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Deferred Dispatch

TransactDirect offers functionality to help merchants who frequently dispatch several days after accepting an order. In these circumstances, it is typical for the merchant to test the validity of the card prior to accepting the order and then submit the transaction for settlement at the time of dispatch.

  • TransactDirect uses an ordinary sale authorisation transaction type when submitting a dispatch later authorisation request to the merchant's acquiring bank. This will leave an authorisation shadow on the cardholders account will usually drop off in 3-5 working days depending on the card issuer.

  • The dispatch later transaction does affect the cardholder's available credit. It should only be used where the transaction can be reasonably expected to complete promptly.

  • The merchant will need to request a Validity ID in order to process the completion or reversal of deferred dispatch transactions via TransactDirect.

Implementation​

The recommended procedure for carrying out the above is as follows:

  1. Merchant's system submits a request with the Amount field set to the full transaction amount and the Dispatch field set to LATER.

    • Amount = 1299
    • Dispatch = LATER

  2. The Dispatch = LATER transaction will authorise funds against the card performing all security checks as normal but the transaction will not be automatically settled.

  3. The merchant's system should store the CrossReference that is returned as part of the transaction response.

  4. When ready for dispatch, the merchant's system submits a transaction request for the full amount using the CrossReference stored in step 2 and with the Dispatch field set NOW. This is accomplished by sending a normal transaction request with the following fields:

    • All the mandatory generic transaction request fields
    • The MessageType field prefixed with PAYMENT_ONLY_
    • The CrossReference field, populated with the Cross Reference stored in step 2, in lieu of the card details
    • The AuthorisationCode request field

Alternatives​

In some scenarios it is preferable to use the Account Verification method (e.g. EVERIFY_KEYED) to verify the card and generate a Cross Reference or Card Token for later use.

warning

When storing card details for later use it is a requirement to inform the cardholder of this intention and gain their authorisation to do so.