name: Visa Acceptance Vocabulary
description: >-
  Domain vocabulary for the Visa Acceptance Solutions (CyberSource) payment platform,
  covering payment processing lifecycle, authentication, fraud management, and
  merchant integration concepts.
version: '2.0'
source: https://developer.visaacceptance.com/
terms:
  - term: Authorization
    definition: >-
      A request to reserve funds on a cardholder's account. An authorization
      places a hold on the specified amount without transferring funds. Must
      be followed by a capture to complete the transaction.
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle
      - Core

  - term: Capture
    definition: >-
      The process of completing a previously authorized transaction, triggering
      the actual transfer of funds from the cardholder's account to the merchant.
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle
      - Core

  - term: Sale
    definition: >-
      A combined authorization and capture in a single API call. The transaction
      is authorized and immediately submitted for settlement.
    aliases:
      - Combined Auth-Capture
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle

  - term: Refund
    definition: >-
      Return of funds to the cardholder for a previously captured transaction.
      Partial refunds are supported. Refunds must be initiated within 180 days
      of the original authorization.
    aliases:
      - Credit
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle

  - term: Void
    definition: >-
      Cancellation of an authorized or captured transaction before settlement.
      A void releases held funds immediately. Cannot be applied after settlement.
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle

  - term: Authorization Reversal
    definition: >-
      A request to release an authorization hold before the capture is submitted.
      Faster than a void and releases the hold without waiting for the settlement cycle.
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle

  - term: Settlement
    definition: >-
      The final transfer of funds between the merchant's bank and the cardholder's
      bank, completing the payment transaction cycle.
    tags:
      - Payment Lifecycle

  - term: JWT
    definition: >-
      JSON Web Token — the RSA-signed authentication mechanism used by the
      Visa Acceptance API. Tokens are generated using the merchant ID and an
      RSA public/private key pair.
    aliases:
      - JSON Web Token
    tags:
      - Authentication
      - Security

  - term: PAN
    definition: >-
      Primary Account Number — the 13-19 digit card number embossed on a
      payment card, used to identify the card account.
    aliases:
      - Card Number
    tags:
      - Payment Instruments

  - term: CVV
    definition: >-
      Card Verification Value — the 3 or 4 digit security code on a payment
      card used to verify card-not-present transactions.
    aliases:
      - CVN
      - CVC
      - Security Code
    tags:
      - Payment Instruments
      - Security

  - term: Pay by Link
    definition: >-
      A hosted payment page accessible via a shareable URL. Merchants generate
      payment links to collect payments without building a checkout page.
    tags:
      - Payment Collection

  - term: Invoice
    definition: >-
      A digital bill sent to customers with an embedded payment link and
      line items. Invoices track payment status and support due dates.
    tags:
      - Payment Collection

  - term: Intelligent Commerce
    definition: >-
      Visa Acceptance's unified API layer enabling AI-agent-initiated payments
      for secure, cross-network agent-initiated card enrollment and transaction management.
    tags:
      - AI
      - Emerging Capabilities

  - term: Merchant ID
    definition: >-
      The unique identifier assigned to a merchant account in the Visa Acceptance
      platform, used in API authentication and transaction records.
    aliases:
      - MID
    tags:
      - Authentication

  - term: Approval Code
    definition: >-
      A code returned by the card-issuing bank to confirm an authorization was approved.
      Used for reconciliation and customer service.
    tags:
      - Processing

  - term: Sandbox
    definition: >-
      The test environment at apitest.visaacceptance.com where merchants can
      test API integrations without processing real transactions.
    tags:
      - Development

  - term: Payer Authentication
    definition: >-
      A two-step verification process (3D Secure) that authenticates cardholders
      during online transactions to reduce fraud liability.
    aliases:
      - 3D Secure
      - 3DS
    tags:
      - Security
      - Fraud Prevention