Overview
One-Off payments represent the simplest transaction model supported by the SIBS Payment Gateway. In this model, a payment is executed as a single, self-contained transaction without any follow-up charging cycles or recurring billing.
The payment is initiated once by the merchant and completed once by the customer, with no reuse of credentials or scheduling of future charges.
This model is commonly used in standard checkout scenarios and serves as the foundation for most payment method integrations.
What Is a One-Off Payment
A One-Off payment is a transaction where:
- The customer authorizes a payment once
- The payment corresponds to a single purchase or obligation
- No automatic future charges occur
- Each payment requires a new transaction initiation
From a technical perspective, every One-Off payment results in a unique transaction identifier and independent lifecycle.
When to Use One-Off Payments
One-Off payments are appropriate when the transaction represents a discrete purchase or financial event.
Typical scenarios include:
- E-commerce purchases
- Ticketing and reservations
- Digital goods and downloads
- One-time invoices or bills
- Service payments with immediate settlement
They are not intended for recurring billing, subscriptions, or tokenized future payments.
Supported Payment Methods
Within the SIBS ecosystem, One-Off payments are supported across multiple payment methods, including:
- Cards (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
- MB WAY
- MULTIBANCO Reference
Each payment method may implement the One-Off model with different execution characteristics (real-time vs asynchronous).
Execution Models
Although the conceptual model is simple, One-Off payments can behave differently depending on the payment method:
Real-Time Payments
Payment outcome is known immediately.
Examples:
- Cards (authorization or auth+capture)
- MB WAY
Characteristics:
- Immediate confirmation
- Instant success/failure response
- Synchronous checkout experience
Asynchronous Payments
Payment completion occurs outside the checkout session.
Examples:
- MULTIBANCO Reference
Characteristics:
- Delayed payment confirmation
- Requires status polling or notifications
- Reference expiration handling
Transaction Lifecycle
Despite method-specific differences, One-Off payments generally follow a predictable lifecycle:
- Payment initiation
- Customer authorization (or reference generation + reference payment)
- Processing by financial network
- Final status (success, failure, expired)
Depending on the payment method, the transition between steps may be synchronous or asynchronous.
Advantages of the One-Off Model
From a merchant and integration perspective, One-Off payments offer:
- Simple integration model
- Clear transaction boundaries
- No credential storage requirements
- Minimal compliance scope compared to recurring payments
- Broad payment method compatibility
This makes them ideal as the first integration step for new merchants.
Particularities in the SIBS Context
When working with One-Off payments in SIBS SPG, several platform-specific aspects should be considered:
- Each payment produces a unique transaction in SPG
- Payment status may be delivered synchronously or asynchronously
- Merchant notifications are recommended for asynchronous methods
- Some methods support optional two-step processing (e.g., card pre-authorization)
- Settlement and reconciliation depend on the financial partner configuration
Understanding these aspects helps ensure correct handling of payment states across different methods.
One-Off vs Other Payment Models
To position One-Off payments within the broader ecosystem:
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
| One-Off | Single, standalone payment |
| Recurring | Repeated charges using stored credentials |
| Tokenized Payments | One-Off payments using previously saved payment details |
| Pre-Authorization | Two-step variant of One-Off (authorize now, capture later) |
This documentation section focuses exclusively on the One-Off model. Other models are covered in dedicated sections.
Integration Context
In the SIBS Payment Gateway, One-Off payments can be implemented using multiple integration approaches:
- Hosted payment form (redirect or embedded)
- Server-to-server API integration
- Platform plugins (e-commerce platforms)
Each approach exposes the same underlying transaction model while offering different levels of integration control.
Detailed integration guidance is provided in the Integration Flows section.
Summary
One-Off payments form the baseline payment model in SIBS SPG, enabling merchants to process single, independent transactions across multiple payment methods.
By understanding the conceptual behavior and lifecycle of One-Off payments, integrators can more easily adopt the appropriate technical flow and payment method implementation.