Why Accept bKash and Nagad Directly on Your Online Store?

Imagine running a small clothing shop in Dhaka or a handicraft page from Sylhet. When a customer wants to buy your product online, asking them to use an international credit card is like locking your shop door from the inside. In Bangladesh, mobile financial services like bKash and Nagad are the heartbeat of everyday commerce. Almost everyone uses them to send money, pay utility bills, and shop online.

If you build an e-commerce website using WordPress and WooCommerce—a free tool that turns a WordPress site into an online store—you will naturally want to accept these local payments. Many beginners think they must buy expensive plugins, which are extra software add-ons that cost money every year. However, you can set up bKash and Nagad manually as custom payment gateways completely for free. This guide will walk you through doing this safely and clearly, step by step.

Understanding How Manual Payment Gateways Work

Before touching any settings, it helps to understand what a manual payment gateway actually does. Think of it like a cash-on-delivery system, but for mobile wallets. When a customer checks out on your website, they do not enter their bKash PIN directly into your site. Instead, your checkout page displays instructions: “Please send the total amount to our personal or merchant bKash number using the ‘Send Money’ option, and then type your Transaction ID (TrxID) in the box below.”

Once the customer places the order, their order status changes to ‘On Hold’. You, the store owner, open your bKash or Nagad app, verify that the money has actually arrived and matches that specific Transaction ID, and then manually change the order status to ‘Processing’ or ‘Completed’ before shipping the product. This method keeps your setup costs at zero and protects you from complex technical integrations while you are just starting out.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding bKash and Nagad in WooCommerce

WooCommerce has a built-in payment method called ‘Direct Bank Transfer’ (also known as BACS). We can easily trick or customize this system to act as a bKash or Nagad payment option. Follow these exact steps inside your WordPress dashboard:

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and look at the left-hand menu.
2. Hover your mouse over WooCommerce and click on Settings.
3. Click on the Payments tab at the top of the settings page.
4. Look for Direct bank transfer in the list and click the Set up or manage button next to it.
5. Check the box that says Enable/Disable to turn this payment method on.
6. Change the Title field from ‘Direct bank transfer’ to something friendly and clear, such as bKash Personal / Send Money.
7. In the Description box, write clear instructions for your customers. For example: “Send the exact order amount to our bKash Personal number: 01700000000. After sending, enter your TrxID below.”
8. Scroll down to the Account Details section. Here, you can add your account name, account number, and write ‘bKash’ as the bank name.
9. Click the Save changes button at the bottom.

To add Nagad, you can simply repeat this process by using another built-in WooCommerce payment option like ‘Check payments’ or by creating a second custom offline payment method if you use a lightweight snippet plugin. However, utilizing the existing default options keeps your site fast and secure without clutter.

How to Collect the Transaction ID (TrxID) from Customers

Since the default WooCommerce setup does not include a box for customers to type their Transaction ID, you need a safe way to collect it. Otherwise, how will you know whose payment is whose? You can solve this easily by adding a custom checkout field.

You can use a free form or checkout field editor plugin from the official WordPress repository just for this single purpose, or add a short code snippet to your child theme’s functions.php file. You want to create a mandatory text field labeled bKash / Nagad Transaction ID (TrxID) right under the payment instructions. When the customer submits their order, this TrxID will show up clearly inside the WooCommerce order details page in your admin dashboard, making verification a breeze.

Verifying Payments and Avoiding Common Mistakes

Running a manual payment system requires careful habits to avoid fraud and human error. Here is what you need to watch out for:

• Never ship before checking your app: Always open your official bKash or Nagad merchant or personal app to confirm the cash is safely in your balance. Do not trust a screenshot sent via WhatsApp or Messenger, as edited images are common.
• Match the amounts exactly: If an order is for 550 Taka, ensure the incoming SMS or app statement shows exactly 550 Taka, factoring in any potential cash-out charges if you pass them to the customer.
• Watch for duplicate TrxIDs: Fraudsters sometimes reuse old transaction IDs found online. Keep a sharp eye on your app history to ensure a TrxID hasn’t been used on a previous day’s order.

By taking these simple precautions, you can run a trustworthy, professional online shop in Bangladesh without spending a single Taka on expensive automated payment gateway setup fees.