Which transaction processing step should not occur until goods or services are provided to the consumer?

The correct answer is based on the understanding of how transaction processing is structured in relation to the delivery of goods or services. Capture, which refers to the process of collecting transaction data, typically involves obtaining payment information from the consumer. However, this step usually occurs after the goods or services have been delivered.

In a typical payment process, authorization follows the capture and involves verifying that the buyer has sufficient funds or credit to complete the transaction before any goods or services are provided. While this can happen before delivery, it is crucial to ascertain that payment can be executed.

Clearing is the step where the transaction data is transmitted and reconciled between the merchant's bank and the customer's bank to prepare for the transaction's finalization. Settlement, the last phase, involves the actual transfer of funds between banks and occurs after delivery has taken place.

Therefore, the step that should not occur until after goods or services are provided to the consumer is capture, as it relies on confirming the successful completion of the purchase transaction post-provision of the goods or services.