Payment service provider (PSP) incidents are inevitable. What matters is how quickly they are detected and how smoothly traffic is handled while they last.
Before an Incident
- Monitor success rates, not just uptime. A provider can be online while declining far more transactions than usual.
- Keep alternative routes for your main payment methods and know which markets each provider supports.
- Document contacts and escalation paths for every provider, including out of hours numbers.
- Agree thresholds that trigger action, so nobody has to debate when to switch.
During an Incident
- Confirm the problem with data: which methods, markets and card types are affected.
- Reroute traffic where alternatives exist.
- Inform customer support with a short, accurate statement.
- Open a ticket with the provider and escalate early.
- Keep a timeline of events as you go.
After the Incident
Review what happened, how long detection took and what would have reduced the impact. Update the playbook and share lessons with the teams involved.
I have managed payments and integrations for licensed operators. Contact me if you would like help building a playbook for your platform.