RE: Credit Card Authorization

["DeLong, Eric" <EDeLong@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Whoa!  Before you go an saddle up for this project, writing a GOOD interface
to banking systems is NOT a trivial task.  Credit card systems require top
notch security and auditing capabilities, as well as rigorous certification
by the bank you're partnered with.  

Real time authorizations would imply some sort of persistent link with the
bank (or authorizing agent), though I suppose it _could_ be a dial-up
connection, you're probably looking at a frame relay connection to your
iSeries.  If you're wanting to use the internet, then be prepared for a
steep learning curve.....

Write one at your own risk.  I'd seriously look at the commercial packages
out there.  A potential alternative to native ILE could be Java, where many
vendors offer credit card solutions at very reasonable prices...  

Eric DeLong
Sally Beauty Company
MIS-Project Manager (BSG)
940-898-7863 or ext. 1863



-----Original Message-----
From: jlowary@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jlowary@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 8:30 AM
To: rpg400-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Credit Card Authorization


Troy,

Yes, it can be done!  12 years ago I wrote such a system.  It used async 
communications, and data-ques to communicate back to the green screen 
programs.  This despite finding a bug in the RPG compiler at the time that 
dealt with Async Com.  Sorry I don't have access to those programs anymore 
or but I might be able to answer a few questions if the memory holds.  If 
your going to do your own your com file can't do the translation from 
EBICID to ASCII and vice versa.  I did all the translation in the program 
as you have to compute check digits (in the format(s) I was using) on the 
ASCII values.

The batch program was written such that it waited on an entry in a dataque 
for x seconds, then looped and did it again.  I had a special trigger 
record that could do shutdown of the program so as not to loose info in 
transit.  If multiple entry hit the que at the same time then the program 
just kept processing.  When there were no more it logged off and waited on 
another dataque entry.  Part of the que entry was terminal id, job info, 
etc to get the response back to the green screen that sent it and the 
green screen had to have a time-out built in so as not to lock up the 
session forever.  Think I also had some sort of retry so part of that key 
must have been a timestamp, to compare against when response came back, so 
if operator retried because of time-out, and the first entry got there, it 
just ignored that one and waited again for current one (but like I said 
it's been a long time).

This link will get you to an article I wrote when I was working with 
Synapse Communications, Inc. and was just a year or two removed from 
having written this application.  It's a free article so have at it.

http://www.synapse.com/customer/BridgingTheGap/btg299.pdf

Hope this helps!

-- Jim Lowary
ToastMaster/Salton, Inc.


message: 5
date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 11:31:33 +1100
from: T.Bryant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
subject: Credit Card Authorization

Gurus,
I am investigating implementing an online real-time credit card 
authorization system via an AS/400 RPGILE user interface.
The information, options and advice I am getting is both overwhelming and 
confusing.
Every search seems to keep pointing me to third party products;
some that must display a web page
some with crazy transaction charges,
some...
Use Net.Commerce, GO JavaCard, WebSphere Payment Mangaer,...??? Are these 
current, up-to-date?

My faith in the AS/400 leads me to believe that I should be able to 
implement a system that doesn't  involve a third party and runs on a green 

screen.

Screen 1. Please Enter Credit Card Number/Date etc, : 
_________________________ <enter>

Screen 2. Processing Authorization Request. Please Wait.

Screen 3. Approved. Yay!

Is this blind faith?

Please if anybody has some clue regarding weather this is possible, Yay or 

Nay me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Troy Bryant 
Analyst Programmer
Patrick Autocare.
Phone: +61 03 9926 9913
Fax: +61 03 9926 9977
Mobile: +61 0408 397 333
T.Bryant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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