Transaction Lifecycle

Copy

• Copy for LLM

  Copy page as Markdown for LLMs
• View as Markdown

  Open this page as Markdown
• Open in ChatGPT

  Get insights from ChatGPT
• Open in Claude

  Get insights from Claude

1) When should I call the Authorize transaction request / Payment Request?

Transmit a Authorize transaction request on Payment API v2 / Payment Request on Payment API v1 when the buyer agreed to the terms & conditions, confirms the order and you have complete buyer, address, and basket data.

2) When is the claim activated?

Upon Capture (Payment API v2) or Confirmation Deliver (Payment API v1), i.e., after shipment is initiated.

3) Can I partially capture?

Yes. Capture (Payment API v2) or transmit the Confirmation Deliver (Payment API v1) only shipped items/quantities. Multiple captures per transaction are supported.

4) What if an item is out of stock?

Capture (Payment API v2) or transmit the Confirmation Deliver (Payment API v1) for what is shipped; cancel the remaining items or perform a later capture when stock arrives, as your policy allows.

5) Can I increase the order after authorization?

Use the Incrementally authorize request (Payment API v2) or Payment Change@change-order (Payment API v1) to increase the authorized amount. A new risk check is performed for the increment.

6) Can I decrease the order after authorization?

Yes - by capturing fewer items or lower amounts. For v1, use Payment Change@change-order where applicable.

7) How do refunds work?

After capture, use the Refund transaction request (Payment API v2) or [Payment Change@return](Payment Change@change-order request (Payment API v1) to return amounts or items. Multiple partial refunds are supported up to the captured total.

8) Can I cancel after capture?

Cancellations apply to uncaptured authorizations. After capture, use Refund.

9) Can I cancel partially?

Yes - cancel remaining (not yet captured) items/amounts from the authorization.

10) How do I handle multi‑shipment orders?

Perform multiple captures. Each capture should list the items/quantities included in that shipment.

11) What about pre‑orders?

Authorize when you are ready and have the buyer’s consent; capture when shipping begins. Check authorization validity windows. (Standard: 120 days)

12) Does a transaction expire?

For Payment API v1 transactions, there is directly no expiry date. Ratepay will reach out to you after some time with a list of open transactions to confirm if they will still be delivered or should be cancelled. For Payment API v2, the expiry date will be responded after successful authorization of a transaction. If the time window passes, you may need to re‑authorize or use the Change transaction request, depending on timing and configuration. (Standard: 120 days)

13) Can I re‑attempt an authorization after decline?

Yes - depending on the decline. See here for further details.

14) How do I display statuses to buyers?

Map technical statuses to user‑friendly messages, which are mentioned here.