pesepay

Official Node.js SDK for the Pesepay payment gateway.

• Zero runtime dependencies.
• TypeScript types included. Works with both import and require.
• All 17 transaction statuses, not just a paid flag.
• Typed errors that tell you what went wrong and whether to retry.

Requires Node.js 22.12 or newer.

Warning

Server-side only. This package uses your integration key and encryption key. Keep both in environment variables. Never commit them or send them to a browser.

You get both keys from your Pesepay merchant account. See the Pesepay developer documentation.

Upgrading from 1.x? See the migration guide.

Contents

• Install
• Quickstart
• Redirect payments
• Seamless payments
• Checking a payment
• Payment notifications (webhook)
• Invoices
• Currencies and payment methods
• Errors
• Configuration
• API

Install

npm install pesepay

Quickstart

Create a transaction, then send the customer to redirectUrl.

import { Pesepay } from 'pesepay';

const { PESEPAY_INTEGRATION_KEY, PESEPAY_ENCRYPTION_KEY } = process.env;
if (!PESEPAY_INTEGRATION_KEY || !PESEPAY_ENCRYPTION_KEY) {
  throw new Error('Pesepay keys are missing from the environment.');
}

const pesepay = new Pesepay({
  integrationKey: PESEPAY_INTEGRATION_KEY,
  encryptionKey: PESEPAY_ENCRYPTION_KEY,
  resultUrl: 'https://example.com/pesepay/webhook',
  returnUrl: 'https://example.com/checkout/done',
});

const { referenceNumber, pollUrl, redirectUrl } = await pesepay.initiateTransaction({
  amount: 10.5,
  currencyCode: 'USD',
  reasonForPayment: 'Order #1024',
});

With CommonJS:

const { Pesepay } = require('pesepay');

• resultUrl is where Pesepay sends payment notifications.
• returnUrl is where the customer lands after paying.

Both are required and must be valid URLs.

Redirect payments

Pesepay hosts the payment page. You redirect the customer to it.

const transaction = await pesepay.initiateTransaction({
  amount: 10.5,
  currencyCode: 'USD',
  reasonForPayment: 'Order #1024',
  merchantReference: 'order-1024',
  paymentMetadata: { orderId: '1024', customerId: '77' },
});

await saveOrder({
  referenceNumber: transaction.referenceNumber,
  pollUrl: transaction.pollUrl,
  redirectUrl: transaction.redirectUrl,
});

• Save redirectUrl if you might need to send the customer back to the payment page. Only initiateTransaction returns it.
• merchantReference is your own order ID. It comes back on every result for the transaction.
• paymentMetadata comes back as transactionMetadata on every result.
• paymentMethodCode (optional) skips Pesepay's method picker and sends the customer straight to that method, for example EcoCash.

Seamless payments

The customer stays on your site. You collect the payment details, and Pesepay charges the payment method directly.

const result = await pesepay.makeSeamlessPayment({
  amount: 5,
  currencyCode: 'USD',
  paymentMethodCode: 'PZW211',
  reasonForPayment: 'Order #1024',
  customer: { email: 'customer@example.com', phoneNumber: '0771111111' },
  requiredFields: { customerPhoneNumber: '0771111111' },
});

log.info(result.transactionStatus, result.paid, result.isTerminal);

• customer is required, with at least one of email or phoneNumber.
• requiredFields keys are field names from the payment method's requiredFields list (see Currencies and payment methods), not the displayNames.
• The first result is usually PENDING. Mobile money waits for the customer to approve on their phone. Check the payment until it finishes.
• Some methods can't be charged this way. If a method's redirectRequired is true, use a redirect payment instead.

Checking a payment

checkPayment(referenceNumber) and pollTransaction(pollUrl) return the same PaymentResult. Use whichever one you saved.

import { isPaid, TransactionStatus } from 'pesepay';

const sleep = (ms: number): Promise<void> => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));

let result = await pesepay.checkPayment(referenceNumber);

for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 20 && !result.isTerminal; attempt += 1) {
  await sleep(3_000);
  result = await pesepay.checkPayment(referenceNumber);
}

if (result.paid) {
  log.info('paid', result.amountDetails?.merchantAmount);
} else if (result.isTerminal) {
  log.warn('not paid', result.transactionStatus, result.transactionStatusDescription);
} else {
  log.warn('still pending after 20 attempts', result.referenceNumber);
}

// The same checks work on a status string you stored earlier.
log.info(isPaid(TransactionStatus.SUCCESS));

Every result has two flags:

• paid is true only for SUCCESS. It is false for PARTIALLY_PAID and for REVERSED.
• isTerminal is true once the status will not change again. Stop polling when it is true.

Both are plain properties, so they survive JSON.stringify and a round trip through your database or queue.

Reconcile with amountDetails.merchantAmount. That is the amount you receive after fees. It differs from amountDetails.amount and customerPayableAmount.

Transaction statuses

status	code	final	paid
INITIATED	301
PROCESSING	302
PENDING	303
PARTIALLY_PAID	315
SUCCESS	304	✅	✅
FAILED	300	✅
TERMINATED	305	✅
TIME_OUT	306	✅
CLOSED	307	✅
INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS	308	✅
CANCELLED	309	✅
ERROR	310	✅
DECLINED	311	✅
AUTHORIZATION_FAILED	312	✅
SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE	313	✅
REVERSED	314	✅
CLOSED_PERIOD_ELAPSED	307	✅

Branch on transactionStatus, not transactionStatusCode: CLOSED and CLOSED_PERIOD_ELAPSED share code 307.

An unrecognised status is treated as final, so a polling loop always stops.

TRANSACTION_STATUS_CODES and TRANSACTION_STATUS_DESCRIPTIONS hold Pesepay's codes and descriptions for display.

Payment notifications (webhook)

When a transaction reaches a final status, Pesepay sends a POST request to your resultUrl. parseCallback reads the request body and checks that the request carries your integration key.

app.post('/pesepay/webhook', express.json(), async (req, res) => {
  // 1. Respond right away, before doing any work.
  res.sendStatus(200);

  const { result, keyVerified } = pesepay.parseCallback(req.body, req.headers);
  if (!keyVerified) log.warn('unverified pesepay callback', result.referenceNumber);

  // 2. Confirm the outcome with Pesepay before acting on it.
  const confirmed = await pesepay.checkPayment(result.referenceNumber);

  // 3. Handle each (referenceNumber, transactionStatus) pair only once.
  await creditOnce(confirmed.referenceNumber, confirmed.transactionStatus, confirmed);
});

Follow all three steps:

1. Respond with 200 first, then do the work, so a slow or failing handler doesn't lose the notification. Don't rely on notifications alone: also poll checkPayment for any order that stays pending.
2. Confirm with checkPayment. Treat the notification as a signal to check, not as proof of payment. checkPayment returns the authoritative status.
3. Make the handler idempotent on referenceNumber and transactionStatus. One transaction can notify more than once. For example, you might get SUCCESS and later REVERSED.

Key verification

keyVerified is true when the request's Authorization header matches your integration key exactly. keyStatus says why a check failed:

keyStatus	meaning
'matched'	The header matches your integration key.
'absent'	The request has no Authorization header.
'mismatched'	The header holds a different value, such as an old key after you rotated it, or a request that did not come from Pesepay.

parseCallback does not throw on a missing header. It reports 'absent'.

Accepted input

• body: the parsed JSON object (for example from express.json()), a JSON string, or the raw Buffer.
• headers (optional): header names are matched case-insensitively, so you can pass Node's req.headers as-is.

Invoices

Pesepay emails the payer a payment link. There is no checkout page and no redirectUrl.

const invoice = await pesepay.initiateInvoice({
  amount: 250,
  currencyCode: 'USD',
  narrative: 'Consulting retainer, September',
  payer: { name: 'Tendai Moyo', email: 'tendai@example.com' },
  applicationCode: 'APP-CODE',
  processingDate: '2026-09-15',
  dueDate: '2026-09-30',
  initiatorReference: 'retainer-2026-09',
});

const payment = await pesepay.checkInvoice(invoice.invoiceNumber);
log.info(invoice.invoiceNumber, invoice.pollUrl, payment.paid);

• applicationCode is required. Invoices identify your application by this code, not by your integration key.
• Dates can be a Date, 'YYYY-MM-DD' or 'MM/DD/YYYY'. A Date is read in UTC.
• initiatorReference must be unique across your invoices. Pesepay rejects a repeated one, so you can use it to avoid creating duplicates.
• invoiceNumber is also the transaction's reference number. checkInvoice returns a PaymentResult, with the same paid and isTerminal flags as any other payment. You can also pass the invoice's pollUrl to pollTransaction.
• Recurring invoices need recurring: true and a recurringFrequency.

Currencies and payment methods

These endpoints are public. No keys are sent.

const currencies = await pesepay.getActiveCurrencies();
const methods = await pesepay.getPaymentMethods('USD');

for (const method of methods) {
  log.info(method.code, method.name, method.redirectRequired, method.minimumAmount);
  for (const field of method.requiredFields ?? []) {
    log.info(field.name, field.displayName, field.fieldType, field.optional);
  }
}

const everything = await pesepay.getActivePaymentMethods();
log.info(currencies.map((currency) => currency.code), everything.length);

• Use getActiveCurrencies instead of hard-coding currency codes. Pesepay rejects a currency your account isn't set up for.
• Prefer getPaymentMethods(currencyCode). getActivePaymentMethods() returns methods for all currencies, so you'd need to filter each one by its currencies list.
• Check minimumAmount and maximumAmount before you submit a payment.
• Use requiredFields to build the form for a seamless payment.

Errors

Every method throws on failure. Every error extends PesepayError.

PesepayError
├── PesepayApiError        Pesepay responded with a non-2xx status
│   └── PesepayAuthError   403 or 404: a problem with your integration key
├── PesepayCryptoError     encryption or decryption failed
├── PesepayNetworkError    no response at all
│   └── PesepayTimeoutError
└── PesepayConfigError     invalid configuration or arguments (thrown before any request)

import { PesepayApiError, PesepayAuthError, PesepayConfigError, PesepayTimeoutError } from 'pesepay';

try {
  await pesepay.makeSeamlessPayment({
    amount: 5,
    currencyCode: 'USD',
    paymentMethodCode: 'PZW211',
    reasonForPayment: 'Order #1024',
    customer: { phoneNumber: '0771111111' },
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof PesepayTimeoutError) {
    // The payment may still have gone through. See "Timeouts" below.
    log.warn('timed out after', error.timeoutMs);
  } else if (error instanceof PesepayAuthError) {
    // 404: the key is unknown. 403: the key is disabled.
    log.error('integration key rejected', error.status);
  } else if (error instanceof PesepayApiError && error.isEncryptionKeyMismatch()) {
    log.error('the encryption key does not match this integration key');
  } else if (error instanceof PesepayApiError && error.isRetryable()) {
    log.warn('temporary failure', error.status, error.serverMessage);
  } else if (error instanceof PesepayConfigError) {
    log.error('invalid call', error.message);
  } else {
    throw error;
  }
}

Every error also has a stable code string, such as 'ERR_PESEPAY_AUTH', for logging and for places where instanceof doesn't work.

Error messages and properties never contain your keys.

Troubleshooting status codes

status	meaning	error	isRetryable()
403	Your integration key is disabled.	PesepayAuthError	false
404	Your integration key is not recognised. This does not mean the URL is wrong.	PesepayAuthError	false
500 with "Failed to decrypt your data"	Your encryption key is wrong. isEncryptionKeyMismatch() returns true.	PesepayApiError	false
408, 429, other 5xx	A temporary problem.	PesepayApiError	true
other 4xx	The request was rejected. Read error.serverMessage.	PesepayApiError	false

If you get a 404, check that your key belongs to the environment you are calling. For example, a live key sent to the sandbox returns 404.

Use isRetryable() instead of hard-coding this table.

Timeouts

Caution

A PesepayTimeoutError means no response arrived in time. The payment may still have gone through.

Never retry the payment call after a timeout, or you may charge the customer twice. Call checkPayment(referenceNumber) to find out what happened:

import { PesepayTimeoutError } from 'pesepay';

try {
  await pesepay.makeSeamlessPayment({
    amount: 5,
    currencyCode: 'USD',
    paymentMethodCode: 'PZW211',
    reasonForPayment: 'Order #1024',
    customer: { phoneNumber: '0771111111' },
    merchantReference: 'order-1024',
  });
} catch (error) {
  if (!(error instanceof PesepayTimeoutError)) throw error;

  // Check the outcome. Do not retry the charge.
  const actual = await pesepay.checkPayment(referenceNumber);
  log.warn('recovered after timeout', actual.transactionStatus, actual.paid);
}

If initiateTransaction times out, you won't have a reference number yet. Set merchantReference on every call so you can match the transaction to your order later.

The SDK never retries a request that timed out.

Configuration

import { Pesepay, DEFAULT_BASE_URL, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS, VERSION } from 'pesepay';

const sandbox = new Pesepay({
  integrationKey: 'your-integration-key',
  encryptionKey: '0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef',
  resultUrl: 'https://example.com/pesepay/webhook',
  returnUrl: 'https://example.com/checkout/done',
  baseUrl: 'https://api.test.pesepay.com/api/payments-engine',
  timeoutMs: 15_000,
});

log.info(sandbox.baseUrl, sandbox.timeoutMs, DEFAULT_BASE_URL, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS, VERSION);

option	default	notes
integrationKey	—	Required.
encryptionKey	—	Required. Must be exactly 32 ASCII characters. An invalid key throws PesepayConfigError in the constructor.
resultUrl	—	Where Pesepay sends payment notifications. Required for initiateTransaction, makeSeamlessPayment and initiateInvoice.
returnUrl	—	Where the customer lands after paying on Pesepay's page.
timeoutMs	30_000	Time limit for each call, in milliseconds.
baseUrl	https://api.pesepay.com/api/payments-engine	Use https://api.test.pesepay.com/api/payments-engine for the sandbox.
transport	httpsTransport	A custom HTTP function. See below.

resultUrl and returnUrl are also settable properties, and each call can override them. The 1.x constructor form also works:

import { Pesepay } from 'pesepay';

const pesepay = new Pesepay('INTEGRATION KEY', '0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef');
pesepay.resultUrl = 'https://example.com/pesepay/webhook';
pesepay.returnUrl = 'https://example.com/checkout/done';

Custom transport

All HTTP requests go through one function, transport. Replace it to add logging, route through a proxy, or use a test double.

import { httpsTransport, Pesepay, type Transport } from 'pesepay';

const timed: Transport = async (request) => {
  const started = Date.now();
  const response = await httpsTransport(request);
  log.info(request.method, request.url, response.status, Date.now() - started);
  return response;
};

const instrumented = new Pesepay({
  integrationKey: 'your-integration-key',
  encryptionKey: '0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef',
  transport: timed,
});

log.info(instrumented.baseUrl);

createHttpsTransport(options) builds the default transport with options. See HttpsTransportOptions in your editor for details.

The default transport sends requests only over HTTPS. Plain HTTP is allowed only to loopback addresses such as localhost, for local testing.

API

method	returns
initiateTransaction(options)	referenceNumber, pollUrl and redirectUrl for a hosted payment
makeSeamlessPayment(options)	a PaymentResult for a direct charge
checkPayment(referenceNumber)	the transaction's current PaymentResult
pollTransaction(pollUrl)	the same, looked up by pollUrl
initiateInvoice(options)	the new invoice. Pesepay emails the payer.
checkInvoice(invoiceNumber)	the invoice's PaymentResult
getActiveCurrencies()	currencies your account can use
getPaymentMethods(currencyCode)	payment methods for one currency
getActivePaymentMethods()	payment methods for all currencies
parseCallback(body, headers?)	the notification's result, keyVerified and keyStatus

Also exported: TransactionStatus, isPaid, isTerminal, isTransactionStatus, TERMINAL_TRANSACTION_STATUSES, NON_TERMINAL_TRANSACTION_STATUSES, TRANSACTION_STATUS_CODES, TRANSACTION_STATUS_DESCRIPTIONS, the seven error classes, DEFAULT_BASE_URL, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS, VERSION, createHttpsTransport, httpsTransport, and their types.

Every option and field is documented in the type declarations, so your editor shows the details on hover.

Upgrading from 1.x

Change one line and your 1.x code keeps working:

const { Pesepay } = require('pesepay');

becomes

const { Pesepay } = require('pesepay/v1-compat');

The compatibility layer reports only paid, so it can't tell PENDING from DECLINED from REVERSED. Plan to move to the 2.x API. The migration guide walks through each method.

Contributing

npm install
npm run verify     # lint, typecheck, build, test, package checks

Every code block in this README is compiled against the built package during npm test.

Licence

MIT. See LICENSE.