Does a non accepted (by me) google wallet transaction not get charged or get refunded?

1
votes

I am growing frustrated with the lack of features and poor documentation of the Google Wallet for digital goods subscription API.

My question is the following:

If Google wallet sends a postback to my URL, and I do not acknowledge the payment (send status 200), does the payment get refunded or not appear on the card statement in the first place?

It seems rather strange that there is no way to programmatically cancel subscriptions. A work around would be to manage subscriptions on my end and only accept the postback payment if their subscription is valid. This would of course be frustrating to a user if they canceled a subscription, yet they still see a charge to their card and then a refund. I would like to avoid that.

Thanks in advance again everyone.

1
android-pay

1 Answers

2
votes

I'm not a Googler so this is subject to being crucified :)

To get an official response, it would be best to contact Google directly - you should see a "HELP -> Contact Us" in your Wallet Merchant Center.

Important: If you specify a postback URL, your server must respond promptly and correctly to the HTTP POST messages that Google sends for each transaction. Otherwise, the transaction will be canceled.

REF: Official documentation on handling postbacks

This somehow/probably relates to the old question in credit card processing of the difference between an AUTHorization and an CHARGE (aka "capture").

An AUTH for x amount would need to be sent for processing. Otherwise, how would Google send you a positive result for the transaction (aka Google would send you a postback after such successful "Auth" transaction for x amount - re: does account have enough funds to cover x)?

So there would be a "pending AUTH" for x value on card holders' account, subject to "capture" (finalizing, turning that AUTH into a CHARGE) at some later time (perhaps after you successfully acknowledge the postback).

What Google does (e.g. "Void" or "never capture") to that pending AUTH if you don't acknowledge (aka "...transaction will be cancelled"), or whether or not the above scenario is actually what occurs in Wallet for Digital Goods, can only be answered by Google. The above is only a personal (mine and mine alone) insight to standard credit card processing...

Hth....