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Sales

A sale is a bundled authorization and capture. Some processors and acquirers require a sale transaction instead of using separate authorization and capture requests.
For other processors and acquirers, you can
 request a sale instead of a separate authorization and capture when you provide the goods or services immediately after taking an order.
There are two types of sale processing: dual-message processing and single-message processing.

Dual-Message Processing

Dual-message processing is a two-step process. The authorization is processed first. If the authorization is successful, the capture is processed immediately afterward. The response includes the authorization and the capture information. If the authorization is declined, the capture is not processed, and the response message includes only the authorization information.

Partial Authorizations

All debit and prepaid card processors as well as a limited number of credit card processors support partial authorizations when dual-message processing is in place.
When partial authorization is enabled, the issuing financial institution can approve a partial amount when the balance on the card is less than the requested amount. When a partial amount is authorized, the capture is not processed. The merchant can then use a second card to cover the balance, adjust the total cost, or void the transaction.

Single-Message Processing

Single-message processing treats the authorization and capture as a single transaction. There are important differences between dual-message processing and single-message processing:
  • Single-message processing treats the request as a full-financial transaction, and with a successful transaction, funds are immediately transferred from the customer account to the merchant account.
  • Authorization and capture amounts must be the same.
  • Some features cannot be used with single-message processing.