Network transaction identifier

The Network Transaction Identifier (NTI) is a unique code assigned by a card scheme (like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) to a specific payment as it travels through their systems. It serves several crucial purposes:

Unique identification: It ensures that each payment processed through the network has a distinct identifier, preventing confusion or duplication.

Payment tracking: The scheme and other parties involved (issuing bank, acquiring bank, payment processor) use this ID to track the progress and status of the payment in real-time.

Reconciliation: It helps in matching and verifying payment records between different entities in the payment ecosystem.

Disputes: In case of a dispute, the network transaction identifier is essential for locating the specific payment and investigating the issue.

Recurring payments: For subsequent recurring payments, the NTI from the initial consumer-initiated payment (CIT) is often a mandatory or highly recommended field. It establishes the link back to the original agreement and authorization for the recurring payments.

The schemeAuthorizationReference field in each authorization object represents the NTI returned by the scheme.

//... 
"authorizations": [
    {
      "id": "authz_x1lXf9uDGuN2IUqs33226",
      "amount": 2000,
      "status": "AUTHORIZED",
      "schemeAuthorizationReference": "MC1234567890ABCDE",
      "createdAt": "2025-05-01T15:21:35.276Z",
      "updatedAt": "2025-05-01T15:21:35.276Z"
    }
  ]
//...

When submitting subsequent recurring payments, the NTI from the initial consumer-initiated payment can be provided in the payment charge object initialSchemeAuthorizationReference.

{
  "paymentMethod": "CARD",
  "initiator": "MERCHANT",
  "initialSchemeAuthorizationReference": "MC1234567890ABCDE",
  "instrumentId": "instr_KMkZAlNzIhaXD1il7DD72",
  "amount": {
    "value": 1000,
    "currency": "BRL"
  },
  "consumer": {
    "name": "John Smith",
    "country": "BR"
  }
}

Using payment agreements?

When using payment agreements, PPRO automatically persists the schemeAuthorizationReference obtained during the first payment charge and re-submits it to the payment scheme for all subsequent recurring payments associated with that agreement.

Already have an NTI?

If the initial consumer-initiated payment has already occurred, the initialSchemeAuthorizationReference can be included with the create payment agreement request.