Payment creation surfaces
Choose between direct Payment intent creation and Hosted Checkout creation.
The Merchant API has two explicit Payment-entry resources. There is no checkout_mode request
field.
| Concern | POST /payment_intents | POST /checkouts |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation owner | Merchant application | Checkout application |
payment_method | Required | Rejected |
| Route-specific payer data | Required before creation | Collected later |
| Provider or routing selection | Rejected | Rejected |
| Provider attempt during create | Yes | No |
| Primary response identity | dord_… | hchk_… and linked dord_… |
| Payer continuation | next_action | checkout_url |
Both surfaces use the same explicit-target resolver. The endpoint derives the internal execution classification, so discovery and direct Payment creation cannot disagree because of a Merchant-supplied mode. Hosted Checkout revalidates and freezes the selected route when the payer submits a method.
Use direct Payment creation only when your server has every field required by the selected route and your application can present the returned action. Use Hosted Checkout for payer method selection, Provider hand-off, QR rendering, bank instructions, and terminal return navigation.