> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ecommerce.seb.ee/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ecommerce.seb.ee/payment-methods/cards/card-payment-lifecycle.md).
# Card Payment Lifecycle
## Card Payment Processing
Understanding how a card payment is processed helps merchants correctly implement payment flows, manage order fulfilment, and handle post-payment operations such as captures and refunds.
The SEB Ecommerce Payment Gateway combines secure payment gateway services with acquiring services, enabling merchants to process Visa and Mastercard transactions through a single platform.
***
### Payment Participants
A typical card payment involves the following participants:
| Participant | Description |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Customer** | The cardholder making the purchase. |
| **Merchant** | The business accepting the payment. |
| **SEB Ecommerce Payment Gateway & Acquiring Services** | Securely processes the payment request, performs acquiring services, and routes authorization requests to the card schemes. |
| **Card Scheme** | Visa or Mastercard, providing the global payment network. |
| **Issuer** | The financial institution that issued the customer's payment card and authorizes the transaction. |
***
### Card Payment Flow
The following diagram illustrates a typical card payment flow.
```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
participant C as Customer
participant M as Merchant
participant S as SEB Gateway & Acquiring
participant V as Visa / Mastercard
participant I as Issuer
C->>M: Submit payment
M->>S: Create payment
S->>V: Authorization request
V->>I: Forward authorization request
I-->>V: Approve or Decline
V-->>S: Authorization response
S-->>M: Payment result
M-->>C: Display payment result
```
***
### Card Payment Lifecycle
Every card payment follows the same high-level lifecycle.
```mermaid
flowchart LR
A[Customer Checkout]
-->
B[Authentication
EMV® 3DS if required]
-->
C[Authorization]
-->
D[Capture]
-->
E[Settlement]
D --> F[Refund]
C --> G[Reversal / Void]
```
***
### Payment Stages
#### Customer Checkout
The customer selects **Payment Card** during checkout and enters their payment details using the selected integration method.
Depending on your integration, payment details are collected through:
* Hosted Checkout
* Merchant API
***
#### Authentication
Where required, the customer completes **EMV® 3-D Secure (EMV 3DS)** authentication.
Authentication may be performed using:
* One-Time Password (OTP)
* Banking application approval
* Fingerprint or Face ID
* Other issuer-supported authentication methods
***
#### Authorization
The payment request is routed through the card scheme to the issuing bank.
The issuer evaluates the transaction by checking:
* Card validity
* Available funds or credit
* Authentication results
* Fraud and risk indicators
The issuer then either:
* Approves the transaction
* Declines the transaction
An approved authorization reserves the requested amount on the customer's account.
***
#### Capture
Capture confirms that the merchant wishes to collect the authorized funds.
Depending on the merchant configuration, payments may be:
* Captured automatically
* Captured manually
* Partially captured
***
#### Settlement
Following capture, the transaction enters the settlement process.
The card scheme transfers settlement information between the issuer and SEB. Funds are then settled to the merchant according to the agreed settlement schedule.
***
#### Post-Payment Operations
After authorization or settlement, additional operations may be available depending on the payment status.
Supported operations include:
* Capture
* Partial Capture
* Refund
* Partial Refund
* Reversal / Void
Detailed information is available in the [**Supported Operations**](/payment-methods/cards/supported-operations.md) section.
***
### Related Documentation
Continue with the following topics to learn more about card payment processing:
* [Supported Operations](/payment-methods/cards/supported-operations.md)
* [Stored Credentials](/payment-methods/cards/stored-credentials.md)
* [EMV® 3-D Secure](/payment-methods/cards/emv-r-3-d-secure-emv-3ds.md)
* [Tokenization](/payment-methods/cards/tokenization.md)
* [Testing](/payment-methods/cards/testing.md)
---
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