THE 3 STAGES OF CREDIT CARD PROCESSING (2024)

THE 3 STAGES OF CREDIT CARD PROCESSING (1)

  • Report this article

Nicki Burnham THE 3 STAGES OF CREDIT CARD PROCESSING (2)

Nicki Burnham

Consult businesses on strategies to streamline their payment processing.

Published Jun 15, 2022

+ Follow

Making a purchase using a credit card starts a complicated process where data is sent from the customer's credit card to the merchant's (business taking the payment) Point-of-Sale (POS) device, and then to the cardholder's bank - all in the span of a few seconds. In fact, swiping or tapping a credit or debit card and signing the receipt are just the first and final steps of credit card processing.

Below is a simple breakdown for the 3 stages in the process.

1. Payment Authorization

The first stage of any credit card transaction is payment.

  • In the store, the customer pays by either swiping (magnetic stripe), tapping (contactless card), or dipping (EMV chip cards) their card. They can also use a digital wallet linked to their credit card, like Apple Pay.
  • Online, the customer inputs their credit card details into a payment form.
  • For phone transactions, a virtual terminal provides secure credit card processing.

The merchant's credit card terminal or website sends the cardholder's details, including the credit card number, expiration date, security code, and payment amount to the store's acquiring bank or processor. This information is forwarded to the appropriate credit card network (Visa/ Mastercard/Discover/American Express), which then passes it on to the customer's issuing bank for authentication.

2. Payment Authentication

The issuing bank (examples: Wells Fargo, Chase, Bank of America ect.) receives the payment request and verifies whether the cardholder has the available balance to make the purchase. The bank will also conduct security measures to authenticate the cardholder's details and determine whether the transaction shows any signs of fraudulent activity.

If everything is confirmed to be genuine, the bank account approves the transaction and communicates this to the payment processor and then to the credit card reader or terminal.

3. Clearing

The clearing stage is when details of the transaction are sent to the cardholder and merchant services in the form of statements. At the end of every business day, the merchant sends a batch of approved credit and debit card transactions to the acquiring bank or processor.

The card processing company then forwards details of each transaction to the corresponding credit card network, which then forwards it to the appropriate card-issuing bank. Funds and shares of transaction fees are moved between banks, credit card networks, and acquiring processors to keep the system running.

For more information click here!

Like
Comment

3

To view or add a comment, sign in

More articles by this author

No more previous content

  • Benefits of Syncing your POS with your Accounting Software. Feb 20, 2024
  • Is leasing credit card processing equipment from you bank a good idea? Jan 22, 2024
  • Value in working locally vs nationally. Dec 15, 2023
  • Benefits of Exceptional Service for Credit Card Processing Oct 9, 2023
  • Embracing Online Payments: Unlocking Benefits for Your Business Aug 23, 2023
  • Benefits of cash discounting program for credit card processing Aug 2, 2023
  • Money Saving Tips - Credit Card Processing Apr 12, 2023
  • 5 Reasons to Review Your Rates. Jan 24, 2023
  • Focus on Profitability. Quickly cut expenses in 2023. Jan 10, 2023
  • Are you a business using QuickBooks? Oct 17, 2022

No more next content

See all

Sign in

Stay updated on your professional world

Sign in

By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.

New to LinkedIn? Join now

Insights from the community

  • Financial Technology How can you balance payment processing speed and accuracy?
  • Payment Systems You're a government agency looking for payment processing services. Which provider is the most efficient?
  • Electronic Funds Transfer What are the best practices for managing your prepaid cards and debit cards balances and transactions?
  • Payment Systems How do payment services providers manage ACH transactions for businesses?
  • Financial Services How can you handle EFT payment exceptions?
  • Mobile Communications How can SMS improve financial transactions?
  • Mobile Technology How can mobile payments professionals build strong relationships with clients?

Others also viewed

  • Demystifying Credit Card Processing: A Behind-the-Scenes Look Ragapay 8mo
  • What are the Different Types of Payment Processing Methods? Megha V 2y
  • Credit Card Payment Processing After Signature Rule Change Apoorv Joshi 5y
  • Credit Card Processing: The Primary Players Payway® 1mo
  • The Pros and Cons of Different Payment Methods: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, E-wallets, and more. Mark Lewis 1y
  • Learn Some Terms Used In Credit Card Processing WebPays 4mo
  • How to set up credit card processing Payments Clarity 1y
  • Accept Credit Card for your Tech Support Businesses Apoorv Joshi 5y
  • The new facility on debit cards, credit cards to make payments easier: 10 points Prabakaran Jayaraman 4y
  • Interchange fees explained Total Processing 1y

Explore topics

  • Sales
  • Marketing
  • Business Administration
  • HR Management
  • Content Management
  • Engineering
  • Soft Skills
  • See All
THE 3 STAGES OF CREDIT CARD PROCESSING (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 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 3 main steps in obtaining a credit card? ›

Expert-Verified Answer. Obtaining a credit card entails filling out an application, the credit card company performing a credit check, and receiving the card, and understanding the terms of usage.

What are the steps of credit card processing? ›

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 three phases of card transaction? ›

The four steps involved in a credit card transaction are authorization, authentication, batching, clearing and settlement, and funding.

What are the steps of credit card processing Quizlet? ›

  • Cardholder pays with a credit or debit card.
  • Merchant processes the card presented by the cardholder through a payment method.
  • The payment processor exchanges data between the merchant and the card issuer supporting authorization and payment settlement.

What are the 3 three common types of credit cards? ›

Fortunately, most cards can be classified into three major categories based on the features they offer: rewards credit cards, low interest and balance transfer cards, and credit-building cards.

What are the three C's of credit cards? ›

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

What is the 3 number behind a credit card? ›

The Card Verification Value (CVV) is a series of three or four digits usually found on the back of the credit card. It represents another validation process and thus adds a level of protection. Some credit card issuers call it the Card Verification Code (CVC). Its purpose is the same regardless of its name.

What are the first three steps you can take toward establishing credit? ›

Opening a credit card, becoming an authorized user and applying for a credit-builder loan are some ways to establish credit. From there, building good credit relies on using credit responsibly by doing things like paying bills on time every month.

What is payment processing steps? ›

Payment processing happens in 3 steps: authorization, authentication, and settlement.

What are the steps of a transaction? ›

Three steps involved in the online transaction are Registration, Placing an order, and, Payment. Let us learn more about the different stages of Online Transaction in detail.

What are the three stages of online transaction? ›

There are three stages of online transaction i.e. first - registration, second - placing the order, and third - online payment. This online transaction is completed by combining all three stages. Online transactions are used to buy or sell any item on an online platform such as Flipkart, Amazon, or eBay etc.

What is 3 the first step in online transaction? ›

The very first step in online transaction is registration. A person is required to register himself and his basic information with the vendor so that authentication of a person can be done and transactions can be carried out without any hassle in future.

What are the 3 steps for completing debit and credit transactions? ›

There are three steps that lead towards the completion of the process. Authorization and Electronic Data Capture, Funding and Settlement.

What is credit card management? ›

The process of managing credit card usage is known as credit card management. Simply put, credit card management involves taking measures to ensure you remain in control of your usage and avoid falling into credit card debt.

What are the 3 C's when a creditor evaluates a credit application? ›

For example, when it comes to actually applying for credit, the “three C's” of credit – capital, capacity, and character – are crucial. 1 Specifically: Capital is savings and assets that can be used as collateral for loans.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5536

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Birthday: 1996-05-19

Address: Apt. 114 873 White Lodge, Libbyfurt, CA 93006

Phone: +5983010455207

Job: Legacy Representative

Hobby: Blacksmithing, Urban exploration, Sudoku, Slacklining, Creative writing, Community, Letterboxing

Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.