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Online Payment Processing – What Is It?

14 June 2010 No Comment

Online payment processing

Online payment processing has become a phrase that many have heard. In some cases though the precise meaning of the phrase may remain somewhat ambiguous in some cases, the instances that most may experience are when they purchase something. In those cases there is far more at work than is usually ever needed to be known by individuals that do not work in information technology.

You can view a typical transaction, or online payment processing, as involving three or more parties and a couple or more pipelines. The first party is the buyer this is where the money originates. The individual has money sitting somewhere and they decide to purchase something. That requires the transfer of that money in exchange for the item(s) that they want. That money will be transferred to a seller that has the item(s) that the buyer wants. In most cases of online payment processing a direct transfer never occurs though.

Third Party In Online Payment

Instead there is a third party. The importance of this online payment processing service provider is that they have access to a pipeline of information. That information is note the pipeline that the account information passes from the buyer to the third party. That payment gateway is often provided by the website host or other party. The information pipeline in question is one the one that is used to process authorizations on an account.

These authorizations are processed by the major card companies. They provide the online payment processing service providers with information regarding the likelihood of a payment going through. You may have noticed that it may be the end of the day before an authorization is actually charged. The two are quite different, but the authorization is a major step toward finalization in online payment processing. If the authorization returns unfavorably then the purchase may be rejected immediately. If the authorization returns favorably then the purchase will likely be allowed. The shipping or downloading may begin immediately following this.

Sometime after this the actual money transfer is executed. This may be done directly from the buyer’s bank to the seller’s bank in most cases. The transfer effectively concludes the online payment process.

Significant Details in Online Payment Processing

The details that are significant for a buyer are that the third parties used by a seller may determine which type of card the buyer can use to make a purchase. Similarly, the third party will determine details for the buyer such as how much they pay. In the best cases though these third parties remain effectively invisible to both the buyer and the seller, they simply provide a service that we have come to know as a speedy and effective transaction process referred to as online payment.

Some form of these processes can be found at seller websites and through parties that provide nothing more than payment processing for individuals, as well as a number of other sites online. As the phrase implies however these forms of payment are carried out solely online.

If you have questions regarding the authorization and payment processing practices of your banking institution you should consult the documentation regarding your particular account or contact the bank directly.

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