System and Method for Preventing Multiple Charges for a Transaction in a Payment System

Abstract

A system and method for preventing multiple charges for a transaction in a payment system is presented. A payment system receives a payment operation request from the order system, and determines whether the payment operation is a duplication of a previous payment operation request. If so, the payment system retrieves stored financial transaction results and provides the financial transaction results to the order system. When the payment operation request is not a duplicate, the payment system contacts a payment provider to receive financial transaction results, which is passed to the order system and stored in a persistent data store.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a payment operation request from an order system, the payment operation request including payment parameters;   prior to sending a financial transaction request to a payment provider, determining, using the payment parameters, whether a payment operation has completed for the payment operation request;   in response to determining that the payment operation has not completed, sending the financial transaction request to the payment provider; and   in response to determining that the payment operation for the payment request has completed, the method further comprising:
 retrieving financial transaction results that result from the payment operation that was performed prior to receiving the payment operation request; and 
 sending the financial transaction results to the order system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the payment parameters include an order identifier and a release identifier, the order identifier identifying an order and the release identifier identifying at least a portion of the order that is released for shipment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 in response to sending the financial transaction request, receiving the financial transaction results from the payment provider, which completes the payment operation.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 wherein the method is performed by a payment system; and   wherein the order system, the payment system, and the payment provider are separate entities.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the determining further comprises:
 in response to receiving the payment operation request, creating a payment identifier that includes an order phase, the order phase corresponding to a phase in the order system that sent the payment operation request;   associating the order identifier and the release identifier to the payment identifier; and   performing the determining using the payment identifier, the order identifier, and the release identifier.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 wherein the order phase is selected from the group consisting of an order capture phase, an order process phase, a fulfillment phase, and a shipping phase; and   wherein the payment operation request is selected from the group consisting of a payment instruction validation request, a payment instruction storage request, a process payment instruction after allocation request, and a process payment instruction after shipment request.   
     
     
         7 . A computer program product stored on a computer operable media, the computer operable media containing instructions for execution by a computer, which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to implement a method for detecting duplicate payment operation requests, the method comprising:
 receiving a payment operation request from an order system, the payment operation request including payment parameters;   prior to sending a financial transaction request to a payment provider, determining, using the payment parameters, whether a payment operation has completed for the payment operation request;   in response to determining that the payment operation has not completed, sending the financial transaction request to the payment provider; and   in response to determining that the payment operation for the payment request has completed, the method further comprising:
 retrieving financial transaction results that result from the payment operation that was performed prior to receiving the payment operation request; and 
 sending the financial transaction results to the order system. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer program product of  claim 7  wherein the payment parameters include an order identifier and a release identifier, the order identifier identifying an order and the release identifier identifying at least a portion of the order that is released for shipment. 
     
     
         9 . The computer program product of  claim 7  wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to sending the financial transaction request, receiving the financial transaction results from the payment provider, which completes the payment operation.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 7  further comprising:
 wherein the method is performed by a payment system; and   wherein the order system, the payment system, and the payment provider are separate entities.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 8  wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to receiving the payment operation request, creating a payment identifier that includes an order phase, the order phase corresponding to a phase in the order system that sent the payment operation request;   associating the order identifier and the release identifier to the payment identifier; and   performing the determining using the payment identifier, the order identifier, and the release identifier.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11  further comprising:
 wherein the order phase is selected from the group consisting of an order capture phase, an order process phase, a fulfillment phase, and a shipping phase; and   wherein the payment operation request is selected from the group consisting of a payment instruction validation request, a payment instruction storage request, a process payment instruction after allocation request, and a process payment instruction after shipment request.   
     
     
         13 . An information handling system comprising:
 one or more processors;   a memory accessible by the processors;   one or more nonvolatile storage devices accessible by the processors; and   a payment operation request tool for detecting duplicate payment operation requests, the payment operation request tool being effective to:
 receive a payment operation request from an order system, the payment operation request including payment parameters; 
 prior to sending a financial transaction request to a payment provider, determine, using the payment parameters, whether a payment operation has completed for the payment operation request; 
 in response to determining that the payment operation has not completed, send the financial transaction request to the payment provider; and 
 in response to determining that the payment operation for the payment request has completed, the method further comprising:
 retrieving financial transaction results that result from the payment operation that was performed prior to receiving the payment operation request; and 
 sending the financial transaction results to the order system. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The information handling system of  claim 13  wherein the payment parameters include an order identifier and a release identifier, the order identifier identifying an order and the release identifier identifying at least a portion of the order that is released for shipment. 
     
     
         15 . The information handling system of  claim 13  wherein the payment operation request tool is further effective to:
 in response to sending the financial transaction request, receive the financial transaction results from the payment provider, which completes the payment operation.   
     
     
         16 . The information handling system of  claim 14  wherein the payment operation request tool is further effective to:
 in response to receiving the payment operation request, create a payment identifier that includes an order phase, the order phase corresponding to a phase in the order system that sent the payment operation request;   associate the order identifier and the release identifier to the payment identifier; and   perform the determining using the payment identifier, the order identifier, and the release identifier.   
     
     
         17 . The information handling system of  claim 16  further comprising:
 wherein the order phase is selected from the group consisting of an order capture phase, an order process phase, a fulfillment phase, and a shipping phase; and   wherein the payment operation request is selected from the group consisting of a payment instruction validation request, a payment instruction storage request, a process payment instruction after allocation request, and a process payment instruction after shipment request.