Payment Transactions Page Documentation

Menu Location: Customers > Payment Transactions

Access Level: Manager and above

Last Updated: 2026-03-01

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Overview

The Payment Transactions page provides a comprehensive view of all payment activity in your system, allowing you to search, filter, track, and troubleshoot payment processing. This is essential for financial reconciliation, customer support, and identifying payment issues.

Primary Functions:

• View all payment transactions across all customers
• Search and filter transactions by multiple criteria
• Track successful, failed, and pending payments
• Identify refunds, chargebacks, and disputes
• Reconcile payments with accounting systems
• Export transaction data for financial reporting
• Investigate payment processing issues

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Page Layout

Header Section

• Search Bar: Quick search by transaction ID, customer name, email, or amount
• Date Range Selector: Filter by transaction date
• Filter Controls: Multiple filter options (status, payment method, amount range)
• Export Button: Download transaction data

Main Content Area

Table displaying transactions with columns:

• Transaction ID (click for details)
• Date/Time
• Customer Name (link to customer detail)
• Payment Method (Credit Card, Check, EBT, PayPal, etc.)
• Amount
• Status (Success, Failed, Pending, Refunded, Disputed)
• Transaction Type (Charge, Refund, Authorization, Capture)
• Associated Order ID (link to order)
• Gateway Response
• Actions (View Details, Refund, Dispute)

Summary Section

• Total transactions today
• Total revenue today
• Success rate percentage
• Failed transactions requiring attention
• Pending transactions
• Total refunds this period

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Transaction Statuses

Success

• Meaning: Payment processed successfully
• Color: Green
• Actions Available: View details, issue refund
• Next Steps: None required - funds captured

Failed

• Meaning: Payment attempt declined or error occurred
• Color: Red
• Actions Available: View error details, retry payment, contact customer
• Next Steps: Investigate cause, resolve issue, retry

Pending

• Meaning: Payment authorized but not yet captured
• Color: Yellow/Orange
• Actions Available: Capture payment, void authorization
• Next Steps: Capture within authorization window (typically 7 days)

Refunded

• Meaning: Original payment reversed
• Color: Blue
• Actions Available: View refund details, view original transaction
• Next Steps: None - refund complete

Disputed/Chargeback

• Meaning: Customer disputed charge with bank
• Color: Purple/Red
• Actions Available: View dispute details, respond to dispute, provide evidence
• Next Steps: Respond to dispute within deadline, gather evidence

Voided

• Meaning: Authorization cancelled before capture
• Color: Gray
• Actions Available: View void details
• Next Steps: None - no funds moved

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Search & Filtering

Quick Search

Search across:

• Transaction ID
• Customer name
• Customer email
• Order number
• Last 4 digits of credit card
• Check number
• Amount (exact match)

Date Range Filters

• Today: All transactions today
• Yesterday: Previous day's transactions
• Last 7 Days: Past week
• Last 30 Days: Past month
• This Month: Current month to date
• Last Month: Previous calendar month
• Custom Range: Specify exact start and end dates

Status Filters

Select one or multiple:

• Successful only
• Failed only
• Pending only
• Refunded only
• Disputed only
• All statuses

Payment Method Filters

• Credit Card: Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Discover
• ACH/Bank: Bank transfers and drafts
• Check: Manual check payments
• Cash: Cash payments
• EBT/SNAP: Food assistance payments
• PayPal: PayPal transactions
• Store Credit: Account balance/gift certificate
• All Methods: No filter

Amount Filters

• Greater Than: Find transactions above amount
• Less Than: Find transactions below amount
• Between: Specify range
• Exact Amount: Find specific transaction amount

Transaction Type Filters

• Charge: Standard payment charges
• Refund: Refund transactions
• Authorization: Auth-only (not yet captured)
• Capture: Capturing previous authorization
• Void: Cancelled authorizations

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Viewing Transaction Details

Accessing Details

Steps:

1. Find transaction in list
2. Click Transaction ID or "View Details" action
3. Detail modal or page opens

Detail View Information

Transaction Information:

• Unique transaction ID
• Gateway transaction ID
• Date and time (precise timestamp)
• Processing duration
• Customer information
• Order information
• Items purchased (if order associated)

Payment Details:

• Payment method
• Card type and last 4 digits (if card)
• Billing address
• Amount charged
• Fees (if applicable)
• Net amount

Gateway Response:

• Response code
• Response message
• AVS (Address Verification) result
• CVV verification result
• Fraud score (if available)
• Risk assessment

Related Transactions:

• Original charge (if this is refund)
• Refunds (if any issued)
• Previous attempts (if retry)
• Associated authorizations/captures

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Processing Refunds

Full Refund

Steps:

1. Find successful transaction
2. Click "Refund" action
3. Confirm refund amount (auto-fills full amount)
4. Enter refund reason (required)
5. Add notes (optional but recommended)
6. Click "Process Refund"
7. System processes refund through payment gateway
8. Refund appears as new transaction
9. Customer receives refund in 3-10 business days

Requirements:

• Original transaction must be successful
• Refund amount cannot exceed original amount
• Sufficient time hasn't passed (check gateway limits)

Partial Refund

Steps:

1. Find successful transaction
2. Click "Refund" action
3. Change refund amount to partial amount
4. Enter reason explaining partial refund
5. Add notes detailing calculation
6. Click "Process Refund"
7. Partial refund processed
8. Original transaction shows partially refunded status

Use Cases:

• Customer returned some items, not all
• Partial credit for damaged product
• Prorate refund for cancelled service

Multiple Partial Refunds

Some gateways allow multiple partial refunds up to original amount:

• Track cumulative refund total
• System prevents over-refunding
• Each refund appears as separate transaction

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Handling Failed Transactions

Viewing Failure Reasons

Common Decline Codes:

• Insufficient Funds: Customer's account low balance
• Card Declined: Generic decline from issuer
• Invalid Card: Expired, cancelled, or invalid number
• AVS Mismatch: Address doesn't match card on file
• CVV Failure: Security code incorrect
• Fraud Detection: Triggered fraud rules
• Gateway Error: Technical issue with payment processor

Resolving Failed Payments

Steps:

1. Click failed transaction to view details
2. Note specific decline reason
3. Contact customer with specific issue:
   • "Your card was declined due to insufficient funds"
   • "The billing address doesn't match your card"
   • "Your card shows as expired"
4. Customer updates payment information
5. Retry payment manually or customer retries

Retrying Failed Payments

Manual Retry:

1. Navigate to customer's order
2. Click "Retry Payment"
3. Select payment method (existing or new)
4. Process payment
5. New transaction created

Automatic Retry: Some systems auto-retry failed payments:

• First retry: 24 hours later
• Second retry: 72 hours later
• Third retry: 7 days later
• Customer notified of each attempt

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Managing Disputes & Chargebacks

Identifying Disputes

Notification:

• Email alert when dispute received
• Transaction status changes to "Disputed"
• Funds may be held or reversed

Viewing Dispute Details

Information Provided:

• Dispute date
• Dispute reason (fraud, not received, not as described, etc.)
• Dispute amount
• Evidence deadline
• Current status

Responding to Disputes

Steps:

1. Click disputed transaction
2. Review dispute reason
3. Click "Respond to Dispute"
4. Gather evidence:
   • Order confirmation
   • Shipping tracking/proof of delivery
   • Customer communication history
   • Product descriptions/photos
   • Refund policy
5. Upload evidence documents
6. Write response statement
7. Submit response by deadline
8. Wait for gateway/bank decision

Evidence Tips:

• Provide clear, organized documentation
• Include tracking showing delivery
• Show customer's prior acceptance (account history)
• Demonstrate policy communication
• Be factual and professional

Dispute Outcomes

Won:

• Funds returned to your account
• Transaction marked as successful
• Customer's dispute denied

Lost:

• Funds permanently reversed
• Transaction marked as chargeback loss
• Possible chargeback fee applied

Partially Won:

• Some funds returned, some lost
• Rare outcome

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Export & Reporting

Export Options

CSV Export:

• All filtered transactions
• Selected columns only
• Includes all detail fields

Excel Export:

• Formatted spreadsheet
• Multiple sheets (transactions, summary, refunds)
• Charts and pivot tables

QuickBooks/Accounting Export:

• Formatted for import to accounting software
• Mapped to chart of accounts
• Includes tax information

Export Process

Steps:

1. Apply desired filters (date range, status, etc.)
2. Click "Export" button
3. Select export format
4. Choose fields to include (or select "All")
5. Click "Generate Export"
6. Download file when ready

Large Exports:

• May take several minutes to process
• Email sent when export ready
• Download link expires in 48 hours

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Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Daily Reconciliation

Goal: Reconcile payment transactions with bank deposits

Steps:

1. Set date filter to "Yesterday"
2. Set status filter to "Successful"
3. Review total amount at bottom of page
4. Export to CSV
5. Compare export total to bank deposit
6. Investigate any discrepancies
7. Mark reconciliation complete in accounting system

Frequency: Daily

Use Case 2: Investigate Failed Payment

Goal: Understand why customer's payment failed and resolve

Steps:

1. Customer calls saying payment didn't work
2. Search transactions by customer name
3. Find most recent failed transaction
4. Click to view details
5. Note specific decline reason: "Card Expired"
6. Inform customer their card expired
7. Customer provides updated card
8. Navigate to customer's order
9. Process payment with new card
10. Confirm success with customer

Use Case 3: Process Refund for Returned Product

Goal: Refund customer for damaged product

Steps:

1. Customer reports damaged product, requests refund
2. Search transactions by order number
3. Find successful payment transaction
4. Click "Refund" action
5. Keep full refund amount ($45.99)
6. Reason: "Product arrived damaged - full refund issued"
7. Notes: "Customer ID #12345, spoke with Jane, sent photos of damage"
8. Click "Process Refund"
9. Confirm refund successful
10. Add note to customer account
11. Email customer confirming refund (3-10 business days)

Use Case 4: Respond to Chargeback

Goal: Defend against fraudulent chargeback claim

Steps:

1. Receive dispute notification email
2. Navigate to Payment Transactions
3. Filter by Status: "Disputed"
4. Click disputed transaction
5. Review dispute reason: "Product Not Received"
6. Gather evidence:
   • Order confirmation (shows customer placed order)
   • Shipping tracking (shows delivered to customer's address)
   • Delivery photo (shows package at door)
   • Customer's prior positive review (shows received product)
7. Click "Respond to Dispute"
8. Upload all evidence documents
9. Write statement: "Customer placed order on 1/15, package delivered 1/20 with photo confirmation, customer left positive review 1/22. Evidence proves product was received."
10. Submit response
11. Add note to customer account about dispute
12. Wait for decision

Use Case 5: Monthly Financial Report

Goal: Generate monthly payment report for accounting

Steps:

1. Set date filter to "Last Month"
2. Click "Export"
3. Select "Accounting Export" format
4. Choose all fields
5. Generate export
6. Review export for accuracy:
   • Total charges
   • Total refunds
   • Net revenue
   • Transaction fees
7. Upload to accounting system
8. Reconcile with bank statements
9. Note any discrepancies for investigation

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Troubleshooting

Transaction Not Appearing

Symptoms:

• Customer says payment processed but not in system
• Missing transaction

Check:

1. Verify date range filter includes transaction date
2. Check all status filters (including failed)
3. Search by customer name, not order number
4. Check if transaction in different gateway account
5. Verify customer completed checkout (didn't abandon)

Solutions:

1. Expand date range
2. Clear all filters and search by customer
3. Check gateway dashboard directly
4. Review customer's order history
5. Contact payment gateway support if truly missing

Refund Fails to Process

Symptoms:

• Refund button doesn't work
• Error message on refund attempt
• Refund stuck in pending

Common Causes:

1. Original transaction too old (past refund window)
2. Insufficient funds in merchant account (rare)
3. Card account closed
4. Gateway connection issue
5. Already fully refunded

Solutions:

1. Check gateway refund window policy
2. Verify merchant account status
3. Try again later (if connection issue)
4. Process manual refund (check, account credit)
5. Contact payment gateway support

Export Times Out

Symptoms:

• Export never completes
• Browser shows error
• Download link doesn't arrive

Causes:

• Too many transactions selected
• Server timeout
• Large date range

Solutions:

1. Narrow date range (export in smaller chunks)
2. Apply more filters to reduce transaction count
3. Choose fewer export fields
4. Try during off-peak hours
5. Contact administrator if persistent

Duplicate Transactions

Symptoms:

• Same amount charged multiple times
• Customer charged twice
• Duplicate transaction IDs

Check:

1. Verify transactions truly duplicate (same timestamp unlikely)
2. Check if customer resubmitted payment
3. Look for authorization + capture (normal, not duplicate)
4. Review gateway logs

Solutions:

1. If true duplicate, refund one transaction
2. If auth + capture, explain to customer (normal process)
3. If customer double-submitted, refund and explain
4. Implement duplicate transaction prevention if recurring issue

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Related Pages

• Customer Detail - View customer's transaction history
• Orders - View order associated with transaction
• Reports > Revenue - Aggregate revenue reports
• Reports > Failed Payments - Dedicated failed payment report
• Billing/Payments - Customer billing page

Typical Workflow:

1. Customer calls about payment issue
2. Payment Transactions → Search for customer
3. View transaction details
4. Customer Detail → Update payment method
5. Order page → Retry payment

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Permissions & Access

Required Access Level: Manager or higher

Access Level Capabilities:

• Manager: View transactions, process refunds (under $X), export data
• Administrator: All Manager + process any refund, respond to disputes, system configuration
• Kiva Admin: All features + gateway configuration, advanced troubleshooting

Restricted Features:

• Refunds Over $X: Requires Administrator approval per company policy
• Dispute Responses: Requires Administrator
• Gateway Settings: Requires Kiva Admin

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Best Practices

Daily Operations

1. Review failed transactions daily - catch issues early
2. Reconcile payments daily - ensure accuracy
3. Respond to disputes immediately - don't miss deadlines
4. Monitor fraud indicators - AVS/CVV failures
5. Track refund reasons - identify patterns

Customer Service

1. Be specific about decline reasons - helps customer fix issue
2. Process refunds promptly - builds trust
3. Document all refund reasons - audit trail
4. Follow up on failed payments - recover revenue
5. Explain authorization vs. capture - reduces confusion

Financial Management

1. Export and backup transaction data monthly
2. Reconcile with bank statements - ensure all funds received
3. Track transaction fees - understand costs
4. Monitor refund rate - high rate may indicate quality issues
5. Analyze payment success rates - identify gateway issues

Security

1. Never share full credit card numbers - PCI compliance
2. Verify identity before discussing transactions - fraud prevention
3. Monitor for suspicious patterns - multiple failed attempts
4. Respond to all disputes - protect against fraud
5. Keep payment gateway credentials secure - don't share

Things to Avoid

• ❌ Processing refunds without documenting reason
• ❌ Ignoring failed transaction patterns
• ❌ Missing dispute response deadlines
• ❌ Not reconciling payments regularly
• ❌ Sharing transaction details with unauthorized persons

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Quick Reference Card

Task	Action/Location
Search transaction	Enter customer name or order # in search
View transaction details	Click Transaction ID
Filter by date	Use Date Range selector
Process refund	Find transaction > Click "Refund"
Export transactions	Apply filters > Click "Export"
View failed payments	Status filter > "Failed"
Respond to dispute	Find disputed transaction > "Respond"
Daily reconciliation	Filter yesterday > Successful > Export
Find customer's payments	Search by customer name
Retry failed payment	Find transaction > Navigate to order > Retry

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FAQs

What's the difference between Authorization and Capture?

• Authorization: Verifies funds available, places hold (doesn't charge)
• Capture: Actually moves funds from customer to merchant
• Many systems do both simultaneously; some separate them for fraud prevention

How long does a refund take?

• Processing: Refund processes in seconds
• Customer sees funds: 3-10 business days depending on bank
• Debit cards: Typically faster (3-5 days)
• Credit cards: Often slower (5-10 days)

Can I refund more than the original transaction?

No. Refunds cannot exceed original transaction amount. To give customer more than original charge, use account credit or send separate payment.

What if customer's card is expired - can I still refund?

Usually yes. Refunds typically process to card account even if card expired. Gateway routes refund to account. If fails, use alternative method (check, account credit).

How do I handle a duplicate charge?

1. Verify it's truly duplicate (not auth + capture)
2. Process full refund on one transaction
3. Document in notes why duplicate occurred
4. Notify customer and apologize
5. Investigate cause to prevent recurrence

What's the success rate I should aim for?

Industry benchmarks:

• Excellent: 95%+ success rate
• Good: 90-95%
• Needs Improvement: <90%

High failure rates may indicate payment gateway issues, outdated cards on file, or fraud detection too aggressive.

Should I respond to all disputes/chargebacks?

Yes! Always respond, even if you think you'll lose. Not responding means automatic loss plus possible additional fees. Responding:

• Shows bank you're engaged
• May win some you'd otherwise lose
• Protects your processing account status

How do I know if a transaction is fraudulent?

Red flags:

• AVS mismatch (address doesn't match card)
• CVV failure
• Multiple failed attempts followed by success
• Large order from new customer
• Rush shipping to different address than billing
• High-value order from high-risk region Review suspicious transactions carefully before shipping.

Can customers see transaction details?

Customers see limited information:

• Transaction date
• Amount
• Last 4 digits of card
• Success/failure status

Full details (gateway response codes, AVS, etc.) are admin-only.

What do I do if payment gateway is down?

1. Check gateway status page
2. Contact gateway support
3. Consider manual payment methods (phone orders, cash, check)
4. Post notice on website if extended outage
5. Follow up with affected customers after resolution

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End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.