| 3D Secure | The Three-Domain Secure (3D Secure) security protocol helps to protect online payments by enabling cardholders to authenticate themselves prior to card authorization. |
| ACH (Automated Clearing House) | The primary electronic network for money movement in the United States; it automates the movement of money between banks. |
| Acquiring Bank | An acquiring bank provides merchant accounts that allow a business to accept card payments and works in conjunction with the acquirer processor. In some cases the acquiring bank and acquirer processor are a single entity. |
| Acquirer Processors | Acquirer processors connect directly with merchants, the network and the acquiring bank, or via a payment gateway, to facilitate payment acceptance at the merchant. They provide the technical capabilities to create the system of record to communicate with authorization and settlement entities. In some cases the acquiring bank and acquirer processor are a single entity. |
| Assessment | A fee charged by the network to both issuing and acquiring banks in addition to the interchange fee. Assessments are how the networks generate revenue, taking a fee from each bank for every transaction. |
| Authorization | A type of transaction. The process of confirming whether a card is valid, business rules are met, and funds are sufficient, and then placing a temporary hold on those funds. |
| Authorization Code | An authorization code is a six-digit number that serves as the record for the credit, debit or stored value card approval. |
| Available Balance | Every payment card has an available balance that governs its purchasing power; this factors into the authorization process. |
| AVS (Address Verification Service) | A system to verify a user’s address at varying levels of detail, such as the cardholder’s ZIP code, street address, city or state. |
| Basis Points | One basis point, often referred to with the shorthand “bips”, is equal to 1/100th of one percent of the transaction amount. One percent, therefore, equals 100 bips. |
| BIN (Bank Identification Number) | The first four to six digits of a card representing the identification number of the issuing or acquiring bank. |
| Capture | The process of completing a transaction and the initiation of funds transfers by a merchant. |
| Card Spend Controls | Parameters set on a card to limit when, where, and how often cards can be used. These controls can include purchase amount, merchant ID, merchant category code (MCC), time/date, and more. |
| Chargeback | A “chargeback” occurs after a successful dispute of a specific transaction and funds are returned to the cardholder. |