# Payment Methods

The Flute platform supports a range of payment methods for both online and in-person transactions.
This includes card brands, ACH bank transfers, digital wallets, and transaction types supported by the Flute platform.

## Card Payments

### Supported Card Brands

Accepted card brands may vary depending on your merchant account configuration.
Contact your account administrator to confirm which brands are enabled.

| Card Brand | Credit | Debit |
|  --- | --- | --- |
| **Visa** | Yes | Yes |
| **Mastercard** | Yes | Yes |
| **American Express** | Yes | No |
| **Discover** | Yes | Yes |
| **JCB** | Yes | No |
| **Diners Club** | Yes | No |


### Card Transaction Types

| Transaction Type | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Authorization** | Place a hold on the cardholder's funds without capturing them. Useful for verifying a card or reserving an amount before fulfillment. |
| **Sale** | Authorize and capture funds in a single step. |
| **Capture** | Capture funds from a previous authorization. |
| **Void** | Cancel a transaction before it has been settled. |
| **Refund** | Return funds from a previously settled transaction to the cardholder. |
| **Refund Without Reference** | Issue a refund without referencing an original transaction. This is a considerably high-risk transaction type, as funds are debited directly from the merchant’s account even if the original sale was not processed through Flute. |
| **Tip Adjustment** | Adjust the tip amount on an existing transaction before settlement. |


## ACH / Bank Transfers

ACH (automated clearing house) payments allow you to debit or credit funds directly from a customer's bank account.

### Account Types

| Account Type | Account Holder Types |
|  --- | --- |
| **Checking** | Personal, Business |
| **Savings** | Personal, Business |


### ACH Transaction Types

| Transaction Type | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Debit** | Pull funds from the customer's bank account (for example, collecting a payment). |
| **Credit** | Push funds to the customer's bank account (for example, issuing a payout). |
| **Void** | Cancel an ACH transaction before it has been processed. |
| **Refund** | Return funds from a previously completed ACH debit. |
| **Hold** | Place a hold on an ACH transaction to delay processing. |
| **Unhold** | Release a previously held ACH transaction for processing. |


### SEC Codes

ACH transactions require a SEC (standard entry class) code that indicates how the payment was authorized.

| SEC Code | Name | Use Case |
|  --- | --- | --- |
| **WEB** | Internet-Initiated Entry | Payments authorized online or through mobile apps. This is the default. |
| **PPD** | Prearranged Payment & Deposit | Recurring or one-time payments authorized in writing by the consumer. |
| **CCD** | Corporate Credit or Debit | Business-to-business transactions. |
| **TEL** | Telephone-Initiated Entry | Payments authorized over the phone. |


## Digital Wallets

Flute supports digital wallet payments through contactless (NFC [near field communication]) technology on in-person terminals:

- **Apple Pay**
- **Google Pay**


Digital wallet transactions are processed as contactless EMV payments. No additional API integration is required — customers simply tap their device at the terminal.

## Payment Entry Methods

How payment data is captured depends on the channel (online or in-person).

### Online Payments

If an ISV is not using Flute hosted solutions, such as hosted checkout or Flute Elements, Flute will require confirmation of PCI PA-DSS compliance (or equivalent validation depending on program scope).

| Entry Method | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **Flute Elements** | Embedded payment form using the Flute JS library. Card details are captured securely through PCI-compliant iframes. |
| **API (Card Not Present)** | Submit card or ACH payment data directly through the API. |


### In-Person Payments

| Entry Method | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| **EMV Chip (Insert)** | Customer inserts their card into the terminal for chip-based authentication. |
| **Contactless / NFC (Tap)** | Customer taps their card or digital wallet device on the terminal. |
| **Magnetic Stripe (Swipe)** | Customer swipes their card through the terminal's magnetic stripe reader. |
| **Manual Entry (Keyed)** | Card details are manually entered on the terminal (card-present keyed transaction). |


## Currency

All transactions are processed in **USD (US Dollars)**.