Payment Features

On This Page

Debit and Prepaid Card Payments

Debit cards are linked to a cardholder's checking account. A merchant who accepts the debit card can deduct funds directly from the linked cardholder's account.
You can process debit cards using these services:
  • Credit card services
  • PIN debit services
  • Partial authorizations, which are a special feature available for debit cards
  • Balance inquiries, which are a special feature available for debit cards

Related Information

Least-Cost Routing

Least-cost routing (LCR) is an option that offers the lowest routing costs available. LCR uses single-message processing, when it is possible, to move funds in a single, full-financial message. A full-financial message moves funds immediately.
When you request least-cost routing, the processor first determines whether LCR is possible for the transaction. If LCR is possible, the processor uses single-message processing to accomplish LCR. If the transaction is enabled for partial authorization, the processor can process a partial amount instead of the entire requested amount.
IMPORTANT
Least-cost routing is not supported for all features and services. Some transactions are not supported for single-message processing, either because they are not applicable or because they could create reconciliation problems.
To find out whether the processor used least-cost routing for a transaction, see the daily processor report.

Features Supported with Least-Cost Routing and Single-Message Processing

  • Address Verification System (AVS)
  • Balance responses
  • Card type indicators
  • Credits
  • Card verification number (CVN)
  • Debit cards
  • Merchandise descriptors
  • Payer authentication
  • Prepaid cards

Features Not Supported for Least-Cost Routing and Single-Message Processing

  • Authorization reversal after void
  • Full authorization reversals – To process an aborted transaction or a return, request the credit service.
  • Multiple partial captures
  • Stand-alone authorizations
  • Stand-alone captures
  • Verbal authorizations
  • Voids

Requirement

To enable least-cost routing, contact customer support to have your account configured for this feature.

Related Information

  • See Least-Cost Routing Processing for information that shows you how to apply least-cost routing.
  • See Sales for a description of a sales transaction.
  • See Sales for information that shows you how to process a sale.

Payer Authentication

Payer authentication is run before a transaction is submitted for authorization. Most of the time payer authentication is bundled with authorization so that after payer authentication happens, the transaction is automatically submitted for authorization. Payer authentication and authorization can be configured to occur as separate operations. This section shows you how to run payer authentication as a separate process and pass the payer authentication data when seeking authorization for a transaction.
Payer authentication consists of a two-step verification process that adds an extra layer of fraud protection during the payment process. During transactions, the transaction device, location, past purchasing habits, and other factors are analyzed for indications of fraud. This process collects customer data during the transaction from at least two of these three categories:
  • Something you have
    : A payment card or a payment card number
  • Something you know
    : A password or pin
  • Something you are
    : Facial recognition or fingerprint
Each of these payment card companies has its own payer authentication product:
  • Discover
    : ProtectBuy
  • JCB
    : J/Secure
  • Mastercard
    : Identity Check
  • Visa
    : Visa Secure
Payer authentication can be used to satisfy the Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirement of the Payment Services Directive (PSD2). SCA applies to the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom. SCA requires banks to perform additional checks when customers make payments to confirm their identity.

Related Information

Relaxed Requirements for Address Data and Expiration Date in Payment Transactions

With relaxed requirements for address data and the expiration date, not all standard payment request fields are required. It is your responsibility to determine whether your account is enabled to use this feature and which fields are required.

Related Information

Introduction to Credentialed Transactions

Credentialed transactions are transactions that involve either storing a customer's payment credentials for future transactions or using a customer's already stored payment credentials. When processing a credentialed transaction, you must indicate the type of credentialed transaction and the reason for the transaction. Credentialed transactions are also known as
credential-on-file
 (COF) transactions.
There are several types of credentialed transactions:
  • Customer-Initiated Transactions (CITs):
     Any transaction a customer is actively participating in such as making a card-present payment, completing an online checkout, or by using a stored credential. CIT transactions can store the customer's credentials in your system for future CITs or merchant-initiated transactions.
  • Merchant-Initiated Transactions (MITs):
     Any transaction a merchant initiates without the customer's participation such as an industry practice transaction or a standing instruction transaction.
    • Industry Practice Transactions:
       MITs that are performed as subsequent transactions to a CIT because the initial transaction could not be completed in one transaction. Not every industry practice transaction involves a stored credential. If a stored credential is used only for one transaction, that transaction is not considered a credentialed transaction.
    • Standing Instruction Transactions:
       MITs that are performed to follow agreed-upon instructions from the customer for the provision of goods and services.

Supported Services

These are the supported merchant-initiated services:
  • Installment Transactions
  • Mastercard Standing Order Transactions
  • Mastercard Subscription Transactions
  • Recurring Transactions
  • Unscheduled Credentials-on-File Transactions
The service determines the reason for the credentialed transaction.

Token Management Service

The
Token Management Service
 (
TMS
) enables you to replace personally identifiable information (PII), such as the primary account numbers (PANs), with unique tokens. These tokens do not include the PII data, but act as a placeholder for the personal information that would otherwise need to be shared. By using tokens, businesses can provide a secure payment experience, reduce the risk of fraud, and comply with industry consumer security regulations such as PCI-DSS.
TMS
 links tokens across service providers, payment types, and channels for sellers, acquirers, and technology partners.
TMS
 tokenizes, securely stores, and manages the primary account number (PAN), the payment card expiration date,
electronic check details,
and customer data.
TMS
 also enables you to create a network token of a customer's payment card.
IMPORTANT
Due to mandates from the Reserve Bank of India, Indian merchants cannot store PANs. Use network tokenization instead.
You can manage sensitive data securely by creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting tokens through the TMS API.
TMS
 simplifies your PCI DSS compliance.
TMS
 passes tokens back to you that represent this data. You then store these tokens in your environment and databases instead of storing customer payment details.
TMS
 protects sensitive payment information through tokenization and secures and manages customer data using these token types:
  • Customer tokens
  • Instrument identifier tokens
  • Payment instrument tokens
  • Shipping address tokens
These
TMS
 tokens can be used individually, or they can be associated with one customer token:

Figure:

TMS
 Token Types
Diagram of the unified token identifier.

Related Information

Visa Bill Payments

Visa provides a Bill Payment program that enables customers to use their Visa cards to pay their bills. When you participate in this program, Visa requests that you flag the bill payments and credits so they can be easily identified.
The bill payment indicator is accepted no matter which processor you are using, do not use this indicator if you have not signed up with Visa to participate in the program.
IMPORTANT
This feature is not the same as the Visa Consumer Bill Payment Service.

Supported Services

You can process Visa Bill Payments using these services:
  • Authorization
  • Credit

Fields Specific to this Use Case

Authorization:
 include this field in a standard authorization when processing a Visa Bill Payment:
processingInformation.authorizationOptions.billPayment
Credit:
 include this field in a standard credit when processing a Visa Bill Payment:

Endpoints

Authorization:
Production:
POST
https://api.cybersource.com
/pts/v2/payments
Test:
POST
https://apitest.cybersource.com
/pts/v2/payments
Credit:
Production:
POST
https://api.cybersource.com
/pts/v2/credits/
Test:
POST
https://apitest.cybersource.com
/pts/v2/credits/

Requirement

Before you process Visa Bill Payments, you must sign up with Visa to participate in the program.

Related Information

Visa Consumer Bill Payments

The Visa Consumer Bill Payment Service (CBPS) is an optional service that enables you to provide bill payment services to consumers using a Visa card. Cardholders can pay one or more of their bills in one transaction using a third-party intermediary rather than paying each bill separately. When you request a Visa CBPS authorization, you must include the
processingInformation.businessApplicationId
 field set to
CB
.
IMPORTANT
This feature is not the same as Visa Bill Payments.

Supported Service

You can process Visa Consumer Bill Payments using the authorization service.

Requirements

IMPORTANT
As a Visa CBPS provider you must comply with all Visa rules. For the Visa CBPS rules, see Rule ID# 0030635 of the Visa Rules "Acquirer Responsibilities Related to Consumer Bill Payment Service Providers" at visa-rules-public.pdf.
Before you process Visa CBPS payments, you must:
  • Contact your acquirer to register your account for the Visa Consumer Bill Pay Service.
  • Contact
    Cybersource
     customer support to have your account configured for this feature.

Related Information