> 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/supported-operations.md).

# Supported Operations

## Supported Operations

The SEB Ecommerce Payment Gateway supports the complete lifecycle of online card payments, from payment authorization to settlement and post-payment operations such as refunds and reversals.

The operations available to your merchant account depend on your agreement with SEB and the enabled payment methods.

***

### Available Operations

| Operation                         | Description                                                                                                                         |
| --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Purchase**                      | Authorizes and captures the payment in a single operation.                                                                          |
| **Authorization**                 | Verifies the payment and reserves the requested amount without immediately collecting the funds.                                    |
| **Capture**                       | Collects funds from a previously authorized transaction.                                                                            |
| **Partial Capture**               | Collects only part of the authorized amount. Multiple captures may be supported depending on your merchant configuration.           |
| **Refund**                        | Returns the captured funds to the customer's payment card.                                                                          |
| **Partial Refund**                | Returns part of the captured amount. Multiple partial refunds may be supported until the captured amount has been refunded in full. |
| **Authorization Reversal (Void)** | Cancels a previously authorized transaction before settlement and releases the reserved funds.                                      |

***

## Payment Processing Models

The gateway supports different payment processing models depending on your business requirements.

### Purchase Flow

A **Purchase (Sale)** authorizes and captures the payment in a single operation. This is the most common payment model for ecommerce merchants delivering goods or services immediately.

Typical use cases include:

* Online retail
* Digital goods
* Event tickets
* Online services

```mermaid
flowchart LR

A[Customer Checkout]
-->
B[Purchase]
-->
C[Settlement]
-->
D[Refund<br/>Optional]
```

***

### Authorization Flow

An **Authorization** reserves the payment amount on the customer's card without collecting the funds immediately.

The merchant performs a **Capture** once the goods are ready to be shipped or the service is ready to be delivered.

Typical use cases include:

* Hotels
* Car rental
* Travel
* Pre-orders
* Shipment after order confirmation

```mermaid
flowchart LR

A[Customer Checkout]
-->
B[Authorization]
-->
C[Capture]
-->
D[Settlement]
-->
E[Refund<br/>Optional]
```

***

### Authorization Reversal Flow

If an authorized transaction should not be completed, the merchant may perform an **Authorization Reversal (Void)** before settlement.

This releases the reserved amount on the customer's card.

Typical use cases include:

* Customer cancelled the order
* Merchant cannot fulfil the order
* Duplicate authorization
* Incorrect payment amount

```mermaid
flowchart LR

A[Customer Checkout]
-->
B[Authorization]
-->
C[Authorization Reversal]
```

***

## Operations Comparison

| Operation                     |      Reserves Funds     | Collects Funds | Returns Funds |
| ----------------------------- | :---------------------: | :------------: | :-----------: |
| Purchase (Sale)               |            ✅            |        ✅       |       ❌       |
| Authorization                 |            ✅            |        ❌       |       ❌       |
| Capture                       |            ❌            |        ✅       |       ❌       |
| Partial Capture               |            ❌            |        ✅       |       ❌       |
| Refund                        |            ❌            |        ❌       |       ✅       |
| Partial Refund                |            ❌            |        ❌       |       ✅       |
| Authorization Reversal (Void) | Releases reserved funds |        ❌       |       ❌       |

***

## Merchant Recommendations

To ensure reliable payment processing, we recommend following these best practices:

* Use **Purchase (Sale)** when payment should be collected immediately.
* Use **Authorization** when goods or services will be delivered at a later time.
* Perform **Capture** only after confirming the order is ready for fulfilment.
* Use **Authorization Reversal (Void)** whenever possible before settlement instead of issuing a refund.
* Use **Refund** to return captured funds to the customer.
* Always update your order status based on the confirmed payment status returned by the gateway.
* Monitor payment notifications and reconcile transactions regularly.

***

## Related Documentation

Continue with the following topics:

* [Payment Statuses](/payment-methods/cards/payment-statuses.md)
* [Card Payment Lifecycle](/payment-methods/cards/card-payment-lifecycle.md)
* [Callback Notifications](/integration/merchant-api/webhooks.md)
* [Refunds](/features/refunds.md)
* [Testing](/payment-methods/cards/testing.md)
* [Merchant API](/integration/merchant-api.md)


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