Purchase

In WaafiPay, the Purchase transaction is a one-step payment process where funds are immediately debited from the customer’s payment method (card, mobile wallet, or bank account) and transferred to the merchant’s account. This is commonly used for instant transactions, such as e-commerce purchases, where goods or services are delivered right away.

On the other hand, PreAuthorization is a two-step process that initially only holds funds on the customer’s account without completing the transfer. This hold, or “authorization,” reserves the amount for the merchant but doesn’t yet move it to the merchant’s account. The merchant must later complete a capture request to finalize the payment and transfer the funds. This method is beneficial for situations where the final payment amount may change (e.g., hotel stays or car rentals) or where a merchant wants to ensure funds availability before completing a service.

The key difference is that a Purchase completes authorization and capture immediately, making it best for immediate payment scenarios, while PreAuthorization delays the capture, allowing for flexibility in timing and amount confirmation.