Reconciliation

Note: The reconciliation service is currently available for card payments only. Support for additional payment methods will be added in future releases.

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Overview

The Precium Reconciliation Service provides automated transaction reconciliation between your payment processing activity and settlement data. This service generates daily report files that enable you to track card transactions through the complete payment lifecycle, from authorisation to bank settlement.

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Report Types

The reconciliation system produces three distinct report types:

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Report Selection Guide

flowchart TD
    A[Transaction Processed] --> B{Reconciled with Provider?}
    B -->|Yes| C[MARKOFF FILE
Transaction activity]
    B -->|No| D[Not in any report yet]
    C --> E{Settlement Data Available?}
    E -->|Yes| F[RECON FILE
Ready for settlement]
    E -->|No| G[EXCEPTION FILE
Requires investigation]

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File Format

Common Specifications

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Data Formats

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Recon File Fields

The Recon File contains successfully reconciled transactions ready for settlement.

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Key Terminology

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Transaction Identification

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Payment Details

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Settlement Information

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Bank Reconciliation

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Accessing Reports

SFTP Delivery

Reconciliation reports are delivered automatically via SFTP to your designated location:

• Delivery Method: Secure SFTP transfer
• Location: Agreed upon during merchant onboarding
• Schedule: Daily, typically available by 06:00 UTC
• Format: CSV files as specified in this document

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Contact your account manager to configure or update your SFTP delivery settings.

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File Naming Convention

Reports follow this naming pattern:

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{report_type}_{merchant_id}_{date}.csv

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Example: recon_550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000_2026-01-15.csv

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Report Availability

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Reconciliation Workflow

flowchart LR
    subgraph T0["T+0 Morning"]
        direction TB
        A1[Transactions processed]
        A2[Data captured]
    end

    subgraph Night["T+0 → T+1 Overnight"]
        direction TB
        B1[Gateway-provider recon]
        B2[Settlement processing]
        B3[Bank statement matching]
    end

    subgraph T1["T+1 Morning"]
        direction TB
        C1["ð Recon File"]
        C2["ð Markoff File"]
        C3["ð Exception File"]
    end

    T0 --> Night --> T1

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Settlement Timing

Settlement timing varies based on transaction characteristics and acquirer processing:

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Standard Settlement Timeline

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Important Considerations

Acquirer Fraud Review: Non-3DS transactions may experience delayed settlement (T+2 or T+3) as acquirers route these transactions through their fraud departments for additional clearance before releasing funds. This is standard industry practice for transactions without strong customer authentication.

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Factors Affecting Settlement Time

• 3DS Status: Authenticated transactions typically settle faster
• Transaction Amount: Higher-value transactions may undergo additional review
• Merchant Risk Profile: Settlement timing may vary by merchant category
• Acquirer Policies: Each acquirer has specific fraud review procedures
• Public Holidays: Settlement may be delayed around bank holidays

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Projected vs Actual Clearance

The projected_clearance_date field in the Recon File provides an estimate, while clearance_date reflects actual bank clearance. Discrepancies may occur due to:

• Acquirer fraud department holds
• Bank processing delays
• Weekend/holiday adjustments

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Settlement Amount Calculation

Understanding how net settlement is calculated:

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gross_settlement_amount
    - precium_settlement_deduction_incl_vat
    - settlement_provider_fees
    - acquirer_settlement_deduction_incl_vat
    ─────────────────────────────────────────
    = net_settlement_amount

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Example:

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Handling Refunds

Refunds are linked to original transactions:

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purchase_id,related_to_purchase,type,transaction_amount
original-uuid,,purchase,1000.0000
refund-uuid,original-uuid,refund,-500.0000

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Exception Handling

Transactions in the Exception File require investigation:

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Common Exception Causes:

• Settlement data not received from the provider
• Bank statement matching failure
• Data discrepancy between systems

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Resolution Process:

1. Check the Exception File daily
2. Investigate unmatched transactions
3. Transactions auto-resolve when settlement data arrives
4. Contact support for persistent exceptions (>3 business days)

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Integration Best Practices

1. Automate Downloads: Schedule daily report downloads
2. Match References: Use purchase_reference to link to your orders
3. Monitor Exceptions: Set up alerts for exception file entries
4. Reconcile Daily: Process files daily for timely issue detection
5. Archive Reports: Retain reports for audit purposes

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Coming Soon

The following payment methods will be added to reconciliation:

• Ozow
• Capitec Pay
• DebiCheck
• Debit Orders

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Contact your account manager for timeline updates.

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Support

For reconciliation questions or discrepancies:

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Email: support@precium.com

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Subject:[Recon] {Merchant Name} - {Issue Description}

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Include:

• Merchant ID
• Affected date(s)
• Purchase ID(s)
• Description of discrepancy