topic How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM? in Integration and Testing

How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Debby — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:43:09 GMT

How can I capture multiple transactions at once? Not with the merchant interface, but in code. I can capture them one at a time with the following HTML:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>Capture Prior Transaction</title>
</head>

<body onload="document.PostPayment.submit()">
   <form name="PostPayment" method="post" action="https://test.authorize.net/gateway/transact.dll" >
     <input type="hidden" name="x_login" value="MyAPILogin" />
     <input type="hidden" name="x_tran_key" value="MyTransKey" />

     <input type="hidden" name="x_delim_data" value="TRUE" />
     <input type="hidden" name="x_delim_char" value="~" />
     <input type="hidden" name="x_relay_response" value="FALSE" />

     <input type="hidden" name="x_type" value="PRIOR_AUTH_CAPTURE" />
     <input type="hidden" name="x_trans_id" value="2160297358" />

    <p>Please wait ....</p>
    <p></p>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

How do I send a whole list of TransactionIDs? Which lines do I repeat? My trial-and-error attempts result in only the last TranID being processed.

We don't want to capture until we ship the product. At the end of the day our custom software has a list of what needs to be captured. My software is mostly Delphi code. I have Delphi code creating HTML, and it is working fine. I just need sample HTML for multiple captures. At the end of the day I need to be able to capture all but 5-6 out of a list of 200-300.

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Michelle — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:02:19 GMT

Hi Debby,

There currently is no way to submit multiple transactions through the API. The only way to do that is to use the batch upload feature of the Merchant Interface. If you're using the API, you need to submit all the required fields for each transaction you need to submit.

Thanks,

Michelle

Developer Community Manager

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Debby — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:58:40 GMT

Thank you for the reply. By "batch upload feature" do you mean manually opening the Merchant Interface and using the Check All button? Or is there some way I can upload a file:?

I need to be able to capture all except 5 or 6 transactions out of a few hundred. Not easy to find those few, eyeballing a list on a web screen. Neither is it practical to submit 300 separate AIM requests. Takes too much time to wait for each response before sending next request.

Am I trying to go about this the wrong way? The accountants absolutely refuse to let us capture charges until we have completed the order. Do other companies really do this manually? Or am I missing something about the Merchant Interface "batch upload"? Is there some way I can create an upload file?

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

RaynorC1emen7 — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:28:16 GMT

The Upload Transactions Files in under Tools on the Merchant Interface. Then just follow the instruction.

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Debby — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:18:03 GMT

Ah, this helps. I was looking at a different section of the Merchant Interface. This is almost what I want.

The final piece is that I have been trying to keep my users out of the Merchant Interface. It looks like they still have to log in to upload this file. This will be the only non-automatic part of my entire system. 5 gateways, total transactions of $1million a month, and this is the only manual piece. 5 different departments each have to do this manually at the end of their business day. It seems as though this would easily lend itself to becoming part of the AIM or API system.

Is there any hope that it might be added?

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Michelle — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:44:33 GMT

Hey Debby,

An automated batch upload is definitely on the list of development teams' feature requests as it's a fairly common request that we hear. I don't, however, have any kind of timeframe to give on when that could possibly be implemented. But when and if it ever is, we'll announce it here on the community first in the News and Announcements board.

Thanks,

Michelle

Developer Community Manager

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Debby — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 07:39:29 GMT

Ok. Thank you both for your help.

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

dsbudiac — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:35:39 GMT

I'd also really like to see this feature!

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

TJPride — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:41:49 GMT

Your problem is that you're submitting the transactions serially - as in having to wait for each one to process before you can move on to the next one. There's no reason why you couldn't use forks or threading to process multiple transactions at a time in parallel. You could also have an automated process that just runs forever until it's done, which with only a few hundred transactions per day would probably take around an hour. Just have the automated process run at the end of the business day or in the middle of the night.

Batching really shouldn't be necessary unless you have thousands of transactions, and even then you might be able to work around it using the methods outlined above.

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

dsbudiac — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:49:06 GMT

Yes, we could have a process that periodically runs to capture any authorized transactions w/ pending capture. However, as far as I can tell, each transaction will be in its own batch... there's no way to "group capture" like you can on the merchant interface.

http://www.authorize.net/support/CP/helpfiles/Search/Unsettled_Transactions/Capture_Unsettled_Transactions.htm

We prefer to group capture, because we get charged for each batch close (and from each card vendor on top of that). We capture once a week to cut down on credit card fees.

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

TJPride — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:01:54 GMT

Hmm, so every capture generates a batch fee? This text is in the control panel:

The time listed below represents the time of day at which transactions will be picked up for settlement.

Any transactions entered or successfully authorized after the time indicated below will not be sent to the processor for settlement until this time the following day.

It is recommended that the merchant batch cut off time be kept the same on both Authorize.Net and on the Concord processing platform. If the times are NOT kept in sync, there may be batch reconciliation issues.

Setting the batch cut off time only guarantees that the transaction will be picked up for settlement at the cut off time specified, it does NOT guarantee that a transaction will be funded by the processor or acquiring bank at that time.

I always thought from reading this that batching was just done once per day if there are any transactions, not once every time you authorize. So I would hope that if you authorize a huge number of transactions automatically, they'd all show up in that day's batch. Can a dev chime in here and verify this one way or another?

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

Trevor — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:12:38 GMT

The method of capture definitely has no effect on how the transactions are batched. Authorize.Net automatically batches your transactions just once every 24 hours. A second batch will only be created if your total number of transactions exceeds the maximum batch size for your processor. The processor that we connect to with the smallest batch size is 800 transactions and most of them allow 2000 per batch or more.

So regardless of the method you use for capturing your transactions, you will only see multiple batches in a day if you have run more than 800 transactions in that day.

Re: How can I capture multiple transactions at once using AIM?

TJPride — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:56:48 GMT

Thanks! So it should then be theoretically possible to have an automated process running for hours, or threaded several dozen times, or whatever, that generates thousands of transactions, with the batch fee only being charged maybe a handful of times.