Direct Interface. Application level integration
This is the type of payment interface that we recommend. Where possible where your selected payment provider suppports this type of interface this is a much more flexible solution. We build the application into our central system so that when a payment is taken our application links to the payment gateway with a series of messages to obtain authorization. The benefit of this is 2 fold; first of all the users session stays within our system and our control so that errors are less likely to occur from any redirection. Secondly it means that as well as taking payments from the public internet, you staff can use the same interface at the call center for phone bookings and at the airport for changes and excess baggage etc. This is sometimes refered to as a MOTO interface. (Mail Order/Telephone Order) or a Terminal Interface.
Redirect Interface. Web Page Handover.
In some instances your Payment Service Provider (PSP) will either not have the direct type of interface or will stipulate that you must use a Web Page Handover interface. This is usually due to the PSP having limited technical capabilities, or because of commercial reasons, for example in some regions where there is a high fraud rate, or if they deem your business to be high risk in the case of a start up company.
With a Web Page Handover the internet booker will be passed from the Videcom web pages to the Payment Service Providers webpages to carry out authorization. Because the authorization is being carried out on their web page the fraud risk is deemed to be lower as they are directly validating the card user.
As detailed above, the downside to this is that we have lost control of the users session as it has been passed to a 3rd party and we have to wait for them to hand the session back to the Videcom pages before we can complete the booking. Obviously because the cardholder has to fill out details on the 3rd party website this cannot be used by your airline staff to take any payments so it is only suitbale for public internet bookings.