Payment and invoices

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This module carries out the critical payment-related processes during order processing and enables you to integrate with external payment processing systems.

Payment processing in Sterling Order Management consists of the following subprocesses:
  • Authorization
  • Settlement

Authorization

Payment Authorization is the process that verifies the amount to be paid on a payment method. When using credit cards, for example, authorization involves contacting the payment system and blocking the required amount of funds against the credit card. Payment types may or may not require this authorization step. This is configurable in Sterling Order Management in the payment rule. If an order requires payment processing, the order is not picked up for scheduling or other processing until it is authorized.
Reversal of authorization

The Reverse Authorization feature enables merchants to implement an authorization strategy that generates a reversal request before the unused authorization expires.

Delayed authorization

When an order is awaiting inventory, authorizations can expire and trigger multiple reauthorizations that lock up the customer’s credit line and cause expense to the seller. To reduce the cost of these transactions, configurable payment rules offer the Delayed Authorization.

Settlement

The payment settlement process involves collecting funds for the amount recorded for an order.

For example, when using credit cards, the settlement process specifically involves contacting the payment system and collecting the required amount of funds against the credit card. If the authorization step was performed, authorization details are passed with the settlement request if any are usable for this request. Payment types may or may not require this settlement step. Payment type groups refer to the method of tracking payment types that behave in the same manner. The available payment type groups include:
  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • Customer Account
  • Stored Value Card
  • Other

Multiple payment type

Payment types refer to the method of tracking payment-related information used by either the enterprise or the seller organization. Different options can be configured per payment type and possibly even card type within the payment type groups.

Payment methods

Payment Methods contain the payment information specific to a payment type and are sent down with an order. They may also contain payment details pertaining to pre-authorization or pre-charge information. Sterling Order Management supports any number of payment methods to be passed in with each order. New payment methods can be added as needed. Existing payment methods can be suspended and reactivated. If the payment method is suspended, all the other open authorization and charge requests created for this payment method are closed, and no new authorization or charge requests are created for this payment method.

Invoice

The invoicing process typically initiates the settlement process in the order life cycle. Invoicing can be done either through time-triggered transactions or APIs. Shipment Invoicing occurs after the order has shipped. It initiates the collections process. Order Invoicing enables the settlement process to start at any stage of the lifecycle of an order, not just after shipment. This can be used in situations where there is no shipment or instances when the invoice needs to span multiple shipment.

Credit memo

Customer service representatives can create credit memos for refunds and debit memos for charges. Manual authorization and charge requests can also be made. Orders can be put in a payment held status and then released to continue processing.