This page provides definitions for key terms, abbreviations, and data format standards used throughout Launchpay Orchestrate documentation.

Whether you're building a new integration or troubleshooting an existing one, use this page as a quick reference to understand the terminology and conventions used.

Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Full Term
API	Application Programming Interface
AVS	Address Verification Service
EMV	Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (chip card standard)
HTTP	Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTTPS	HTTP Secure
JSON	JavaScript Object Notation
REST	Representational State Transfer
URL	Uniform Resource Locator

Data Formats

Standard	Description
ISO 3166-1 Alpha-2	Two-letter country codes (e.g., US, CA, GB)
ISO 4217	Three-letter currency codes (e.g., USD, EUR, GBP)
Unix Timestamp	Number of seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC

Terminology

Term	Definition
Access Token	A temporary security credential that authorizes API requests for a specific location. Valid for the duration specified in `expires_in` (typically 3600 seconds/1 hour). Must be included in the Authorization header as a Bearer token.
ACH (Automated Clearing House)	An electronic funds transfer system that processes bank-to-bank transactions. Used for direct debits, direct deposits, and electronic checks. ACH transactions typically take 1-3 business days to settle.
API Key	A unique identifier assigned to your application or integration. Used in combination with the API Secret to authenticate and generate access tokens. Keep this credential secure.
API Secret	A confidential credential paired with your API Key. Used to authenticate your application when requesting access tokens. Never expose this in client-side code or public repositories.
Authorization (Auth)	A transaction that reserves funds on a cardholder's account without immediately capturing them. The funds are held for a period (typically 7-30 days) until captured or the authorization expires.
Auth Code (Authorization Code)	A unique code (typically 6 characters) returned by the card issuer when approving a transaction. Used to verify that the transaction was authorized by the card network.
Beneficial Owner	An individual who owns 25% or more of a business entity, or who exercises significant control over the business. Required for KYB verification.
BIN (Bank Identification Number)	The first 6-8 digits of a credit or debit card number that identify the issuing bank, card type (credit/debit), card brand (Visa/Mastercard/etc.), and country of origin.
Billing Address	The address associated with the payment method. Used for Address Verification Service (AVS) to reduce fraud risk.
Capture	The process of transferring previously authorized funds from the cardholder's account to the merchant's account. Must reference an existing authorization transaction.
Card Brand	The payment network that processes the transaction (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover).
Card Holder	The name of the person to whom the payment card is issued, as it appears on the card.
Card-Not-Present (CNP)	A transaction where the physical card is not available at the point of sale, such as online, phone, or mail orders. These transactions typically have higher processing fees due to increased fraud risk.
Card-Present (CP)	A transaction where the physical card is present and used at the point of sale, typically with a payment terminal. Lower fraud risk than CNP transactions.
Client ID	A unique identifier for your application or integration, used when authenticating with the Hosted iFrame solution.
Convenience Fee	An additional charge applied when a customer uses a specific payment method. Must comply with card brand rules regarding disclosure and application.
Cryptogram	A one-time code generated during digital wallet transactions (Apple Pay, Google Pay) that authenticates the transaction without exposing actual card details.
Currency ISO	The three-letter ISO 4217 code that identifies the transaction currency (e.g., USD for US Dollars, EUR for Euros, GBP for British Pounds).
CVV (Card Verification Value) / SAD (Security Authentication Data)	The 3-digit (Visa/Mastercard/Discover) or 4-digit (American Express) security code printed on a payment card. Used to verify card-not-present transactions.
Duplicate Transaction Check	A fraud prevention feature that detects and blocks potentially duplicate transactions based on amount, card details, and timing. Can be bypassed using `skip_duplicate_check` parameter when intentional duplicate charges are needed.
Entry Mode/Entry Type	The method by which card data was captured (e.g., Contactless, Chip/EMV, Swipe/Magnetic Stripe, Keyed/Manual Entry).
Expiration Date (exp_month/exp_year)	The month and year when a payment card expires, after which it can no longer be used for transactions.
Funding Source	The type of financial account backing a payment card (e.g., credit, debit, prepaid).
Guest ID	An optional identifier for the customer making a purchase, used to associate transactions with specific guests or customers in your system.
iFrame (Inline Frame)	A hosted payment form embedded within your website that securely captures payment information without sensitive data touching your servers. Reduces PCI compliance scope.
Invoice Number (invoice_no)	A unique identifier for a bill or payment request, used to track and reconcile Credit Card and ACH transactions.
ISV (Independent Software Vendor)	A company that develops and sells software applications that integrate with payment processing systems.
KYB (Know Your Business)	A verification process that validates the identity and legitimacy of a business entity. Required for ACH business accounts and includes verification of business details, owners, and beneficial owners.
KYC (Know Your Customer)	A verification process that validates the identity of individual customers. Part of anti-money laundering (AML) compliance requirements.
Last4	The last four digits of a payment card number, used to identify a card without exposing the full card number.
Launchpay Orchestrate	Launchpay's payment processing platform that routes transactions and manages payment processing across multiple methods and processors.
Location ID	A unique identifier for a merchant location or business entity within the Launchpay platform. Required for all API requests.
Order ID	A unique identifier for a purchase or transaction in your system, used to track and reconcile orders.
PAN (Primary Account Number)	The full payment card number, typically 13-19 digits. Should be tokenized for storage to maintain PCI compliance.
Payment ID	A unique identifier assigned to a payment request or transaction within the system.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)	Security standards for organizations that handle credit card information. Tokenization and hosted iFrames help reduce PCI compliance requirements.
Reference ID	A unique identifier generated by the payment processor that can be used to lookup or reference a specific transaction.
Refresh Token	A long-lived credential used to obtain new access tokens when they expire, eliminating the need to repeatedly send API credentials.
Refund	A transaction that returns funds to a cardholder's account, reversing all or part of a previous sale or captured authorization.
Routing Number	A 9-digit code that identifies a US financial institution for ACH transactions. Also called ABA routing number.
Sale	A transaction that immediately charges a payment method and transfers funds to the merchant account. Combines authorization and capture into a single operation.
Sandbox	A testing environment that simulates the production API without processing real transactions or charging real payment methods. Used for development and testing.
Service Fee	An additional charge applied for services rendered, separate from the base transaction amount.
SSN (Social Security Number)	A 9-digit identification number issued to US citizens, used for identity verification in KYB/KYC processes. Must be transmitted securely.
Surcharge	An additional fee applied to cover credit card processing costs. Must comply with state regulations and card brand rules.
Terminal ID	A unique identifier for a physical payment terminal device used for card-present transactions.
TID (Terminal Identification)	An identifier assigned by the payment processor to a physical terminal device.
TIN (Tax Identification Number)	A 9-digit number used to identify a business entity for tax purposes. Equivalent to an EIN (Employer Identification Number) for businesses.
Tip Amount	An optional gratuity amount added to a transaction, common in restaurant and service industry transactions.
Token	A secure substitute for sensitive payment information (card numbers, bank accounts). Tokens can be stored and reused for future transactions without handling actual payment credentials.
Tokenization	The process of replacing sensitive payment data with a non-sensitive equivalent (token) that can be safely stored and transmitted.
Total Amount	The final transaction amount including base amount, tips, fees, surcharges, and taxes.
Transaction ID	A unique identifier assigned to each transaction by the Launchpay system. Used to reference transactions for captures, voids, refunds, and lookups.
Transaction Type	The category of transaction being processed (e.g., Sale, Authorization, Capture, Void, Refund, ACH Sale, ACH Transfer).
Transfer (ACH Transfer)	An ACH transaction that moves funds from your merchant account to another bank account, typically used for payouts or disbursements.
User ID	An identifier for the user or customer initiating a transaction within your system. Used for tracking and reporting purposes.
Void	A transaction that cancels a previous authorization or sale before settlement occurs. Voids can only be performed on the same day as the original transaction; use refunds for settled transactions.

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