Step by Step Guide to Building a Chargebee API Integration in PHP

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your billing system with Chargebee? You're in the right place. We're going to walk through integrating Chargebee's API into your PHP project using their nifty chargebee/chargebee-php package. Buckle up, it's going to be a smooth ride!

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you've got:

• A PHP environment up and running
• Composer installed (trust me, it makes life so much easier)
• A Chargebee account with API keys in hand

Got all that? Great! Let's get started.

Installation

First things first, let's get that Chargebee package installed. Open up your terminal and run:

composer require chargebee/chargebee-php

Easy peasy, right?

Configuration

Now, let's set up those API credentials. In your PHP file, add:

require_once('vendor/autoload.php');
ChargeBee_Environment::configure("your-site", "your-api-key");

Replace "your-site" and "your-api-key" with your actual Chargebee site name and API key. Keep these safe, folks!

Basic API Requests

Let's make our first API call. How about retrieving a customer?

try {
    $result = ChargeBee_Customer::retrieve("customer_id");
    $customer = $result->customer();
    echo $customer->firstName;
} catch(Exception $e) {
    echo 'Caught exception: ',  $e->getMessage(), "\n";
}

Look at that! You're already talking to Chargebee.

Common API Operations

Now let's get into the meat of it. Here are some common operations you'll likely need:

Creating a Customer

$result = ChargeBee_Customer::create(array(
  "firstName" => "John",
  "lastName" => "Doe",
  "email" => "[email protected]"
));
$customer = $result->customer();

Creating a Subscription

$result = ChargeBee_Subscription::create(array(
  "planId" => "basic",
  "customer" => array(
    "firstName" => "John",
    "lastName" => "Doe",
    "email" => "[email protected]"
  )
));
$subscription = $result->subscription();

Updating a Subscription

$result = ChargeBee_Subscription::update("subscription_id", array(
  "planId" => "premium"
));
$subscription = $result->subscription();

Handling Invoices

$result = ChargeBee_Invoice::retrieve("invoice_id");
$invoice = $result->invoice();

Webhook Integration

Webhooks are your friends. They'll keep you updated on what's happening in Chargebee-land. Here's a simple webhook handler:

$postData = file_get_contents('php://input');
$event = ChargeBee_Event::deserialize($postData);

switch($event->eventType) {
    case "subscription_created":
        // Handle new subscription
        break;
    case "invoice_generated":
        // Handle new invoice
        break;
    // Add more cases as needed
}

Error Handling and Logging

Always be prepared for the unexpected. Wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks and log those responses:

try {
    $result = ChargeBee_Customer::create(array(
        "firstName" => "John",
        "lastName" => "Doe",
        "email" => "[email protected]"
    ));
    // Log success
    error_log("Customer created: " . $result->customer()->id);
} catch(Exception $e) {
    // Log error
    error_log('Error creating customer: ' . $e->getMessage());
}

Best Practices

1. Mind the rate limits. Chargebee's generous, but don't push it.
2. Keep your API keys secret. Use environment variables, not hard-coded strings.
3. Stay updated. Regularly check for new versions of the Chargebee PHP package.

Testing

Testing is crucial. Here's a simple unit test using PHPUnit:

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

class ChargebeeTest extends TestCase
{
    public function testCustomerCreation()
    {
        $result = ChargeBee_Customer::create(array(
            "firstName" => "Test",
            "lastName" => "User",
            "email" => "[email protected]"
        ));
        $this->assertInstanceOf('ChargeBee_Customer', $result->customer());
    }
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to integrate Chargebee into your PHP project like a pro. Remember, the Chargebee API is powerful and flexible, so don't be afraid to explore beyond what we've covered here.

For more in-depth info, check out the Chargebee API documentation and the chargebee-php GitHub repo.

Now go forth and bill with confidence! Happy coding!