Patent ID: 8145567

Claim:
A computer implemented method for a merchant to track an original transaction throughout a lifecycle of the original transaction, the method comprising the steps of: sending, by a global payment gateway server, an authorization response along with a merchant reference identifier and an order identifier to the merchant, a merchant authorization request including the merchant reference identifier and the order identifier, said original transaction associated with the merchant authorization request and the authorization response, the order identifier being a unique number received from the merchant, the merchant reference identifier being an identifier for said original transaction received from said merchant; sending, by the global payment gateway server, a settlement acknowledgment along with the order identifier and a client settlement identifier to the merchant, a merchant settlement request including said order identifier and said client settlement identifier, said original transaction associated with the merchant settlement request and the settlement acknowledgment, the client settlement identifier being a unique identifier used by the global payment gateway server to avoid duplicate settlements; and sending, by the global payment gateway server, an exception item request along with said order identifier, a transaction reference identifier, and said client settlement identifier to the merchant, said original transaction associated with said exception item request, the transaction reference identifier received from an acquirer of the original transaction.