We are building a WooCommerce plugin for merchants processing on PowerTranz, the regional payment gateway. It covers a wide set of Caribbean acquiring banks, across more territories than any single bank gateway reaches.
The gateway
PowerTranz is a payment gateway and processor that has served banks and merchants across the Caribbean and Latin America for years.
This is a point that confuses a lot of merchants, so it is worth being precise. PowerTranz is not your bank, and it is not a merchant account. It is the technical layer that sits between your website and the bank that actually holds your money. Your acquiring bank gives you a merchant account. PowerTranz moves the transaction.
That distinction matters because it changes who you talk to. If your bank tells you they process online payments through PowerTranz, or hands you credentials that mention it, then this is the integration you need. The bank issues the account. The gateway needs the plugin.
PowerTranz is used by a number of different acquiring banks across the region rather than belonging to any one of them. That is why a single integration opens up so many territories at once.
Before you wait
Most merchants do not know which gateway sits behind their merchant account, because the bank rarely leads with it. Three ways to find out in about ten minutes.
Look through the merchant agreement or onboarding pack from your bank for any mention of PowerTranz, or its former name, First Atlantic Commerce. It is usually in the technical annex rather than the commercial terms.
If you have been issued a merchant ID along with an API key or a password for a hosted payment page, the naming of those fields often gives the gateway away. Send us a screenshot with the values blanked out and we will tell you.
Ask your merchant services contact one question: which gateway processes our e-commerce transactions? They will know, and the answer decides which plugin you need.
If it turns out your merchant account runs on a different gateway, tell us which one and we will point you at the right integration, whether that is one of ours or someone else’s.
Coverage
A wide set of Caribbean acquiring banks recommend PowerTranz to their e-commerce merchants. If your bank is one of these, this is very likely the integration your store needs.
Formerly CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, operating across much of the English-speaking Caribbean. Typically recommends PowerTranz for e-commerce.
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago
Supports e-commerce merchants across several Caribbean markets and typically recommends PowerTranz.
Aruba, Barbados, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago
One of the largest banking groups in the region. Republic typically recommends PowerTranz for e-commerce merchant accounts.
Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago
A Saint Lucian acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Saint Lucia
A Bahamian acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
The Bahamas
A Belizean acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Belize
A Bermudian acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Bermuda
An Antiguan acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Antigua and Barbuda
A Trinidad and Tobago acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz for e-commerce merchant accounts.
Trinidad and Tobago
A Belizean acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Belize
A Bermudian acquirer that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Bermuda
The largest acquirer for Jamaican online merchants, and typically recommends PowerTranz.
Jamaica
A second Jamaican acquiring option that typically recommends PowerTranz.
Jamaica
Banks usually recommend a gateway when you apply, and it can vary by account and by product. Confirm with your own merchant services contact before you build. If you are not sure, send us what your bank gave you and we will tell you which integration applies.
The plugin
We are integrating directly against PowerTranz rather than through one bank's merchant relationship. That means the plugin will work for merchants regardless of which acquiring bank issued the account.
A modal checkout so the customer never leaves your site, with a redirect flow available if you prefer it. Card data is handled by the gateway, never by your website.
Full 3DS2 authentication, which matters for the overseas card traffic most Caribbean stores see and shifts chargeback liability away from you.
Issue full or partial refunds, capture held authorizations and void transactions from the WooCommerce order screen, without logging into a separate terminal.
Every feature unlocked in sandbox mode, on unlimited sites, with no time limit. Build your checkout and prove the whole flow before you spend anything. That is how our existing plugin works and PowerTranz will be no different.
Sell in your local currency, in US dollars, or both from the same store, with the currency resolved correctly at checkout.
We are in Trinidad and Tobago. You get a human who understands what your bank is asking for, on your timezone, rather than a ticket queue.
Being straight with you
Our PowerTranz plugin is not available yet. It is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026 and that date is firm, but it is not today, and we would rather tell you what your real options are than have you sit and wait.
There are existing WooCommerce plugins for PowerTranz built by other developers, at a range of prices and with varying levels of support. If you need to take payments this month, one of those may be the right answer for you, and we say so on our comparison page. We list them alongside ourselves with what each one costs.
If your timeline allows you to wait a quarter, join the waitlist below. We will let you know when the sandbox opens, which will be before the paid release, so you can test the full integration at no cost and decide from there.
Waitlist
Join the waitlist and we will contact you when the free sandbox opens, ahead of the paid release. Knowing which banks and territories our waitlist sits in also helps us prioritise what to test first.
Questions
Is PowerTranz the same as First Atlantic Commerce?
Yes. First Atlantic Commerce rebranded as PowerTranz. Older merchant agreements and bank paperwork may still use the old name or the initials FAC, but it is the same gateway.
Will this work with my bank?
We are building against PowerTranz directly rather than through a single bank, so the plugin should work for any merchant whose account processes through the PowerTranz gateway, whichever bank issued it. If you are not sure whether yours does, the section above explains how to find out.
Do I still need a merchant account?
Yes, you still need a merchant account from your bank. The plugin connects your WooCommerce store to the PowerTranz gateway, but the merchant account itself comes from your bank and the money settles into your own account. We never hold your funds.
What will it cost?
We have not set final pricing. What we can tell you is the model, because it will not change: a flat annual licence fee with zero transaction fees from us, and a free sandbox with every feature unlocked. The only per-transaction costs you pay are your bank's own processing fees.
Which territories will it cover?
PowerTranz operates across much of the Caribbean, including eastern Caribbean markets we cannot serve today. We will confirm the exact list at launch rather than promise a territory before we have tested it.
I am an agency. Can I get early access?
Agencies can get early access to the PowerTranz plugin. Agencies in our partner network get development licences and early access to new plugins. Join the waitlist and mention that you build for clients, or take a look at the partner network page.
WP Companion is an independent third-party developer and is not affiliated with or endorsed by PowerTranz or any acquiring bank.
