Payments Reference
Detailed reference material for when you need to understand the mechanics behind your payment system.
How Transactions Work
| Page | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Authorization Basics | How card authorization works, response codes, and processing best practices |
| Auth Windows | Network-specific authorization validity windows and chargeback protection periods |
| Capture Operations | Voiding vs. refunding, partial captures, and re-authorization |
| Gateway Basics | What gateways do, how they differ from processors, and when you need one |
| Provider Types | Gateway vs. processor vs. ISO vs. PayFac vs. Merchant of Record |
Costs and Fees
| Page | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Interchange | How interchange works, what determines your rate, and why some transactions cost more |
| Debit Routing | Durbin Amendment, debit routing requirements, and interchange optimization |
| BNPL Economics | Buy Now Pay Later costs for merchants and when it makes sense |
| FX and Settlement | FX markup, cross-border fees, and when local acquiring saves money |
Security and Compliance
| Page | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Tokenization | Network tokens vs. gateway tokens, and how tokenization improves auth rates |
| E2EE vs P2PE | Both encrypt card data at the terminal; only P2PE reduces PCI scope automatically |
Specialized
| Page | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| B2B Commercial | Level 2/3 data, commercial card optimization, and B2B payment best practices |