The payment experience your customers see at checkout is determined by a fundamental architectural choice: do you redirect customers to a hosted payment page on your processor’s domain, or do you embed a payment form directly into your WooCommerce checkout? Both approaches work, but they have materially different impacts on conversion rates, PCI compliance scope, and development complexity.
What Is a Hosted Payment Page?
A hosted payment page (HPP) redirects customers away from your WooCommerce store to a checkout page hosted by your payment processor. The processor’s page collects card data, processes the payment, and then redirects the customer back to your order confirmation page. Examples include PayPal’s standard checkout flow and some traditional gateway redirect modes.
Hosted Payment Page: Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Minimal PCI scope — card data never touches your server | Redirect breaks the checkout flow, increasing abandonment |
| Processor handles all security and compliance | Limited brand control — customers see processor’s design |
| Fast to implement | Mobile experience often poor on redirect |
| No frontend development required | Lose customers who don’t recognize/trust the redirect destination |
What Is Embedded Checkout?
Embedded checkout keeps customers on your WooCommerce store throughout the entire purchase. A payment form, collecting card details, appears directly within your checkout page, typically as a JavaScript-rendered component (iframe or custom element) that keeps card data isolated from your server. The customer never leaves your site.
Embedded Checkout: Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Higher conversion rates — no redirect interruption | More integration work than a simple redirect |
| Full brand consistency throughout checkout | Requires JavaScript-capable storefront |
| Better mobile experience | PCI scope depends on implementation (iframe reduces scope) |
| Support for digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) in-context | More testing required for cross-browser compatibility |
The Conversion Rate Impact
Checkout redirects cause meaningful abandonment. Research across ecommerce checkouts consistently shows that redirect-based payment flows have 5–15% higher abandonment rates than embedded checkout. The effect is stronger on mobile, where redirect flows often result in slow page loads or failed returns. With 38.6% of WooCommerce transactions happening on mobile (ConvesioPay Q1 2026 data), a mobile-optimized embedded checkout is no longer optional for merchants serious about conversion.
PCI Scope: The Real Comparison
Both approaches can achieve minimal PCI scope when implemented correctly:
- Hosted page: Lowest possible PCI scope (SAQ A) since no card data touches your systems
- Embedded iframe: Also achieves SAQ A scope when card data is collected in a processor-hosted iframe — your site never sees raw card numbers
- Embedded API (direct integration): Higher PCI scope (SAQ D) since card data passes through your server
The iframe-based embedded checkout combines the conversion benefits of on-site checkout with the PCI simplicity of a hosted page, this is the implementation most modern WooCommerce payment plugins use.
ConvesioPay’s Approach
ConvesioPay’s WooCommerce plugin uses an embedded iframe checkout that delivers on-site brand consistency, digital wallet support (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and minimal PCI scope, all within your existing WooCommerce checkout flow. No redirect, no separate hosted page to maintain, and no additional PCI burden. Installation takes minutes. Flat rate: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, no monthly fees.
Ready to get started? Learn more about ConvesioPay or view pricing.