Take Visa and Mastercard in BSD or USD through your own merchant account, with the order-level control that multi-island operations need.
Start here
It depends on which payment gateway your merchant account runs on. Your bank usually recommends one when you apply, so the bank you choose is the best clue. These are the acquiring banks operating in The Bahamas and the gateways they typically recommend.
Scotiabank merchants use the eCom+ gateway, and our plugin for it is available today with modal checkout and 3D Secure 2.0. Ask Scotiabank to enable API access for refunds and captures, and tokenization with recurring payments if you want saved cards or subscriptions. WooCommerce Subscriptions itself is a separate extension sold by WooCommerce.
Typically recommends Scotiabank eCom+
Settles in Local currency, USD
A Bahamian acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Typically recommends PowerTranz
Settles in BSD, USD
Formerly CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, operating across much of the English-speaking Caribbean. Typically recommends PowerTranz for e-commerce.
Typically recommends PowerTranz
Settles in Local currency, USD
Supports e-commerce merchants across several Caribbean markets and typically recommends PowerTranz.
Typically recommends PowerTranz
Settles in Local currency, USD
Not sure which gateway your account runs on? Ask your merchant services contact, or send us what the bank gave you with the sensitive values removed and we will tell you.
Currencies
BSD and USD
BSD to USD
Pegged at 1:1
Settlement
Next business day
Transaction fee
None from us
Why this matters here
Bahamian businesses often operate across more than one island, and it is common for a group to run separate websites for separate properties, outlets or brands while banking through a single merchant account. That arrangement is efficient until reconciliation, when every transaction in the bank’s reporting looks the same and nobody can tell which site produced it.
Order ID prefixing is the feature to look for. It lets each WooCommerce store prepend its own tag to the order reference it sends the bank, so a transaction from your Nassau site and one from your Exuma site are immediately distinguishable in the bank’s own reporting. Your accountant stops guessing.
Because the Bahamian dollar is pegged to the US dollar one for one, pricing stays simple whether your customer is local or arriving on a cruise, and there is no conversion maths to explain at checkout.
Order ID prefixing is for reconciliation across your own stores. It does not turn one merchant account into a marketplace or split settlement between separate businesses.
How it works
Ask your bank’s merchant services team for online card acceptance and confirm which gateway the account runs on. If several websites will share the account, mention that up front so the bank configures it accordingly.
Install our free sandbox build on each site and run the supplied test cards. Every feature is unlocked in sandbox, so confirm the order tags appear correctly in your bank reporting before going live.
Swap in live credentials, place a small real transaction from each site, and check that they are distinguishable in your bank reporting.
Tell us where you are in the process and we will tell you honestly what is left to do.
