PayGlocal key setup

PayGlocal secures every payment request with a pair of RSA keys: your merchant key (used to sign requests) and PayGlocal's key (used to encrypt requests and verify results). Before you can take a payment, you need both keys on your server and their details entered in the gateway. This guide walks you through generating them in the PayGlocal GCC dashboard, storing them safely, and wiring them into WHMCS.

What's a KID?

Each key has a Key ID (KID) — a short identifier PayGlocal uses to know which key you're using. You'll copy two KIDs into WHMCS: one for your merchant key, one for PayGlocal's key.

Before you start

You need access to the PayGlocal GCC dashboard for your merchant account, and a secure directory on your server that sits outside the web root (not under public_html). Have your Merchant ID (MID) handy too.

Step 1 — Generate your merchant RSA key

In the GCC dashboard, open Key Management and choose Generate an RSA key.

• Download the resulting private key .pem file.
• Note its KID — this is your merchant private key KID.

Keep this file private: it's what proves payment requests are genuinely from you.

PayGlocal GCC dashboard → Key Management → Generate an RSA key

Step 2 — Download PayGlocal's common certificate

Still in Key Management, download the PayGlocal Common Certificate (.pem).

• Save the .pem file.
• Note its KID — this is the PayGlocal public key KID.

This is the key the gateway uses to encrypt requests to PayGlocal and to verify the signatures on results coming back.

PayGlocal GCC dashboard → Key Management → Common Certificate

Step 3 — Upload both keys outside the web root

Copy both .pem files to a secure directory on your WHMCS server that the browser cannot reach — for example /home/user/keys/, not anywhere under public_html.

Then lock down their permissions so only the web-server user can read them:

chmod 640 /home/user/keys/merchant_private.pem
chmod 640 /home/user/keys/payglocal_public.pem

Never put keys in the web root

A private key that's reachable over the web is a serious risk. Always store both .pem files outside public_html and use chmod 640. See Security.

Step 4 — Enter the paths and KIDs in WHMCS

Open Setup → Payment Gateways → PayGlocal and fill in the key fields with the absolute paths and the two KIDs you noted:

Field	What to enter
Merchant Private Key File Path	Absolute path to your merchant private key .pem (e.g. /home/user/keys/merchant_private.pem)
Merchant Private Key ID (KID)	The KID of your merchant private key (from Step 1)
PayGlocal Public Key File Path	Absolute path to PayGlocal's public key .pem (from Step 2)
PayGlocal Public Key ID (KID)	The KID of PayGlocal's common certificate (from Step 2)

Click Save Changes. Also confirm your Merchant ID (MID) and License Key are filled in.

Setup → Payment Gateways → PayGlocal

Match keys to the environment

Sandbox (UAT) and production use different keys. Generate and use UAT keys while testing, then swap in production keys before going live — see Going live.

Related pages

• Going live — test in sandbox, then switch to production
• Configuration — all gateway fields explained
• Security — why key storage matters
• How payments work — how these keys are used
• Troubleshooting — key and verification errors