The Transactions endpoint group is the fundamental means of managing purchases and refunds. Transactions in general are separated into two divisions: ACH transactions and cards transactions.
ACH transactions are payments processed through the ACH (automated clearing house) network. These are direct bank-to-bank transfers such as debits and credits. These transactions are typically processed in batches and settle or close within one to two business days.
To complete an ACH (automated clearing house) transaction, see ACH Transactions.
Card transactions are payments processed using a credit or debit card. These are processed through a card network such as Visa or Mastercard, among others. Card transaction operations support initiating the transaction, retrieving transaction details, and monitoring transaction status throughout processing. This processing has additional steps, such as verifying available funds, possibly declining the transaction request, holding the funds, and finally settling the request.
Capture
Capture completes a previously authorized transaction and initiates the transfer of funds. This endpoint captures the authorized funds and completes the transaction:
POST {{baseURL}}/pay-api/v1/transactions/capture
This is an example of the minimal request body. For example, the original authorization amount was $200. the amount here must be $200. Any other value will fail the call. The transactionId is the transactionId from the Authorization endpoint above.
{
"amount": "200",
"transactionId": "2f41c881-7337-45b9-8dba-fa5d9711e2b1"
}Card transactions are separated into two operations: One-step operations and two-step operations.
One-step operations are transactions that authorizes and captures the transaction in a single request. This allows processing a payment in one step or action by both approving the card and immediately completing the transaction. This is a common retail situation when the purchase price is finalized and known at the moment of the sale.
Two-step operations are transactions that authorize and capture the transaction in separate requests. Common situations for this are:
- A restaurant or hospitality situation The initial bill is known and a tip is added later The initial bill authorized and the funds held for a short while After the tip is added, the transaction is completed
- An e-commerce or delayed fulfillment situation The purchase price is known but the customer order has a delay for fulfilment The purchase price is authorized but the funds are put on hold The transaction is completed when the item is shipped
The following procedure is for completing a one-step operation.
Authenticate
Ensure a valid and current API token is available. This is generated from the partner or merchant API key. The API token is short-lived. The API token may be generated anew for the endpoint call, can use an previously generated API token that is still valid, or is using the refresh token.
Submit a Payment Transaction
Use the following endpoint to initiate or submit the payment transaction. This endpoint combines authorization and capturing of a card transaction into one step.
POST {{baseURL}}/pay-api/v1/transactions/sale.
This is an example of the return body, with the field transactionId noted. This field references the transaction for subsequent endpoints, if needed.
{
...
"transactionId": "69c71dd2-36c7-4b57-9467-3a03b171f741",
...
}Automatic Processing
Flute receives the payment data from the endpoint. It routes the transaction to the processing center. The processor communicates with the customer's bank for approval or denial. It then relays the response back to the merchant site.
The client's app gets back the transaction result. This includes whether it was approved or declined. The app handles either case directly.