INTEGRATION
ACCOUNTS
TRANSACTION ASSURANCE
CHARGES
REPORTS
DISPUTES & FRAUD
Charge Types
Correctly classifying a charge is essential for ensuring high approval rates and accurate reporting. The Silverflow API uses the charge.type
object to define the specific characteristics of a charge. It is composed of three distinct fields: intent
, cardEntry
, and order
. This guide outlines how to combine these fields to correctly represent various payment scenarios.
A one-off Customer-Initiated Transaction (CIT) is a standalone transaction pursued by the cardholder. The table below details common scenarios and the corresponding type
field values.
Use case | Description | type.intent | type.order | type.cardEntry |
---|---|---|---|---|
Online Purchase | A standard e-commerce checkout for goods or services. | purchase | checkout | e-commerce, token |
Pre-Order | A pre-authorization to reserve funds for, such as booking travel or accommodation. | reservation | checkout | e-commerce, token |
Account Status Inquiry | A zero-value check to confirm that a cardholder's account is valid and in good standing. | account-status | checkout | e-commerce, token, card-on-file, token-on-file |
One-Click | An e-commerce transaction where the customer uses stored payment details to make a purchase. | purchase | one-click | card-on-file, token-on-file |
MOTO | A transaction where a merchant enters card details provided by a customer via Mail Order or Telephone Order. | purchase | mail, phone | manual |
Merchandise Return | A refund that is not linked to a previous transaction (unreferenced refund). | refund | checkout | e-commerce, token, card-on-file, token-on-file |
A Merchant-Initiated Transaction (MIT) is a charge processed using stored credentials, based on a prior agreement with the cardholder. To establish this agreement, an initial Customer-Initiated Transaction (CIT) must be performed first. This initial charge verifies the card and sets up the payment sequence. Subsequent MITs can then be processed using the credentials from that initial transaction.
Use case | Description | type.intent | type.order | type.cardEntry (Initial CIT) | type.cardEntry (Subsequent MIT) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standing Instruction or Recurring | A series of recurring payments with a fixed amount and frequency, such as a subscription service. | purchase | recurring | e-commerce, token, card-on-file, token-on-file | card-on-file, token-on-file |
Standing Order | A series of recurring payments with a variable amount and fixed frequency, such as a utility bill. | purchase | standing-order | e-commerce, token, card-on-file, token-on-file | card-on-file, token-on-file |
Installment | A payment that is part of a series of fixed-amount transactions to pay for a larger purchase over time. | purchase | installment | e-commerce, token, card-on-file, token-on-file | card-on-file, token-on-file |
Unscheduled (UCOF) | An irregular transaction using stored card details, such as an automatic account top-up or a rideshare fee. | purchase | ucof | e-commerce, token, card-on-file, token-on-file | card-on-file, token-on-file |