RIAT Case Study - Custom FEP Pay Integration & Event Payment Enablement

Business Overview

RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) is part of the charitable arm of the Royal Air Force and delivers one of the UK’s largest annual air shows. Held each summer, the event attracts large public audiences and features the Royal Air Force’s flagship Red Arrows display team.

Given the scale and time-sensitive nature of ticket sales, RIAT relies on a robust event technology ecosystem to manage ticketing, parking, and merchandise transactions through its event platform.

To better align with its event data strategy and payment needs, RIAT engaged IDS Logic to implement a specialist payment gateway integration within its existing ticketing environment.

The Brief - Project Objectives

RIAT was using Stripe as its payment gateway but wanted to migrate to FEP Pay, a payment platform specifically optimised for event-based transactions and data management.

However, the existing event platform provider, Vivenu, did not natively support FEP Pay as a payment option. The cost quoted to enable this capability directly within the platform was commercially unviable.

RIAT therefore issued a request to tender seeking a specialist partner that could deliver a secure and cost-effective integration without disrupting the existing ticketing experience.

Solutions Overview

IDS Logic designed and delivered a lightweight middleware integration that securely bridges Vivenu and FEP Pay without requiring intrusive changes to the event platform.

 

01. Custom Payment Middleware Architecture

IDS Logic implemented a custom REST-based payment API using Laravel (PHP 8.4), acting as a secure intermediary between systems.

The middleware:

• Receives payment requests from Vivenu
• Initiates payment sessions with FEP Pay
• Manages secure customer redirection
• Validates payment status callbacks
• Confirms transactions back to Vivenu

This architecture enabled RIAT to introduce FEP Pay without waiting for native platform support.

 

02. Seamless Event Checkout Flow

The integration was carefully designed to preserve the existing customer journey.

Payment flow:

1. Customers select tickets within Vivenu.
2. Vivenu calls the custom payment API.
3. Flex Microform to generate a token.
4. API creates a payment request with FEP Pay.
5. We use 3DS 2.2 authentication to validate card payments, prompting users to enter a verification code for enhanced security.
6. Customer completes payment on FEP Pay.
7. Following a successful payment, card details are tokenized to maintain a high level of security and compliance.
8. Payment status is verified via secure callback.
9. Confirmation is returned to Vivenu.
10. Vivenu completes the order and issues tickets.

From the customer perspective, the checkout experience remains smooth and uninterrupted.

 

03. Secure Refund & Callback Handling

To support full payment lifecycle management, IDS Logic implemented:

• Secure payment status verification
• Callback validation using API key/HMAC mechanisms
• Refund webhook handling. Full/Partial refund handling
• Idempotent transaction processing
• TLS 1.2+ secure endpoints

This resulted in reliable and auditable payment processing for high-volume event transactions.

 

04. Multi-Partner Technical Coordination

A key success factor was IDS Logic’s role as the central delivery hub between stakeholders.

IDS Logic:

• Led technical workshops and planning sessions
• Coordinated requirements between RIAT, Vivenu, Cybersource, and FEP Pay
• Managed environment configuration and whitelisting
• Supported sandbox testing across platforms
• Drove the project timeline to meet event deadlines

This collaborative approach enabled a smooth multi-party delivery despite platform limitations.

 

05. Rapid Delivery Under Tight Deadlines

The project was delivered within a compressed pre-event window.

IDS Logic:

• Built and tested the middleware within weeks
• Prepared the solution for soft launch
• Maintained delivery within agreed budget
• Ensured production readiness ahead of the event cycle

The focused delivery model allowed RIAT to meet critical seasonal timelines.