What are the 3 Steps in Credit Card Processing? (2024)

What are the 3 Steps in Credit Card Processing? (1)

Today, when customers shop in person or online, the most popular method of purchasing products is by using a credit card. Carrying cash has become outdated as many people have grown frustrated with having loose money that is difficult to remove from their wallets. Credit cards are more convenient for consumers and merchants who get their money instantaneously. Most business owners ask how the transaction works and the process behind processing the funds to their account? Here we’ll go over everything you need to know, what to do if something goes wrong, and why it’s important to choose a reliable credit card processing service.

Step 1: Payment Authorization

The first step to cc processing is payment authorization. This step refers to the seller gaining approval from the issuing bank. When a customer swipes or taps their card at checkout, information is sent to an acquirer (acquiring bank) or processor, which then is transferred to the credit card company. Acquirers represent merchants/sellers through these transactions, and they are there to ensure merchants get paid. After the data is sent to the necessary parties, the transaction is analyzed and asks the issuer for authorization. To purchase, the credit card company looks for the credit card number, expiration date, billing address, security code, and payment amount.

Step 2: Payment Authentication

The payment authentication stage for small businesses is the second credit card processing stage. This stage involves ensuring that the transaction is valid and that there is no fraud. Payment authentication comes from the issuer. The issuer will then approve or reject the request and send the response to the retailer through the other parties (the credit card company and acquirer). When the transaction is approved, the issuer places a hold on the buyer’s account for the purchase. The business owner’s payment machine stores this information and then hands over the receipt to the consumer as proof of payment.

Step 3: Clearing

In the final step, the charge for the transaction will appear on the customer’s billing statement and the retailer’s statement. Approved transactions are sent from the retailer to the acquirer daily. The transactions are then sent to and settled by the credit card company, and then sends the accepted transactions to the issuer. Usually, the transaction shares the merchant’s statement with the issuing credit card and takes 24 to 48 hours to transfer the funds. Finally, the buyer will see the purchase amount as a charge on their billing statement and pay the bill.

What Happens if One of These Steps Goes Wrong?

There are many ways in which the transaction can go wrong. Oftentimes it can happen from fraudulent charges, rejected from the issuing bank, or the POS system. If this happens, the merchant will often attempt to rerun the customer’s card through the machine. The buyer can determine why the transaction is still declined by looking at their account or looking at the POS screen that says declined. If the issuing bank didn’t accept the transaction, all the merchant can do is ask the customer to use another form of payment. If the transaction isn’t compatible with the POS, it might not be the client’s fault. Some payment processors have limits on how many transactions a consumer may make. Sometimes there will be a fraudulent charge, and the merchant may be held accountable and have their account suspended. To make a transaction as seamless as possible, ensure you have a quality machine when dealing with payment processing. A great option is the NRS Pay system. This system accepts all major debit and credit cards, EBT, and mobile payments like Apple and Google Pay! To learn more about NRS Pay, visit this link.

Start with NRS Pay today!

Submit the form or call us at (888) 990-9913 to take the first step in getting the best credit card processing solution for your business!

By Marko Georgiev

What are the 3 Steps in Credit Card Processing? (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 Steps in Credit Card Processing? ›

Credit card processing can be divided into three basic steps: authorization, authentication, and settlement.

What are the three phases of card transaction? ›

The credit card transaction cycle includes authorisation, where the card issuer approves the purchase; batching, where transactions are grouped for processing; clearing, which involves sending the transaction to the card network; and settlement, where funds are transferred from the issuer to the merchant.

What are the three steps in credit card management? ›

What are the 3 Steps in Credit Card Processing?
  • Step 1: Payment Authorization. The first step to cc processing is payment authorization. ...
  • Step 2: Payment Authentication. The payment authentication stage for small businesses is the second credit card processing stage. ...
  • Step 3: Clearing.
Jul 12, 2022

What are the three steps to process a payment card transaction? ›

There are three steps that lead towards the completion of the process. Authorization and Electronic Data Capture, Funding and Settlement. Electronic Data is captured by swiping the card through your POS terminal or by keying cardholder's information into your POS terminal.

What are the steps of a credit card process? ›

How does credit card transaction processing work?
  • Initiation. The cardholder provides their credit card information to the business. ...
  • Data transmission. ...
  • Authorization request. ...
  • Approval or decline. ...
  • Authorization response. ...
  • Settlement. ...
  • Funds transfer. ...
  • Cardholder billing.
Aug 22, 2023

What are the 3 stages of transaction? ›

States of Transactions
  • Active − This is the state in which a transaction is being executed. ...
  • Partially Committed − A transaction is in its partially committed state whenever it executes the final operation.
  • Failed − In case any check made by a database recovery system fails, then that transaction is in a failed state.

What are the three cycles of transaction processing? ›

similar types of transactions are grouped together into three transaction cycles:
  • the expenditure cycle,
  • the conversion cycle, and.
  • the revenue cycle.

What are the 3 C's of credit management? ›

The factors that determine your credit score are called The Three C's of Credit – Character, Capital and Capacity.

What is Level 3 credit card processing? ›

Level 3 Processing was originally invented to prevent excess government spending. It allows invoice information, including line-item details, to be passed to the cardholder's bank statement. Credit card issuing banks assign certain interchange fees for different types of cards.

What is the order of credit card processing? ›

Authorization response

The issuing bank sends the authorization response—either an approval or a decline code—to the payment network, which forwards it to the acquiring bank. The acquiring bank relays the response to the payment gateway, which ultimately passes it on to the business's POS system.

What are the three steps in all payments processes? ›

Payment processing is the sequence of actions that securely transfer funds between a payer and a payee. Typically, it involves the authorization, verification, and settlement of transactions through electronic payment systems.

What is the card processing cycle? ›

The lifecycle of each specific card payment transaction can vary depending on a variety of factors but a few steps in the credit card transaction lifecycle are fixed in place: authorization, batching, clearing and settlement.

What are the three parties involved in credit card processing? ›

Parties involved
  • Cardholder: The holder of the card used to make a purchase; the consumer. ...
  • Card-issuing bank: The financial institution or other organization that issued the credit card to the cardholder. ...
  • Merchant: The individual or business accepting credit card payments for products or services sold to the cardholder.

What are the phases of transaction processing? ›

Transaction processing systems generally go through a five-stage cycle of 1) Data entry activities 2) Transaction processing activities 3) File and database processing 4) Document and report generation 5) Inquiry processing activities.

What are the three stages of online transaction? ›

Stages of Online Transaction

The online transaction involves three main stages such as pre-purchase/sale stage, purchase/sale stage, and delivery stage.

What are 3 transactions that can occur during a billing cycle? ›

Transactions that may be included when calculating your balance include:
  • Purchases.
  • Payments.
  • Interest charges.
  • Statement credits.
  • Fees.
  • Cash advances.

What are the three phases of purchase process model? ›

The stages include Need Recognition, Information Search, Evaluation of Alternatives, Purchase Decision, and Post-Purchase Behavior.

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