1. Combine approaches:
   • Start with the checkout and footer for quick results.
   • Use BuiltWith/Wappalyzer for technical accuracy.
   • Check social media for confirmation.
2. Ethical use:
   • Use only public data.
   • Avoid attempts to exploit vulnerabilities.
   • Use it to learn technology, UX, or marketing.
3. Practical steps for learning:
   • Select 3 stores (e.g. Glossier, Etsy, Spotify).
   • Apply each method and record the processor.
   • Compare: How does the processor affect UX? (e.g. Stripe is minimalistic, PayPal is branded).
4. For developers:
   • Write a Python script to parse website footers or analyze requests using Selenium.
   • Example: requests.get("https://store.com") to search for "Powered by Stripe".

Examples of stores and their processors (2025)​

Shop	Region	Processor	Industry	Note
Glossier	USA	Stripe	Cosmetics	Stripe checkout form
ASOS	UK/EU	PayPal, Adyen	Fashion	PayPal for security, Adyen for cards
Spotify	Globally	Adyen	Music	Subscriptions via Adyen
Blue Bottle Coffee	USA	Square	Food/drinks	Square for online orders
Uber	Globally	Braintree	Transport	Custom payments

Conclusion​

Identifying a payment processor is a valuable skill for successful carders when analyzing e-commerce and fintech for good hit. By combining checkout and footer analysis, web tools, DevTools, and social media, you can accurately identify the processor used by a store. These methods teach technology skills, critical thinking, and ethical data analysis. For a more in-depth study, try automating the process using an API or writing a report on the impact of processors on UX.