What is a Force/Offline Transaction?

A Force/Offline Transaction refers to a purchase entry that is made after a network service interruption has occurred. During such interruptions, when a merchant cannot connect to the payment processor, they may still choose to accept the transaction based on the customer's card information. The transaction is then recorded and authorized later, when the network is back up and running. This enables sales to proceed even during temporary outages, ensuring that merchants do not miss out on potential sales opportunities.

In this context, while immediate authorization during network downtime, cancellations due to insufficient funds, and customer-initiated refunds are all relevant aspects of payment processing, they do not capture the essence of what constitutes a Force/Offline Transaction. This type of transaction specifically highlights the ability to enter and process transactions after an interruption, with an intention to complete the authorization later.