Virtual POS
A payment endpoint that passes online card payments to the bank. Card data is processed on the payment infrastructure side and is not stored by the store; the store only receives the information that the transaction was approved or declined. It is the internet equivalent of a physical POS terminal.
The flow of a card payment is as follows: the card details entered on the payment page go to the payment infrastructure, the infrastructure passes them to the bank, the bank authorises or declines the transaction, and the result returns to the store. In this chain the store software never sees or stores the card number.
- The transaction result determines the order status; if no approval is returned, the order does not move to preparation.
- If an additional verification layer is active, the cardholder is separately verified on the bank side.
- Refunds are also made through the same channel, to the card used for the payment.
If a transaction is declined during payment, first check whether the card is open to online shopping, its limit and whether the verification message arrived; the decline decision belongs to the bank and cannot be changed by the store. Which methods are offered on the payment page depends on the store setting; the valid methods are the ones listed at the payment step.
Context in which this term is used: contact page