First Citizens 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.
First Citizens gives you the merchant account. That is the commercial relationship: your rates, the settlement into your business account, the underwriting. PowerTranz is the gateway that carries the transaction from your checkout to the card networks. The plugin connects your WooCommerce store to that gateway.
You need all three. First Citizens issues the first, PowerTranz operates the second, and the third is what we build. Your money settles into your own First Citizens account and never passes through us.
Getting ready
The bank side takes longer than the technical side, so start it early. Approval timelines vary with the kind of business you run and how long you have banked with them.
Settlement goes into a First Citizens business account. A personal account will not be accepted for merchant services.
A card-present account for a physical terminal is a different product. Ask specifically for online card acceptance.
On approval you receive a merchant ID and API credentials. Those are what the plugin uses. Keep them secure and never paste them into a public forum.
Decide upfront whether you are selling in Trinidad and Tobago dollars, US dollars or both. It affects how the account is provisioned and changing it later is slower.
Expect the bank to look at the actual store, including terms, refund policy and contact details, before approving e-commerce acceptance.
Ask your merchant services officer to confirm in writing which gateway your account runs on. That answer decides which integration you need.
The plugin
A WooCommerce payment gateway that connects your store directly to PowerTranz, so you take Visa and Mastercard through your own First Citizens merchant account with no aggregator 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 overseas card traffic and shifts 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 Trinidad and Tobago dollars, 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, same as you. You get someone who knows what First Citizens is asking for and answers in your working day.
The PowerTranz plugin is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026 and is not available yet.
Questions
Does First Citizens supply a WooCommerce plugin?
No. The bank issues the merchant account and the gateway credentials, but building and maintaining the WooCommerce integration is not something banks in the region do. That is the gap we fill.
How do I confirm my account is on PowerTranz?
Ask your merchant services officer which gateway processes your online transactions, or look for PowerTranz, or its former name First Atlantic Commerce, in your merchant agreement. Send us what you were given, with sensitive values removed, and we will tell you.
Can I start taking payments before the plugin ships?
Yes. Other developers already sell WooCommerce plugins for PowerTranz, and local aggregators will get you live faster at a higher per-transaction cost. We compare all of them honestly, including where they beat us.
I bank with First Citizens but I am not sure about online acceptance.
Having a business account does not mean you can take cards online. That is a separate application. Start it now rather than waiting for the plugin, because the bank side is usually the longer part.
WP Companion is an independent third-party developer and is not affiliated with or endorsed by First Citizens or PowerTranz.
