Choosing a channel

Which channel to use, and which transaction types each one supports.

The API exposes one set of transaction endpoints across three channels. The channel you pick determines which endpoints you call and which transaction types are available to you.


Card present	In person, on a Verifone T650c or T650p terminal.	Card present
Card not present	Online, through a Hosted Payment Form or the Payment SDK.	Card not present
ACH bank transfer	US bank debits, settled asynchronously.	ACH bank transfers

Transaction types by channel

Transaction type	Card present	Card not present	ACH
Sale - combined authorization and capture	Yes	Yes	Yes
Authorization - reserve funds without capturing	Yes	Yes	No
Capture - complete a previous authorization	Yes	Yes	Not applicable
Refund - reverse a previous sale	Yes	Yes	Yes
Void - cancel a transaction still in the current batch	Yes	Yes	No
Token sale - charge a stored payment method	Yes	Yes	Yes
Unreferenced refund - refund with no original transaction	Unavailable	Unavailable	No

ACH is the exception in three places: it cannot be voided (use a refund instead), it has no authorization-only transaction, and it has no separate capture step. See ACH bank transfers.

What the transaction types mean

Authorization - Verification with the issuer that the card is valid for payment. The authorization amount is reserved, but not captured or settled.
Capture - Complete a previously authorized transaction. The cardholder is billed for the transaction, and the transaction is settled to the merchant.
Sale - Combined authorization and capture in a single step.
Refund - Return all or part of a previous sale or capture. For eligible card transactions still in the current batch, the API attempts a void; after settlement, it performs a refund. Check the original transaction's refundableAmount and give each separate refund its own referenceId to prevent duplicate requests. See Partial refunds and retries.
Void - Cancel a previously completed transaction (sale, authorization, or capture) if it is still in the current batch, typically the same day.

You do not need to decide between void and refund for a card transaction. Call POST /transactions/refund, and the API attempts a void if eligible in the current batch or a refund after settlement. ACH reversals use a refund.

Cutting across every channel

Tokenization - store a card once and charge it from any channel
Payment methods - the terminals, forms, and tokens you charge against
Account holders - group stored payment methods under a customer
Retrieving transactions - resolve an outcome you did not receive