Is It Out of Scope? — Web design
Is adding a payment gateway integration out of scope for a web design project?
Yes. Wiring up a payment processor is a backend development task, not a design one.
A checkout flow's design — buttons, form layout, confirmation screens — is design work, but the client sometimes assumes the actual connection to a payment processor comes bundled with it.
Is it out of scope?
Yes. Designing what checkout looks like and wiring up a live payment processor with real transaction handling are entirely different disciplines.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Exclusions clause→ — Payment gateway integration is backend development work excluded from a design engagement.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
We designed the checkout experience — connecting an actual payment gateway with live transaction handling is backend development work outside this scope. That needs a developer to implement.
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow flags payment-integration requests outside_scope on design contracts, since they involve backend implementation rather than visual or interaction design.