Arca Help Center
Integrations For store owners & developers · Updated May 27, 2026

Installing the Arca payment plugin for WooCommerce

This guide shows you how to install and configure the Arca payments plugin for WooCommerce so your store can accept credit-card payments (and subscriptions), plus how to fix the setup and checkout problems merchants hit most often.

Before you start: requirements

What you'll need from Arca and your processor

Step 1 — Install the plugin

  1. In WordPress, go to Plugins → Add New and upload the Arca payments plugin (or copy its folder into /wp-content/plugins/).
  2. Click Activate.

Step 2 — Configure the gateway

  1. Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Payments.
  2. Open the Arca — Credit Card method.
  3. Enter your credentials and settings:
SettingWhat to enter
Enable / DisableTurn the gateway on.
Sandbox ModeOn for testing, off for live payments. Sandbox and live use different credentials.
Title / Customer MessageWhat shoppers see at checkout (optional).
TenantYour Arca tenant (from Arca).
Email / PasswordYour Arca API login.
Collect.js Tokenization KeyFrom your NMI portal (Security Keys → Tokenization Keys).
InstallmentsMaximum number of installments to offer (1–12).
Debug loggingTurn on if you need to troubleshoot; logs are saved under the inspire-cc source.
  1. Click Save changes. Saving also registers the webhook Arca uses to keep subscription orders in sync.
Note: There's no "test connection" button. The plugin only checks that the required fields are filled in when you save — it can't tell whether the credentials are valid until the first real checkout. Always place a test order (in Sandbox Mode) before going live.

Selling subscriptions (optional)

If you sell subscription products, each subscription product must be linked to its matching Arca product. On the product editor's General tab, set the Arca product ID and Arca price ID (use a recurring price). Arca then manages the recurring billing; the initial WooCommerce order is placed for $0 so the customer isn't charged twice, and renewals are confirmed back to your store automatically.

Common problems

1

Arca doesn't appear as a payment option at checkout

Cause

The gateway hides itself unless every condition is met: it's enabled, all four credentials are filled in, and the store currency is USD.

Solution
  1. Set your store currency to USD (WooCommerce → Settings → General).
  2. Fill in all four credentials (Tenant, Email, Password, Collect.js key).
  3. Tick Enable and save.
  4. If it's still hidden, turn on Debug logging — the log names the exact condition that's failing.
2

The card fields don't appear, or "The payment form is loading"

Cause

The secure card form couldn't load — usually a missing or incorrect tokenization key, a site not served over HTTPS, or a conflict with another plugin.

Solution
  1. Confirm the Collect.js Tokenization Key is filled in and correct (from the NMI portal).
  2. Make sure your site uses HTTPS.
  3. Temporarily disable other checkout/payment plugins to rule out a conflict, then hard-refresh the checkout page.
3

"Payment authentication failed. Please try again."

Cause

The Tenant, Email, or Password is wrong, or the credentials don't match the selected environment (Sandbox vs. live).

Solution

Re-check all three credentials, and make sure the Sandbox Mode toggle matches the credentials you entered (sandbox keys with sandbox on, live keys with it off).

4

"Payment declined: …"

Cause

The customer's bank declined the charge (insufficient funds, fraud hold, or an invalid card).

Solution

Ask the customer to try a different card or contact their bank. The full decline reason is recorded in the order notes and the inspire-cc debug log.

5

"Could not create customer record" / "Payment failed" on non-US orders

Cause

The plugin is built for US, USD orders. Unusual billing countries/states, non-standard site locales or timezones, or a non-USD currency can prevent the order from being matched correctly.

Solution

Confirm the store currency is USD and the billing country/state are standard, supported values. Contact Arca support if a specific region needs to be enabled.

6

Subscription renewals are stuck "awaiting payment confirmation"

Cause

Arca couldn't reach your site's webhook — often because the site isn't publicly reachable over HTTPS, or the webhook was registered against an old site address.

Solution

Make sure your store is publicly accessible over HTTPS. To force the webhook to re-register, clear the stored webhook ID and save the gateway settings again. A background sync also reconciles paid invoices every few hours as a backstop.

7

"…missing product/price mapping. Manual action required."

Cause

A subscription product is missing its Arca product ID or price ID.

Solution

Open the product editor's General tab and set both the Arca product ID and a recurring Arca price ID.

Error message reference

What you seeWhat it meansWhat to do
Error: Please fill required field: …A required credential is blankFill in the named field and save
Payment authentication failed. Please try again.Wrong API credentials or wrong environmentRe-check Tenant/Email/Password and the Sandbox toggle
Card tokenization failed. Please check your card details and try again.The card couldn't be securely capturedRe-enter card details; confirm the tokenization key and HTTPS
The payment form is loading. Please wait a moment and try again.Secure card form hadn't finished loadingWait and retry; check the tokenization key and HTTPS
Payment declined: …The bank declined the chargeUse a different card / contact the bank
Could not create customer record. Please try again.Order details couldn't be matched (often non-US)Confirm USD + supported billing country/state

Still having trouble?

Contact Arca support and include:

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