Summary

Intelligent Debit Routing automatically routes eligible debit card transactions over the lowest-cost U.S. Common Debit network available (such as PULSE, NYCE, or STAR) instead of defaulting to the Visa or Mastercard credit rails. This potentially reduces processing costs by selecting the most cost-effective network in real time, without changing the checkout experience for customers. Transactions still process as normal and customers do not need to enter a PIN while the system ensures the merchant receives the best possible debit rate on each transaction.

<aside> 💡 Note: This works differently with each terminal based on how and when each terminal was certified.

</aside>

Availability

Intelligent Debit Routing is available on all brands without any additional development.

Processor

Brand	Available
Adyen	✅
Stripe	❌

App Version

Intelligent Debit Routing is ONLY supported by the P5 on App Version 1.460 and greater.

Accepting PIN Debit Transactions

Regular_PIN_payment.mp4

Some merchants may be used to PIN being requested on all debit card transactions. While this is acceptable, it is not required. Entering a PIN takes extra time, can be a blocker if the shopper can’t remember their pin, and be a hassle to manage.

Instead, we prompt for a PIN only when the card issuing bank requires it thus saving the merchant transaction time and creating a more seamless experience.

When a PIN is prompted it’s a very simple process. After the consumer taps or inserts their card, the PIN screen is displayed and allows them to enter it and then press the Confirm button to continue.

Exceptions and Nuances

There are some corner cases where this process might vary slightly:

Mastercard transactions may operate a little differently due to some newer regulation changes they implemented. Depending on how the card is setup, we may be required to display an additional prompt that asks if it should be run as Common Debit or Global Debit. Generally speaking, the shopper should not notice a difference although in general, authorization rates may improve for international or online merchants if they select the global option.
Similarly, in some rare cases, we may be required on the terminal to prompt for signature. This is generally an outdated practice that is still in effect for some older cards but to stay in compliance, we have to offer it when the card requires it.

In both cases, these should be the exception to the rule, not the standard. In addition, these are only required when the card requires this behavior.