Course · Subscriber

Payments Architecture 101

How money actually moves. Map the card payments system from first tap to final settlement.

6 modules·Available now

Maps the card payments system end to end. Start at the moment a card touches a terminal and trace authorization, clearing, and settlement through the acquirer, the card network, and the issuer. Covers chargebacks, disputes, and how security and authentication layer on top.

Who this is for

Product managers shipping into a payment surface for the first time
Engineers and architects designing payment integrations
Operators and operations leaders who need to talk to acquirers fluently
Founders building anything that takes cards

What you will learn

Trace a card transaction end to end from terminal to settlement
Tell acquirers, processors, and gateways apart and know which one you actually need
Read a card network rulebook without getting lost
Diagnose chargeback patterns and design dispute workflows that win
Reason about authentication and security layers without becoming a cryptographer
See where payments infrastructure is heading and what that means for your stack

Syllabus

01The Transaction Lifecycle
Follow a card payment from tap to settlement. Learn how authorisation, clearing, and funding work across the four-party model.
02Acquiring and Processing
How acquirers and payment processors route, authorise, and settle transactions. Gateway architecture, PSP models, and the merchant-acquirer relationship.
03Card Networks
How Visa, Mastercard, and other card networks operate. Interchange economics, network rules, scheme fees, and the competitive dynamics shaping card payments.
04Chargebacks and Disputes
The chargeback lifecycle from initiation to resolution. Reason codes, representment strategy, fraud versus service disputes, and the cost of getting it wrong.
05Security and Authentication
Payment security from tokenisation to 3D Secure. How PCI DSS, EMV, network tokens, and strong customer authentication protect the transaction chain.
06The Future of Payments Infrastructure
Where payments infrastructure is heading. Stablecoins, embedded finance, real-time rails, AI-native processing, and the convergence reshaping how money moves.