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

> ## Agent Instructions
> OwnPay is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and is completely free - no licensing fees.
> Production docs URL: https://ownpay.org/docs - append .md to any page URL for clean markdown.
> OwnPay requires PHP 8.3+, MySQL/MariaDB, and Redis.
> MCP server available at https://ownpay.org/docs/mcp for programmatic documentation queries.
> Use root-relative links (e.g. /quickstart) for internal navigation - do NOT include /docs prefix.
> Plugin development: consult /developer/plugin-types/ pages for correct interfaces and manifests.

# OwnPay FAQ: Installation, Payments, and Plugin Answers

> Frequently asked questions about OwnPay covering installation, licensing, payment gateways, plugins, SMS verification, and troubleshooting.

Common questions and answers about OwnPay.

## General

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is OwnPay?">
    OwnPay is a self-hosted payment orchestrator. It allows a single platform owner to manage multiple white-labeled merchant stores (brands) under one installation, with double-entry ledger bookkeeping, 100+ payment gateways, and Android SMS verification.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is OwnPay a SaaS platform?">
    No. OwnPay is infrastructure you deploy and own. You control the server, database, credentials, and data. No third-party has access to your transactions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is OwnPay different from Stripe or PayPal?">
    Stripe and PayPal are payment processors - they process payments for your business. OwnPay is a payment orchestrator - it connects to multiple gateways (including Stripe and PayPal) and gives you a unified interface to manage all payment methods across multiple brands.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use OwnPay for my own business?">
    Yes. OwnPay is designed for platform operators who want to host payment processing for multiple businesses, agencies that white-label checkout for clients, or enterprises with multiple divisions needing independent payment processing.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Installation

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What are the system requirements?">
    * PHP 8.3 or higher
    * MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+
    * 512MB RAM minimum (2GB+ recommended)
    * 1GB disk space minimum
    * SSL certificate for production

    See [System Requirements](/resources/local-setup) for full details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I install OwnPay on shared hosting?">
    Yes. OwnPay works with cPanel, DirectAdmin, and Plesk hosting. You need PHP 8.3 support and MySQL. See the [Shared Hosting](/installation#shared-hosting) installation guide.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need to know command line to install OwnPay?">
    No. OwnPay includes a web-based installer. Upload the files, create a database, and visit your domain to complete setup through the browser.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Payment Processing

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What payment gateways does OwnPay support?">
    OwnPay supports 100+ payment methods through its plugin system, including Stripe, PayPal, Square, bKash, Nagad, GCash, bank transfers, and more. See the [Gateway](/concepts/gateways) documentation for the full list.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does OwnPay store credit card data?">
    No. OwnPay uses tokenization - credit card data is processed by the payment gateway and never stored in your database. This ensures PCI compliance without the complexity of storing card data.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I accept payments in multiple currencies?">
    Yes. Each brand can accept multiple currencies. OwnPay handles automatic currency conversion at checkout using exchange rates you configure.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do webhooks work?">
    OwnPay sends HTTP POST requests to your server when payment events occur (payment completed, refunded, etc.). You configure a webhook URL in the admin panel, and OwnPay delivers events with HMAC-SHA256 signatures for verification. See [Webhooks](/api/webhooks) for details.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Multi-Brand

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How many brands can I create?">
    There's no limit. You can create as many brands as your server can handle. Each brand is completely isolated with its own customers, gateways, staff, and settings.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can each brand have its own custom domain?">
    Yes. Each brand can have one or more custom domains for checkout pages. Customers never see the master OwnPay domain. See [Custom Domains](/concepts/domains).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can different brands use different payment gateways?">
    Yes. Each brand configures its own gateway credentials independently. Brand A can use Stripe while Brand B uses PayPal.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Technical

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is OwnPay open source?">
    Yes. OwnPay is open source and available on GitHub. You can view the source code, report issues, and contribute.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I customize the checkout appearance?">
    Yes. OwnPay supports theme plugins for full checkout customization. Each brand can also set custom colors, logos, CSS, and JavaScript. See [Theme Plugins](/developer/plugin-types/theme-development).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does OwnPay have an API?">
    Yes. OwnPay provides a REST API for payments, transactions, customers, and more. See the [API Reference](/api/overview) for details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I extend OwnPay with plugins?">
    Yes. OwnPay has a WordPress-style plugin system. You can build custom gateways, themes, and addons. See [Plugin Development](/developer/plugins/overview).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [Developer Quickstart - Build Your First Payment Integration](/docs/developer/quickstart.md)
- [OwnPay API Overview - REST API for Multi-Brand Payments](/docs/api/overview.md)
- [Node.js SDK - TypeScript-First Payment Integration](/docs/developer/integration/nodejs.md)
- [Retrieve Payment Details](/docs/api-reference/retrieve-payment-details.md)
- [Troubleshooting - Fix Common Installation and Payment Errors](/docs/advanced-topics/troubleshooting.md)