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Glossary

TermDescription
AcquiringTechnology that allows businesses to accept online payments using bank cards and other payment methods
MerchantA business that sells goods or services online and accepts online payments through the WATA payment system
TransactionA payment record in the system containing details of the payer, the amount, the timestamp, and the outcome. Each transaction is assigned a unique identifier (UUID) and a status
Transaction UUIDA unique identifier assigned to each transaction in the system
Transaction statusThe result of payment processing. It can be successful if the payment was completed, declined if the transaction failed and an error code was received, or in progress if the system has not yet returned a response
Error codeAn identifier assigned after an unsuccessful payment that indicates the reason for the error. The error code includes a text description so it is clear what went wrong
TerminalA merchant payment acceptance point issued for a specific type of activity. Each terminal is assigned a gateway with payment methods through which transactions are processed
GatewayA channel through which WATA is connected to a specific bank or payment service. Gateways can differ by rates, available payment methods, and allowed activity types
H2H integrationHost-to-Host (H2H) integration is API-based interaction with WATA that allows the merchant to manage the payment form independently, without redirecting to a payment page
Transaction Fee (Commission)A percentage markup configured on the terminal and charged for providing acquiring services to the merchant
Turnover (Processing Volume)The total amount of successful transactions processed over a specific period
Net Payout (Revenue)The difference between turnover and the commission paid for acquiring (turnover minus WATA commission)
BalanceThe amount of revenue accumulated before payout (automatic settlement)
Payment formThe client-side part of the system where payment can be made with the selected payment method
Payment methodA way to pay for merchant goods or services, such as cards, SBP, T-Pay, SberPay, and other methods
T+NAn automatic merchant payout schedule where T is the transaction date and N is the number of business days before payout. For example, with T+1, money for a payment made on Monday is received on Tuesday. With T+2, it is received on Wednesday. Important: payouts are made only on business days according to the Russian production calendar, so holidays and weekends are not counted
Withdrawal thresholdThe merchant balance amount after which an automatic payout is made. It is configured in the merchant account and cannot be lower than the withdrawal fee
WebhookAn automatic notification from WATA to your server. When a transaction status changes, such as paid, declined, or refunded, a message with payment data is sent immediately to your address (URL). This lets your system react instantly without polling the API manually. In the merchant account, you can enable or disable receiving webhooks for different transaction types
Webhook URLThe address where transaction notifications are sent. It must start with https://
Success pageThe address (site page) where users are redirected after successful payment in the merchant system
Fail pageThe address where users are redirected after unsuccessful payment in the merchant system
Payment linkA unique link that the merchant receives through the API or merchant account so the customer can make a payment
Payment APIA set of methods that allows merchants to integrate the WATA payment form into their system or use their own payment form
Access tokenA key for integrating the merchant site or bot with the payment API, used for authentication and authorization when sending requests to the system
Secret KeyA unique key used to ensure secure API operation
ChargebackA situation where the buyer disputes a charge through their bank. The buyer's bank returns the money to the buyer and requests it from the gateway, and the gateway requests it from you. Chargebacks are more expensive than regular refunds, may include an additional fine, and directly affect gateway terms. The buyer can dispute a transaction within 180 days from the payment date. The merchant can defend the validity of the charge by providing proof of order fulfillment. A terminal can be forcibly disabled if it has many chargebacks
RefundA return of funds to the buyer initiated by you. Unlike a chargeback, you initiate it yourself. For example, when a buyer returns goods or a payment error occurs. A refund can be full or partial
Rolling reserveA portion of merchant receipts temporarily withheld by the gateway as insurance to cover possible losses or commissions for a specified period