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Overview

The Encryption class provides utilities for encrypting payment parameters before sending them to Flutterwave. This is a critical security feature that protects sensitive customer data during transmission.
Always encrypt payment parameters containing sensitive information such as card details, PINs, and account numbers.

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Class: Encryption

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Method: encryptParameters(JSONObject params)

Encrypts payment parameters for standard transactions. Parameters:
  • params: JSONObject containing the payment parameters to encrypt
Returns: String - Base64-encoded encrypted message Automatic Additions:
  • Automatically adds PBFPubKey to the parameters

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Method: encryptParametersPreAuth(JSONObject params)

Encrypts parameters specifically for pre-authorization transactions. Parameters:
  • params: JSONObject containing the pre-auth parameters to encrypt
Returns: String - Base64-encoded encrypted message

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Core Encryption Functions

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getKey(String seedKey)

Generates an encryption key from your secret key. Parameters:
  • seedKey: Your Flutterwave secret key
Returns: String - Generated encryption key
This method is called internally by encryptParameters() and encryptParametersPreAuth(). You typically don’t need to call it directly.

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encryptData(String message, String encryptionKey)

Encrypts data using Triple DES (3DES) encryption. Parameters:
  • message: The stringified JSON data to encrypt
  • encryptionKey: The encryption key generated by getKey()
Returns: String - Base64-encoded encrypted data Encryption Details:
  • Algorithm: DESede (Triple DES)
  • Mode: ECB
  • Padding: PKCS5Padding

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Usage Example

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Security Best Practices

Never log or display encrypted data in production environments. This example prints the encrypted message for demonstration purposes only.

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Do’s

  • Always encrypt sensitive payment data before transmission
  • Store your secret key securely (use environment variables)
  • Use HTTPS for all API communications
  • Validate and sanitize input data before encryption
  • Rotate your API keys periodically

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Don’ts

  • Never hardcode API keys in your source code
  • Don’t log unencrypted sensitive data
  • Don’t share encryption keys across different environments
  • Avoid storing unencrypted PINs or card details
  • Never expose your secret key in client-side code
The library automatically includes your public key (PBFPubKey) in the encrypted payload. You don’t need to add it manually to the params object.

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When to Use Encryption

Encrypt your parameters when:
  • Charging cards with PIN
  • Processing account payments with sensitive data
  • Handling direct debit transactions
  • Submitting pre-authorization requests
  • Any transaction requiring customer authentication

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Technical Details

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Encryption Process

  1. Key Generation: The getKey() method creates a 24-byte encryption key from your secret key using MD5 hashing
  2. Data Preparation: Payment parameters are converted to a JSON string
  3. Encryption: Data is encrypted using Triple DES in ECB mode with PKCS5 padding
  4. Encoding: Encrypted bytes are Base64-encoded for safe transmission

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Algorithm Specifications

  • Hash Algorithm: MD5 (for key derivation)
  • Encryption Algorithm: 3DES (Triple DES)
  • Key Length: 168 bits (24 bytes)
  • Block Cipher Mode: ECB
  • Padding: PKCS5
  • Encoding: Base64
The encryption implementation complies with Flutterwave’s security requirements and is designed to protect data in transit.

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Next Steps

Card Payments

Learn how to process encrypted card payments

Account Payments

Implement encrypted account charging

Preauthorization

Handle pre-authorization transactions

Configuration

Secure your API credentials