LinkPoint® API

LinkPoint® API is a comprehensive tool for the merchant who needs a custom commerce solution. Perfect for e-commerce Web sites, the LinkPoint® API service application programming interface (API) gives merchants SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) security, fraud protection measures, plus tax and shipping calculators and an automated Electronic Softgoods Download
(ESD) module. The LinkPoint® API solution comes with the LinkPoint® Central service for comprehensive store management; i.e., managing fraud protection, viewing and downloading reports, performing returns, or even manually entering e-commerce transactions. It is an ideal product for the merchant who requires custom interfaces or functionality. The LinkPoint® API service processes payments for any merchant Web site or other custom commerce application, but is best suited for larger merchants with programming expertise at their disposal.

How it Works (E-commerce application)

(The following scenario assumes that the merchant has incorporated one of the certified shopping cart packages
into the Web site.)

  1. A customer visits the merchant’s Web site and reviews the merchant’s online catalog. He selects several downloadable items for purchase. The customer clicks the Add to Cart button to add each one to the online shopping cart.

  2. When the customer is finished shopping and ready to check out, he clicks on the View Cart button, which shows him a listing of the item s he’s selected. He then clicks on the Check Out button.

  3. The customer is transferred to an SSL-secured payment form, where he enters his billing and shipping address, credit card information, and e-mail address.
  4. The order and payment data are transmitted through an SSL-secure Internet connection to the merchant’s SSL-secured Web server. The merchant’s custom shopping cart software code and the LinkPoint® API software work together to process the order.
  5. The LinkPoint® API software sends the order and payment information from the merchant’s server via an SSL-secured Internet connection to one of the LinkPoint® SSL-secured servers. The LinkPoint® Secure Payment Gateway processes the payment and logs the order information into a database for future reference.
  6. The LinkPoint® Secure Payment Gateway transmits the order and payment information to the credit card processing network through a dedicated lease line and receives a response.
  7. The LinkPoint® API software automatically sends the customer an e-mail receipt for his purchase, containing order information and download instructions for his downloadable items.
  8. Within a few seconds, the LinkPoint® Secure Payment Gateway sends a response to the merchant’s server that the transaction has been approved, along with ESD download information, if applicable.
  9. The customer receives order confirmation and instructions for downloading each item that he’s purchased on the merchant’s Web site. He proceeds to download his purchase, which are hosted on the LinkPoint® Secure Payment Gateway. The LinkPoint® APIS payment solution manages the entire download process, and denies access to the products after the customer has successfully downloaded all the items he has purchased.
  10. The merchant can then review the transaction reports for their online orders by logging into the LinkPoint® Central service (included with the LinkPoint® API solution). The transaction data can also be downloaded and available for importing into an accounting software package.