Simulate Fleet Transactions

At this time, Fleet transactions can only be simulated on Visa Card Products.

Transactions for Fleet Card Products include several elements not found in other Products. Fleet transactions can require more interaction from the Account Holder, additional data from the merchant's point of sale, more complicated authorization flows, and enhanced data processing during clearing and settlement.

Highnote provides a rich set of operations that allow you to Simulate Transactions and ensure your integration is ready for production.

Prerequisites

Before working with the Fleet Transaction Simulator, create your Card Product and all necessary objects by following the Get Started Guide for Fleet. Once your Card Product is ready, familiarize yourself with the basics of transaction simulation by following the Simulate Transactions in Test section.

Highnote offers two types of authorization controls to limit how Account Holders use their fleet cards. Some controls are baked into the EMV chip in the physical cards while others are enforced through Spend Control Rules. For example, Highnote’s fleet cards encode a Product Restriction code on the EMV chip to allow purchases of fuel and other products while Highnote’s Platform prevents purchases of “non-fleet” items, such as meals through DoorDash, via MCC restrictions.

Merchant Category Codes

Fleet Payment Cards can function for fleet purchases only or as fleet plus “purchase and T&E” cards as your program’s needs dictate.

• If used as a fleet card only, the implication is that the Account Holder desires acceptance at traditional gasoline stations, convenience stores that sell motor fuel, and truck stops. In such cases, acceptance of the Fleet Payment Card should include the five specific MCCs that the payment networks have designated as fleet/fuel MCCs.
• If used as fleet plus purchase Payment Cards, the implication is that the Account Holder desires acceptance at travel-related merchants, such as hotels and restaurants, in addition to traditional fueling stations.

All Payment Cards on a Fleet Card Product must offer acceptance at the fuel MCCs listed below while most also accept the maintenance MCCs.

Fleet/Fuel MCCs

Maintenance MCCs

After the initial Authorization, Authorization Advice replaces the original Authorization.

Note: You can skip simulating Authorization Advice and skip to Clearing to simulate Visa real-time clearing transactions.

Fleet transactions follow the standard authorization and clearing data flow followed by all card payments and additionally include ancillary information specific to the fleet vertical via specialized clearing messages.

Level 1

Contains standard payment network transaction data provided by merchants. Level 1 data is the same for all transaction types and merchants. No Enhanced Data is captured/provided at this level.

Level 2

Contains Enhanced Data captured at the point of sale and sent with the transaction. Level 2 data is always sent with clearing records.

API Reference: Visa Level 2 Purchase Data Fields

Many fleet transactions occur outside “at the pump” via automated fuel dispensers (AFDs). AFDs streamline fuel purchases by allowing Account Holders to operate the fuel pump and complete the payment process without fuel station personnel interaction. The exact flow of an individual AFD transaction will vary depending on how you have configured your Fleet Card Product and the options you have set for the involved Fleet Payment Card. For example, your Fleet Card Product may be configured so that the AFD does not ask for any Account Holder Verification Method (CVM), but the AFD may prompt the Account Holder to enter their Driver ID and current Odometer reading prior to submitting the transaction for authorization.

Standard Flow

1. Account Holder taps/swipes/dips their Payment Card
2. Merchant point-of-sale sends $1 Status Check authorization
3. Acquirer sends a pre-auth message with a transaction amount of $1
4. Highnote sends Approval Response message. Highnote may participate in Collaborative Authorization with you via the API. Highnote may authorize the full limit (according to payment network guidelines) or a partial amount.
5. Account Holder completes fueling
6. Acquirer sends Authorization Advice with actual transaction amount (15 minutes to 2 hours after transaction)
7. Acquirer sends Clearing messages in batch at end of business day for clearing & settlement
8. Highnote processes Clearing messages and provides fleet-specific transaction data to you via the API

Real-Time Clearing

1. Account Holder taps/swipes/dips their Visa Fleet Card
2. Merchant sends a customized authorization amount up to $500
3. Acquirer sends a pre-auth message with the estimated transaction amount
4. Highnote sends Approval Response message. Highnote may participate in Collaborative Authorization with you via the API. Highnote may authorize the full limit (according to payment network guidelines) or a partial amount.
5. Account Holder completes fueling
6. Acquirer sends full-service completion message (auth and clearing data together) - (15 minutes to 2 hours after transaction)
7. Visa sends additional transaction information in batch at end of business day
8. Highnote processes Clearing messages and provides fleet-specific transaction data to you via the API

Aside from the usual Automated Fuel Dispenser flow, fleet transactions may also occur in a store such as a gas station or truck stop. In-store transactions may either follow a pre-pay or a post-pay model - although in the US, the pre-pay workflow dominates. In addition, in-store transactions often include non-fuel products - as long as the Fleet Payment Card’s configuration allows for such purchases.

Pre-Pay

1. Account Holder taps/swipes/dips their Fleet Card
2. Merchant sends Authorization message for all purchases (including fuel requested amount & non-fuel items)
3. Acquirer sends a pre-auth message with the estimated transaction amount
4. Highnote sends Approval Response message. Highnote may participate in Collaborative Authorization with you via the API. Highnote may authorize the full limit (according to Payment Network guidelines) or a partial amount.
5. Account Holder completes fueling
6. Acquirer sends Clearing messages in batch at end of business day for clearing & settlement
7. Highnote processes Clearing messages and provides fleet-specific transaction data to you

Post-Pay

1. Account Holder completes fueling at the pump
2. Account Holder taps/swipes/dips their Fleet Card inside the store
3. Merchant sends Authorization message for all purchases (including fuel amount & non-fuel items)
4. Acquirer sends pre-authorization message
5. Highnote sends Approval Response message. Highnote may participate in Collaborative Authorization with you via the API. Highnote may authorize the full limit (according to payment network guidelines) or a partial amount.
6. Acquirer sends Clearing messages in batch at end of the business day for clearing & settlement
7. Highnote processing Clearing messages and provides fleet-specific transaction data to you via the API