Single-Use Account (SUA) Payables are a virtual (no plastic) credit card-based payment product in which each account is typically used for a single payment. Each single-use account can have significant controls applied, such as limits on the credit amount, the period of time when it can be used, and the places where a purchase can be made.
A payable is a request to create a single-use account with an account number, security code (card verification value), and expiration date that can be used for one payment of a specified amount to a specified vendor. Payables can also house other data, such as a unique Payment ID, invoice information, and custom fields that can be used for other information.
The payment group associated with the payable specifies the default controls, such as the authorization type (single or multiple) and the daily and monthly transaction limits for the card. These controls can be overridden as necessary for individual payables. The payment group also specifies the currency that will be used to issue payables and settle payments, either USD (US dollars) or CAD (Canadian dollars). The currency designator is shown for all amounts associated with a payable.
Although a payable is always used for only one payment, a multiple authorization payable can be used for multiple transactions that apply to the same payment. For example, if you are issuing a payable for travel, setting it to a multiple authorization will allow hotels to run daily authorizations without receiving a decline. By contrast, a single authorization payable can only be used for one transaction.
When a purchase is made using a single-use account, the transaction is evaluated (or “matched”) against the controls provided when the payable was created. If the match is successful, the transaction amount is automatically applied to the payable. If the match is not successful, the transaction is identified for you to review, and you can still manually include the transaction in the payable. For example, if the transaction posts after the payable’s end date, the transaction will fail the automatic match but you can still mark it for inclusion.
If the payment group is set up for email notifications, vendors can be notified when a payable is created, activated, or changed (depending on the hierarchy settings). A reminder email can also be sent at a configured interval (or on demand) if the merchant has not yet processed the payment. These notifications are configured separately so that you can tailor the content to the situation. For more information, see Configuring a Merchant Email Notification.
Note: The Single-Use Accounts API is a real-time messaging service (XML) that can be used to create, inquire, modify, and close payables. For information about how to upload, view, and delete public-key certificates for use with the SUA API, see Managing Certificates.
Use the Payables module to create and modify payables, resolve exceptions, and view and manage vendors.
This section explains the following: