Idempotency
Quick Answer
Idempotency in payment APIs means making the same request multiple times produces the same result, preventing duplicate charges from network retries or timeouts.
Full Definition
Idempotency in payment APIs means that making the same request multiple times produces the same result as making it once. It prevents duplicate charges caused by network retries, timeouts, or client-side errors. Payment APIs implement idempotency using unique keys — if a request with the same idempotency key is sent twice, the server returns the original response instead of processing a duplicate payment. This is critical for reliable payment integration.
Related Terms
Immutability
Immutability is the blockchain property preventing recorded data from being altered after confirmation, providing merchants with unalterable receipts of every payment.
Interoperability
Interoperability is the ability of different blockchains to communicate and transfer assets between each other, enabling customers to pay from any chain with transparent cross-chain routing.