Payments and Transactions
Acquirer Reference Number
An Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) is a card-network tracking number assigned to a cleared card transaction.
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Payments and Transactions Terms
Authorization, capture, settlement, reversals, and the lifecycle of a payment transaction.
Educational information only. ShouldEye does not provide legal, banking, or individualized financial advice. Dispute rights, deadlines, and outcomes depend on your payment method, card network, issuer, processor, jurisdiction, and the facts of your case. Legal Disclaimers
63 published definitions in this topic.
Payments and Transactions
Authorization Expiry
Authorization expiry is when an unused approval/hold ages out if not captured or reversed.
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Authorization Hold
An authorization hold temporarily reserves funds for a purchase before the merchant captures the final amount.
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Authorization Reversal
An authorization reversal cancels an unused approval so the related hold can be released.
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Automatic Capture
Automatic capture finalizes an authorization without a separate manual capture action.
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Batch Processing
Batch processing groups many payment transactions for collective clearing, settlement, or upload.
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Capture
Capture finalizes an authorized payment so it can clear and settle for the capture amount.
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Card Charged but No Order Created
Card charged but no order created is when payment appears successful on your statement or wallet, yet the merchant has no order, confirmation, or order number for you.
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Charge Disappeared and Reappeared
A charge that disappeared and reappeared is a pending authorization that dropped from your activity list and later returned as a pending or posted line.
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Clearing
Clearing is the exchange of transaction details that prepares payments for settlement between institutions.
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Declined Transaction Still Pending
A declined transaction still pending is when a purchase was refused at checkout but a hold or pending line still appears on your account.
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Deferred Settlement
Deferred settlement postpones funding beyond the standard settlement cycle.
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Delayed Capture
Delayed capture waits a meaningful time after authorization before finalizing funds.
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Disbursement
A disbursement is an outbound payment of funds to a recipient for payouts, refunds, payroll, or similar purposes.
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Dual-Message Transaction
A dual-message transaction separates authorization and later clearing/presentment into distinct messages.
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Duplicate Charge
A duplicate charge is when you appear to be billed twice for the same purchase or the same recurring period.
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Duplicate Pending Charge
A duplicate pending charge is when two similar pending authorizations appear for what you believe is a single purchase.
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Duplicate Posted Charge
A duplicate posted charge is when two settled statement debits appear for the same purchase or the same billing period.
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Expired Payment
An expired payment is a payment attempt or authorization that timed out before completion.
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Extended Authorization
Extended authorization keeps an approval valid longer than a standard authorization window.
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Failed Refund
A failed refund is a refund attempt that did not complete successfully on the payment rail.
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Final Charge Different from Pending Amount
Final charge different from pending amount means the settled debit does not match the earlier authorization hold you saw.
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Funds Flow
Funds flow describes the path money and obligations take among customers, merchants, providers, and banks.
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Gas Station Authorization Hold
A gas station authorization hold is a temporary preauth—often larger than the fuel you buy—placed when you pay at the pump.
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Gross Settlement
Gross settlement funds each obligation individually without netting against opposite flows.
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Hotel Incidental Hold
A hotel incidental hold is a temporary authorization for estimated extras—like minibar or damages—placed at check-in in addition to or instead of the room rate.
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Incremental Authorization
Incremental authorization raises an existing approval amount when the final total may grow.
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Manual Capture
Manual capture requires an explicit action to finalize an authorization.
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Multiple Capture
Multiple capture takes several captures against one authorization or order over time.
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Net Settlement
Net settlement pays only the net obligation after offsetting debits and credits between parties.
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Original Payment Method Refund
An original payment method refund returns funds to the same card or account used to pay.
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Overcapture
Overcapture is capturing more than the original authorized amount, where rules allow.
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Partial Capture
Partial capture finalizes only part of an authorized amount.
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Partial Refund
A partial refund returns only part of the original captured amount.
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Pay-In
A pay-in is money moving into a merchant, platform, or wallet from a customer or funding source.
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Payment Authentication
Payment authentication verifies the customer or credential during a payment—distinct from issuer authorization of funds.
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Payment Authorization
Payment authorization is the issuer’s approval that funds or credit may be reserved for a transaction.
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Payment Cancellation
Payment cancellation is stopping a payment before completion—via void, reversal, or rail-specific cancel mechanisms.
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Payment Failed but Account Charged
Payment failed but account charged is when checkout or the merchant UI reports failure, yet your card or account still shows a pending or posted debit.
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Payment Modification
Payment modification changes an in-flight or authorized payment’s amount or details under allowed rules.
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Payment Reference
A payment reference is information that helps the payee match an incoming credit to an invoice, account, or obligation.
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Payment Reversal
A payment reversal undoes a payment message or movement through issuer/acquirer/rail processes.
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Payment Settlement
Payment settlement is the clearing process that finalizes movement of funds between acquirers and issuers after capture.
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Pending Card Transaction
A pending card transaction is an authorized payment that has not yet fully posted or settled on your statement.
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Pending Payment
A pending payment is a payment that has started but is not yet final or fully posted.
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Pending Refund
A pending refund is a refund that has been initiated but not yet posted to the customer.
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Posted Card Transaction
A posted card transaction is a charge that has settled on your account after leaving pending or authorization status.
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Preauthorization
Preauthorization reserves an estimated amount before the final charge is known or captured.
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PSP Reference
A PSP reference is an identifier assigned by a payment service provider to a payment attempt or object in its system.
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Refund Reversal
A refund reversal undoes a refund so the amount may be charged again or the credit canceled.
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Rental Car Deposit Hold
A rental car deposit hold is a temporary authorization for a security deposit or estimated charges placed when you pick up a vehicle.
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Retrieval Reference Number
A Retrieval Reference Number (RRN) is a card-message identifier used to locate an authorization or related transaction in network logs.
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Settlement
Settlement is the actual exchange of funds between institutions to meet cleared payment obligations.
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Settlement Currency
Settlement currency is the currency in which a payment is settled or funded to the merchant.
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Settlement Schedule
A settlement schedule is the contracted timetable for when settled funds are paid out or made available.
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Settlement Threshold
A settlement threshold is a minimum balance or volume required before a payout or settlement release occurs.
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Single-Message Transaction
A single-message transaction combines approval and clearing information in one network message.
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Split Capture
Split capture divides an order’s funds capture across shipments, sellers, or ledger parties.
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System Trace Audit Number
A System Trace Audit Number (STAN) is a sequential identifier assigned to a card message for matching requests and responses.
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Tip Adjustment
A tip adjustment is when a restaurant or service capture changes after you authorize—usually adding or correcting a tip on the final posted amount.
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