A lot of information is sent in the authorization message of a card transaction. One of the most important pieces of this information is the authorization (approval) code.
So is the authorization code enough on its own to retrieve a transaction?
The authorization code alone is not enough. When the STAN number and the transaction date are added to it, the transaction can be reached directly.
To sum up, to access a transaction uniquely, having the following information is enough:
- Authorization code (approval code)
- STAN
- Transaction date
Why are these three used together?
The authorization code is the approval code given by the bank; however, the same code may repeat across different transactions. The STAN is the system trace audit number and cycles between 000001 and 999999 within a certain period (usually daily). So the STAN alone is not unique either.
When the transaction date is added, these three together are enough to distinguish the transaction. An easier way is to use the RRN (Retrieval Reference Number), if available; the RRN is widely used in transaction lookup and dispute processes.
Support teams should take these fields from the slip or transaction statement when investigating customer complaints.
