Optimize transaction routing, success rates, and risk metrics while reducing costs. routing.
Smart payment routing is a dynamic, real-time feature that directs payments to the most optimal payment processor, acquirer, or gateway based on various factors, such as issuer preferences, transaction amount, and geographical location.
For global businesses, especially in
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models, payment routing is crucial. It mitigates the risks of failed payments, fraud, and region-specific challenges.
For example, U.S. merchants may experience high decline rates when processing payments in Latin America or the EU due to stricter bank policies. Smart routing improves these approval rates by routing transactions to the most reliable processors, considering regional conditions.
Channel routing flow
This process begins when you submit an order and provide key parameters. Solidgate uses these parameters to evaluate the best path through a set of predefined rules with key steps. Additionally, Solidgate enriches the request with card BIN data from its services, for example, by adding information about the issuer bank or the issuer’s country to improve decision-making during the routing process.
- Collect parameters
Solidgate collects key parameters from the payment request and enriches them with data retrieved from internal services. - Search for a route
Based on the collected data, Solidgate searches through the available routes to find a matching one, checking BIN patterns, fraud status, 3D Secure (SCA) requirements, and other conditions. - Determine a segment
Solidgate determines which traffic distribution percentage the payment falls into and selects the segment for the initial processing attempt. - Cascade the payment
If the payment fails at a specific stage, intelligent routing automatically reroutes it to another processor with a higher approval probability, using retry logic to recover the failed transaction.
If no suitable processing route is found or if there are issues, such as inactive MIDs, the transaction is routed to a Default route
If payments fail, the system checks the reasons for
Example of specific reasons for a declined transaction when there is still a chance of a successful payment.
declines
and processes the transaction accordingly. If the decline is not final, the payment can be retried through different processors or methods until it is successfully processed or permanently rejected.
Channel routing components

The key components are:
- Route
Represent top-level configuration with all payment parameters. - Split
Distribute payment traffic across multiple processors or MIDs using specified percentage ratios. - Cascade
Define steps to retry failed payments through alternative processors. - Segment
Group sets of specific configurations.
Thus, routing and segments focus on primary routing and processing, while splits and cascades manage the distribution and re-processing of transactions to increase their success rate.
Route
A payment routing is an essential part of an efficient and scalable payment infrastructure, enhancing both the customer experience and revenue by ensuring higher success rates and reduced operational overhead with key parameters:
Route ID | A unique identifier assigned to each route. |
Payment method | Specifies the type of payment being processed. |
Traffic source | The source of the payment traffic, helping track and categorize where the payment originated. |
External MPI | Enables 3DS authentication through an external Merchant Plug-In, allowing control of the auth flow and passing necessary
Boost payment security with 3D Secure support. MPI data. |
Force 3DS | Specifies whether
Boost payment security with 3D Secure support. 3DS authentication is required, enabling fraud prevention. |
Google Pay | A payment method allowing transactions through Google’s digital wallet. |
PAN only | A setting indicating whether only the
Understand Google Pay’s protection for safer transactions. PAN is available for processing. |
Website | The merchant's website or platform through which the payment was initiated. |
Card number details |
|
Currency | Defines the currency used for the transaction. |
Amount (USD) | The payment amount is converted to USD to evaluate the payment routing and transaction flow. |
Segment
A segment is the final processing point for a payment route. This configuration is made for a specific MID and determines how payments are processed. Each segment corresponds to a payment attempt in the route. Identifiers for the payment are:
Segment ID | A unique identifier assigned to each segment. |
Bank MID | The merchant identifier (MID) used by the bank to process the payment. |
Connector | The connection point to the payment processor or gateway used to handle the transaction. |
PSP | The payment service provider responsible for processing the transaction. |
Descriptor | The transaction description shown on the customer’s statement. |
Protocol | The 3DS authentication protocol used for the transaction. |
Processing method | Specifies the type of payment being processed. |
View channel routing
- Go to Payments > Routing.
- Find the needed channel and click on it.
- In the Channel routing details section, select Card/Google Pay/Apple Pay.
To view the traffic segments
- Go to Routing > Channel routing details.
- Find the needed configuration step and click on it.
- In the details section, view route configuration and traffic segments.