How cards work
See how a credit or debit card payment works online, step by step.
Checking card details
Safepay first checks that the details provided are formatted correctly. During this step details pertaining to the card number and expiry date are checked. This however does not guarantee that the card itself is valid
Customer authentication
In some instances, the issuing banks may try to check the validity of the customer in order to ensure that the transaction remains secure. This generally happens in regulated regions like Pakistan and Europe where multiple ways like an OTP could be used for authentication.
Authorization
Once the card details are checked and the customer is authenticated, the issuing bank then checks if the customer has enough funds in their account. If the funds available are more than the requested transaction amount, the bank places a hold on those funds on behalf of the merchant.
Capture
At the end of the day a settlement cycle moves the funds from the customer’s account into the merchant’s account.
