By the end of this guide you'll have ČSOB connected to your account in Test mode, a test card payment working end-to-end, and a clear path to switch to Live once you have a ČSOB contract.
Before you start
What you'll need
- A Cabintale account.
- To test: nothing else — ČSOB's sandbox is open to everyone, no contract.
- To go live later: a ČSOB payment-gateway contract (commercial line 800 150 150) and access to ČSOB's POS Merchant portal.
- About 15 minutes.
What you'll achieve
- ČSOB connected at the account level, ready for any property to use
- A test card payment working end-to-end (simulated, no real money)
- A clear, separate path to switch to Live when your contract is ready
How ČSOB connects to Cabintale
Cabintale needs three things from you, pasted into Settings → Payments:
- Your Merchant ID — ČSOB gives you this.
- Your private key — you generate it (you keep this; it never leaves you).
- ČSOB's bank public key — a file you download from ČSOB.
You start in Test mode (ČSOB's free sandbox, simulated payments) and switch to Live with separate production keys once you have a contract.
Step 1: Generate your keys and get your Merchant ID
- Open the ČSOB test keygen: https://iplatebnibrana.csob.cz/keygen/
- Generate a 2048-bit RSA keypair. Save both keys somewhere safe — you can't re-download the private key later.
- Send the public key to ČSOB using the button on that page.
- ČSOB shows your Merchant ID — copy it.
Step 2: Download ČSOB's bank public key
- Open ČSOB's key folder: https://github.com/csob/paymentgateway/tree/master/keys
- For testing, take the sandbox key:
mips_iplatebnibrana.csob.cz.pub. - Open it and copy its contents — you'll paste them in the next step. (When you go live, you'll grab the production key from the same place instead.)
Step 3: Paste everything into Cabintale
- Sidebar → Settings → Payments → on the ČSOB card click Setup.
- Leave the mode on Test.
- Fill the three fields:
- Merchant ID — from Step 1.
- Private key (PEM) — your private key (it starts with
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----). - Bank public key (PEM) — the file from Step 2.
- Click Save.
Your ČSOB card now shows as connected and becomes the account default for payments.
Step 4: Test a payment
- Turn payments on for a place or service (see Accept payments on a property).
- Make a test booking on your widget and pay with a ČSOB test card — the payment and the security check are simulated, no real money moves.
- The booking arrives paid in your admin.
Step 5: Go live
- Sign a ČSOB payment-gateway contract — call ČSOB's commercial line 800 150 150 (Czech Republic) or ask your ČSOB business contact for the e-commerce payment gateway.
- Generate a separate production keypair at https://platebnibrana.csob.cz/keygen/ and save both keys.
- Confirm the key in POS Merchant — https://posman.csob.cz/posmerchant — so ČSOB activates it for live payments.
- Download the production bank public key from the same key folder.
- In Cabintale → Settings → Payments → ČSOB → Settings, flip the mode to Live, paste your production Merchant ID, private key, and bank public key, then Save and set Live as the active mode.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Connection test fails right after saving | A key was pasted incomplete, or with extra spaces / missing header line | Re-copy the full key including the -----BEGIN…----- / -----END…----- lines, no leading spaces |
| Works in Test but not Live | Live needs its own production keys, Merchant ID, and production bank public key | Generate production keys, confirm them in POS Merchant, paste the production set under Live mode |
| "Wrong bank public key" / signature errors | You used the test bank key on Live (or vice versa) | Download the key for the matching environment from ČSOB's key folder |
| Guests can't pay on Live | The production key isn't activated yet | Confirm the key in POS Merchant; activation can take a short while |
Related guides
- Set up your payment gateway — Payment gateways
- Accept payments on a property — Accept payments on a property
- Refunds and cancellations — Refunds and cancellations