Batch Processing for Payment Reconciliation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and resource burden on merchant computing systems increase when accommodating multiple payment methods, including traditional and alternative forms of payment, due to differing rules, procedures, and syntax, requiring extensive modifications and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a batch processing system that aggregates and converts transactions using a Partner Settlement Service (PSS) and Transaction Accumulator (TA) to simplify merchant systems, allowing them to accept alternative forms of payment without significant adjustments to existing configurations, by correlating aggregate transaction totals with individual transactions and reconciling across different time zones and calendaring systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a merchant system accommodates multiple payment methods with different rules and procedures, then the payment options for customers are improved, but the system complexity and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a batch processing service as an intermediary layer between the merchant system and multiple alternative payment providers. This service handles the complexity of different payment methods, rules, and procedures, while the merchant system only needs to interact with a standardized batch processing interface. The intermediary absorbs the adaptability requirements without propagating complexity to the merchant system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the payment processing functionality by separating the merchant's core transaction handling from the payment method-specific logic. The batch processing service is divided into distinct modules that handle different payment providers independently, allowing each to be managed separately while maintaining a unified interface for the merchant.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a merchant system accommodates multiple payment methods with different syntax requirements, then the payment options for customers are improved, but the maintenance burden and processing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The batch processing service acts as a mediator that translates between the standardized merchant interface and the diverse syntax requirements of different payment providers. This intermediary layer handles all syntax conversions, allowing the merchant system to maintain a single, simple configuration regardless of how many payment methods are supported.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal batch processing interface that works with multiple payment providers through a single standardized configuration. The batch processing service is designed to be multi-functional, handling different payment syntaxes through a unified mechanism that requires minimal merchant-specific customization.
3Measurement precision
If individual transaction processing is implemented for each payment method, then the processing accuracy is improved, but the processing time and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual transaction processing operations into a single batch processing operation. By combining transactions from multiple payment methods into one standardized batch process, the system maintains processing accuracy through unified validation rules while significantly improving processing speed and reducing resource consumption compared to handling each transaction separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The batch processing service operates on periodic cycles, accumulating transactions and processing them in scheduled batches. This periodic action allows the system to maintain high processing accuracy through comprehensive validation while achieving better overall productivity by avoiding the overhead of individual transaction handling for each payment method.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and processes may promote simplified and customized reconciliation of an entire period of time's transactions by a merchant computing system through the use of PSS batching techniques and related reporting. In embodiments, a merchant computing system may be able to reconcile an entire day of sales in a single received line item based on the merchant's single day total for a certain alternate form of payment provider. Embodiments employing the batching and reporting techniques can promote simplification and enhanced processing at a merchant computing system through avoidance of individual reconciliation of alternate forms of payment transactions and by reconciliation over a time-period range set by a merchant or set by an alternate form of payment provider.