Republic Bank typically recommends PowerTranz for e-commerce merchant accounts. We are building the WooCommerce integration for it.
At a glance
Markets this applies to
Banks usually recommend a gateway when you apply, and it can vary by account. Confirm which one yours runs on before you build.
How it fits together
Three separate things have to line up before your WooCommerce store can take a card, and merchants are rarely told this clearly.
Republic Bank gives you the merchant account. That is the commercial relationship: the rates you pay, the settlement into your business account, the underwriting. PowerTranz is the gateway that actually carries the transaction from your checkout to the card networks. The plugin is what connects your WooCommerce store to that gateway.
You need all three. Republic Bank issues the first, PowerTranz operates the second, and the third is what we build. Your money settles into your own Republic Bank account and never passes through us.
Getting ready
The bank side takes longer than the technical side, so start it early. Approval timelines vary by territory and by the kind of business you run.
Settlement goes into a Republic Bank business account in the territory you trade in. Personal accounts will not do.
A card-present merchant account for a physical terminal is not the same product. Ask specifically for online or e-commerce card acceptance.
Once approved you receive a merchant ID and API credentials. Those are what the plugin uses. Keep them somewhere safe and never paste them into a public support thread.
Whether you take local currency, US dollars or both affects how the account is set up. Changing it later is slower than deciding now.
Banks generally want to see the actual store, including your terms, refund policy and contact details, before approving e-commerce acceptance.
Ask your merchant services contact to confirm in writing which gateway your account is provisioned against. It decides which integration you need.
The plugin
A WooCommerce payment gateway that connects your store directly to PowerTranz, so Republic Bank merchants can take Visa and Mastercard without an aggregator sitting in the middle.
A modal checkout so customers never leave your site, with a redirect flow available if you prefer. Card data is handled by the gateway and never touches your server.
Full 3DS2 authentication, which matters for the overseas card traffic Caribbean stores see and moves chargeback liability away from you.
Full and partial refunds, captures and voids from the WooCommerce order screen rather than a separate bank terminal.
Sell in your local currency, in US dollars, or both from the same store, with the currency resolved correctly at checkout.
Every feature unlocked in sandbox mode, unlimited sites, no time limit. Prove the whole flow works before you spend anything.
We are in Trinidad and Tobago. You get someone who understands what your bank is asking for, on your timezone.
The PowerTranz plugin is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026 and is not available yet. Our Scotiabank eCom+ plugin is available today for merchants on that gateway.
Questions
Does Republic Bank have its own WooCommerce plugin?
No. Banks in the region issue merchant accounts and gateway credentials, but they do not generally build or maintain WooCommerce plugins. That gap is what we exist to fill.
How do I know my account is on PowerTranz?
Ask your merchant services contact which gateway processes your e-commerce transactions, or look for any mention of PowerTranz, or its former name First Atlantic Commerce, in your merchant agreement. If you are unsure, send us what the bank gave you with the sensitive values removed and we will tell you.
Can I take payments before the plugin ships?
Yes. There are existing WooCommerce plugins for PowerTranz built by other developers, and there are aggregators that let you start faster at a higher per-transaction cost. We list them honestly on our comparison page, including where they beat us.
What will it cost?
Pricing is not final, but the model will not change: a flat annual licence with zero transaction fees from us, and a free sandbox with everything unlocked. The only per-transaction costs are the ones in your agreement with Republic Bank.
WP Companion is an independent third-party developer and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Republic Bank or PowerTranz.
