diff --git a/doc/install.rst b/doc/install.rst
index 0a45d25f1..3128f5b74 100644
--- a/doc/install.rst
+++ b/doc/install.rst
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ Installation
       PAYMENT_HOST = 'localhost:8000'
       PAYMENT_USES_SSL = False
       PAYMENT_MODEL = 'mypaymentapp.Payment'
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'default': ('payments.dummy.DummyProvider', {})}
 
    Variants are named pairs of payment providers and their configuration.
diff --git a/doc/modules.rst b/doc/modules.rst
index 745a7bc11..50c72e441 100644
--- a/doc/modules.rst
+++ b/doc/modules.rst
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Dummy
 
 Example::
 
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'dummy': ('payments.dummy.DummyProvider', {})}
 
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Authorize.Net
 Example::
 
       # use staging environment
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'authorizenet': ('payments.authorizenet.AuthorizeNetProvider', {
               'login_id': '1234login',
               'transaction_key': '1234567890abcdef',
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Braintree
 Example::
 
       # use sandbox
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'braintree': ('payments.braintree.BraintreeProvider', {
               'merchant_id': '112233445566',
               'public_key': '1234567890abcdef',
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Coinbase
 Example::
 
       # use sandbox
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'coinbase': ('payments.coinbase.CoinbaseProvider', {
               'key': '123abcd',
               'secret': 'abcd1234',
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ Cybersource
 Example::
 
       # use sandbox
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'cybersource': ('payments.cybersource.CyberSourceProvider', {
               'merchant_id': 'example',
               'password': '1234567890abcdef',
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ Dotpay
 Example::
 
       # use defaults for channel and lang but lock available channels
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'dotpay': ('payments.dotpay.DotpayProvider', {
               'seller_id': '123',
               'pin': '0000',
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ Google Wallet
 Example::
 
       # use sandbox
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'wallet': ('payments.wallet.GoogleWalletProvider', {
               'seller_id': '112233445566',
               'seller_secret': '1234567890abcdef',
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ PayPal
 Example::
 
       # use sandbox
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'paypal': ('payments.paypal.PaypalProvider', {
               'client_id': 'user@example.com',
               'secret': 'iseedeadpeople',
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ Example::
 
 Example::
 
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'paypal': ('payments.paypal.PaypalCardProvider', {
               'client_id': 'user@example.com',
               'secret': 'iseedeadpeople'})}
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ Sage Pay
 Example::
 
       # use simulator
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'sage': ('payments.sagepay.SagepayProvider', {
               'vendor': 'example',
               'encryption_key': '1234567890abcdef',
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ Sofort.com
 
 Example::
 
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'sage': ('payments.sofort.SofortProvider', {
               'id': '123456',
               'key': '1234567890abcdef',
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ Stripe
 Example::
 
       # use sandbox
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'stripe': ('payments.stripe.StripeProvider', {
               'secret_key': 'sk_test_123456',
               'public_key': 'pk_test_123456'})}
diff --git a/doc/preauth.rst b/doc/preauth.rst
index 668ff3812..f7201a6f3 100644
--- a/doc/preauth.rst
+++ b/doc/preauth.rst
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Authorization and capture
 Some gateways offer a two-step payment method known as Authorization & Capture, which allows you to collect the payment manually after the buyer has authorized it. To enable this payment type, you have to set the ``capture`` parameter to ``False`` in the configuration of payment backend::
 
       # settings.py
-      PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+      PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
           'default': ('payments.dummy.DummyProvider', {'capture': False})}
 
 
diff --git a/doc/usage.rst b/doc/usage.rst
index af903c9fd..fae508037 100644
--- a/doc/usage.rst
+++ b/doc/usage.rst
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Making a payment
    
       Payment = get_payment_model()
       payment = Payment.objects.create(
-          variant='default',  # this is the variant from PAYMENT_VARIANTS
+          variant='default',  # this is the variant from PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API
           description='Book purchase',
           total=Decimal(120),
           tax=Decimal(20),
diff --git a/payments/core.py b/payments/core.py
index e81bfab6e..f2d46e680 100644
--- a/payments/core.py
+++ b/payments/core.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
 
 
-PAYMENT_VARIANTS = {
+PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API = {
     'default': ('payments.dummy.DummyProvider', {})}
 
 PAYMENT_HOST = getattr(settings, 'PAYMENT_HOST', None)
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ def get_base_url():
     """
     Returns host url according to project settings. Protocol is chosen by
     checking PAYMENT_USES_SSL variable.
-    If PAYMENT_HOST is not specified, gets domain from Sites. 
-    Otherwise checks if it's callable and returns it's result. If it's not a 
+    If PAYMENT_HOST is not specified, gets domain from Sites.
+    Otherwise checks if it's callable and returns it's result. If it's not a
     callable treats it as domain.
     """
     protocol = 'https' if PAYMENT_USES_SSL else 'http'
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def provider_factory(variant):
     '''
     Return the provider instance based on variant
     '''
-    variants = getattr(settings, 'PAYMENT_VARIANTS', PAYMENT_VARIANTS)
+    variants = getattr(settings, 'PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API', PAYMENT_VARIANTS_API)
     handler, config = variants.get(variant, (None, None))
     if not handler:
         raise ValueError('Payment variant does not exist: %s' %