Chargent technical guide
Everything an engineer needs to connect Chargent to Salesforce: architecture, the exact build steps with real code, field mapping, the data model, security, monitoring, and the pitfalls we design out.
A full Chargent managed-package rollout for collecting card payments inside Salesforce. We have shipped it across 2 client projects and 35 build tasks.
The value is what happens after the charge: matching payments to records, handling refunds, and keeping finance reconciled without manual work.
We deploy the managed package the right way: sandbox first, licenses and permission sets assigned, templates and layouts configured, and automation wrapped around it so it fits your process.
Every Chargent build is delivered by a senior Salesforce architect on a fixed price, tested end to end in a sandbox, deployed to your org, and backed by 30 days of hypercare. You own the result: documented, source-controlled, and free of black-box middleware lock-in.
How Chargent connects to Salesforce
The real connection surface: how it authenticates, what it is built on, the endpoints and events in play, and where the reference docs live.
- Connects via
- Managed package suite (AppExchange): Chargent Base/Gateway + Chargent Orders + optional Chargent AnywhereNative Apex HTTPS callouts to 30+ pre-built payment gatewaysChargent Anywhere runs payment processing on any standard or custom object
- Package
- Chargent Payment Processing (AppFrontier)
- Authentication
- Per-gateway credentials (e.g. API Login ID + Transaction Key) stored on the Chargent Gateway record; outbound HTTPS callouts to the selected gateway
- API type
- REST
- Reference
- Official developer docs
Key endpoints
ChargentOrders__ChargentOrder__c (order/payment record)ChargentOrders__Transaction__c (transaction log)ChargentOrders__Gateway__c (gateway config)ChargentOrders__Payment_Request__c (text-to-pay / payment link)Build this with AI agents
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Loading the Chargent playbook...What we build for a Chargent integration
Chargent managed package plus Chargent Anywhere installed and configured for payment collection: license assignment, OAuth, gateway config, auto-populated amounts, payment-link generation and PCI-compliant stored cards, with a branded payment portal and success pages.
Package install and licensing
Installed the Chargent managed package, assigned licenses and permission sets, and completed OAuth gateway authentication.
Chargent Anywhere on the layout
Added the Chargent Anywhere component to the Chargent Order layout with the Amount auto-populated from the record.
Payment links and portal
Generated payment links, built and branded the payment portal and success pages, and moved the Send Payment Request button onto Chargent Orders.
Real components we ship
What you will need
What we confirm on both sides before writing a line of code.
From trigger to record, end to end
The production runtime flow, with what happens in each system.
- 01
Customer pays
In ChargentA customer or donor pays through Chargent using checkout, a payment link, or a saved card.
$Handled entirely vendor-side, so raw card data never touches Salesforce and PCI scope stays low. - 02
Event is emitted
In transitChargent emits an event such as checkout.session.completed or charge.succeeded.
$POSTed over Managed package, OAuth to a public Apex REST endpoint exposed on a Salesforce Site. - 03
Verified and queued
In SalesforceThe endpoint verifies the signature, returns HTTP 200 immediately, and hands the work off.
$HMAC signature checked; heavy processing runs in a Queueable so the webhook never hits its timeout. - 04
Record is written
In SalesforceThe event is upserted to an Events object, then mapped onto the Payment and Account.
$Idempotent upsert on the event id; a record-triggered flow maps fields and reconciles. - 05
Reconciled and reported
In SalesforceThe payment is matched to the right record; refunds and disputes flow back automatically.
$Amounts reconciled against invoices, with exceptions raised on a dashboard.
How the data actually flows
Left to right: sources, the integration layer, Salesforce, and the outcomes it drives.
// sources feed the integration layer, Salesforce persists, outcomes ship
The objects behind the integration
The Salesforce objects we read and write, what each one is for, and the fields that carry the load.
| Object | Purpose | Key fields |
|---|---|---|
Payment | The primary Salesforce record Chargent data maps onto. | External_Id__c, Name, Status |
Account | Matched or created for the customer or company behind the record. | Name, External_Id__c |
Error_Log__c (custom) | Captures every request, response, and failure so anything can be replayed. | Payload__c, Status__c, Related_Id__c |
Salesforce objects typically in play for Chargent
Build the Chargent integration
Every step we follow to ship a production-grade build, with the code that matters.
Plan the integration and prerequisites
We line up licenses and access before installing anything.
- A Salesforce edition compatible with the package, and a sandbox to install into first
- A Chargent account and admin rights on both systems
- The records, templates, and outcomes agreed up front
Install the managed package
We install Chargent the safe way.
- Install from AppExchange into a sandbox first, choosing Install for All Users
- Approve the third-party access it requests, and note the API or remote endpoints it uses
Pro tip: sandbox first
Install the managed package in a sandbox first and choose Install for All Users, so you can configure and test safely before anything touches production.
Assign licenses and permission sets
We give the right users the right access.
- Assign the package licenses and its permission sets to the integration user and the end users who need it
Authenticate to Chargent
We connect the package to your Chargent account securely.
- Authenticate Chargent via OAuth and configure the org-wide and per-user settings
- Confirm any Named Credential or Remote Site the package relies on is configured
Configure objects, templates, and layouts
We set Chargent up around how you actually work.
- Configure the Chargent-specific pieces such as templates, gateways, or components
- Add the Lightning components and actions to the right page layouts
- Map Salesforce fields into Chargent so documents and records are accurate every time
Build automation around the package
We make Chargent fire from the right place and write results back.
- Record-triggered flows or Quick Actions invoke the package's invocable methods
- Status and results are written back onto the Salesforce record automatically
public class GenerateDocument {
@InvocableMethod(label='Generate document via package')
public static void run(List<Id> recordIds) {
// a record-triggered flow calls this; it hands off to the managed package
for (Id recId : recordIds) {
pkg.DocumentService.createFromTemplate(recId, 'Order Form');
}
}
}Test in a sandbox
We validate the full flow before go-live.
- Run real scenarios end to end and confirm the records, documents, and callbacks
Deploy and monitor
We ship it and support it.
- Deploy configuration via change sets and assign permission sets in production
- Monitor callbacks and errors, with 30 days of support
Example field mapping
How Chargent data lands on your Salesforce records. We tailor the full mapping to your org.
| Chargent | Salesforce | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chargent charge id | Payment.External_Id__c | Unique external id, upsert key |
| Chargent amount | Payment.Amount | |
| Chargent currency | Payment.CurrencyIsoCode | |
| Chargent customer | Account | Matched or created |
| Chargent status | Payment.Status | Picklist value mapping |
| Created / updated at | LastModifiedDate | Enables delta sync and audit |
| Owner or rep | Payment.OwnerId | Assignment rules or a default owner |
Rate limits and governor limits
The platform constraints we design around, so the integration stays fast and never falls over at scale.
Specific to Chargent
Salesforce platform limits
Secure by design
How we keep the integration safe, least-privilege, and compliant.
Monitoring, retries, and reliability
What keeps the integration trustworthy in production, and how you know the moment something needs attention.
How we test, deploy, and hand it over
The quality gates every build clears before it touches your production org.
Common pitfalls we design out
The mistakes that quietly break integrations, and how we avoid each one.
Config lost between orgs
Deploy configuration via change sets and document the setup.
Users cannot see the feature
Assign the package license and permission set to the right users.
Vendor limits hit unexpectedly
Confirm the API and volume limits on your plan before go-live.
No visibility when it breaks
We log every call and surface failures on a dashboard with alerts, so an issue never goes unnoticed.
Reporting drifts from reality
External-id keys and a delta timestamp keep Salesforce and the source reconciled, so reports stay trustworthy.
Gotchas specific to Chargent
Chargent integration: technical FAQs
How do you authenticate Chargent with Salesforce?
We connect Chargent using the managed package with OAuth and store every secret in Salesforce Named Credentials with a permission set, so nothing is hard-coded or shipped in metadata.
Does the Chargent integration handle bulk volume?
Yes. All Apex is bulkified, volume moves to Queueable or Batch Apex, and we respect the Salesforce governor limits (SOQL, DML, and callout caps per transaction).
How do you prevent duplicate records?
We upsert on a unique external-id field, so a retried or duplicate payload is idempotent and never creates a second Payment.
How is the integration tested and deployed?
Apex tests with HttpCalloutMock cover the success, failure, and a 200-record bulk case (75 percent plus coverage). We deploy via change sets or an SFDX and CI pipeline.
What happens if Chargent or Salesforce is briefly down?
Failed calls retry with backoff and land in an Error Log object with alerting, so nothing is lost and any event can be replayed.
Do we still need custom code?
Usually only a thin layer: record-triggered flows or a small invocable Apex method to fire the package and write results back. The heavy lifting is the managed package.
Want us to build your Chargent integration?
Skip the build. In a free 30-minute call we will map your Chargent flow and hand you a clear, fixed-price plan.