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In-person payments, explained.
Guides for the people who run payments at counters, validators, kiosks and charge points. What orchestration is, how a switch works and what the terms mean.
Guides
Pick a question.
- What is payment orchestration?Payment orchestration is a software layer that sits between the places where payments are accepted and the acquirers that process them, and decides for each transaction where it goes. This guide explains it for terminals, SoftPOS phones, kiosks and transit validators.
- What is the difference between payment orchestration and a payment gateway?A payment gateway carries a transaction to an acquirer, while payment orchestration decides which acquirer should receive it and moves it to another one when the first is unavailable. This guide compares the two for in-person payments.
- What is a payment switch and how does it work?A payment switch is the system that receives authorisation requests from terminals and other devices, decides where each one should go and forwards it to the acquirer in the protocol that side expects. This guide covers what it does, its architecture and how to choose one.
- How do you manage a large fleet of payment terminals?You manage a large fleet of payment terminals with a terminal management system that keeps every device in one hierarchy, shows its live status and changes parameters, software and keys remotely. This guide covers Linux and Android fleets and how to roll out a new model.
- What is open loop ticketing and account based ticketing?Open loop ticketing lets passengers pay with the contactless bank card, phone or watch they already carry, and account based ticketing works out the fare in a back office account, with the card as its key. This guide explains both, with numbers from live cities.
- In-person payment glossaryAn in-person payment glossary defines the terms used when a card, phone or watch pays at a counter, kiosk, validator or charger. This one runs from acquirer to white label and covers terminals, routing, security standards, transit and EV charging.
In one picture
Where orchestration sits.
Between the device that reads the card and the acquirer that approves it. Every guide starts from this picture.
Payment methods
Payment terminals
Transactions
Switchio
H2H
Multiple Acquirers
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