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Introduction to OCT

The Original Credit Transaction (OCT) is a VisaNet transaction that delivers funds directly to a recipient's eligible Visa card. You cannot use OCTs alone to buy goods or services, except in Request to Pay Consumer-to-Small-Business (C2B) cases. OCTs do not allow merchandise return credits or refunds, except by exception or according to Visa rule #0008771.
IMPORTANT
You must differentiate between OCT processing and merchandise credit refund processing. If you do not, it could lead to issues such as the reversal of reward points.
These are Visa Direct services that use OCT:
  • Money Transfer
  • Funds Disbursement
  • Merchant Settlement
  • Digital Wallets
  • Real-Time Deposit/Check Deposit
  • Loyalty and Offers
  • Prepaid Load
  • Credit Card Bill Payment

Money Transfer

This service enables customers to send funds to their Visa account or another customer's Visa account.

Funds Disbursement

This service allows you, government entities, or corporations to send funds to a Visa account. Examples include insurance claims, corporate and manufacturing rebates, affiliate and contractor payouts, expense reimbursements, government disbursements (such as value-added tax refunds), and online gambling and lottery payouts.
IMPORTANT
This service is available based on laws, current Visa policy, and the Visa rules.

Merchant Settlement

This services allows acquirers or third-party service providers to speed up settlement payments between acquirers or payment facilitators and you.

Digital Wallets

This service enables faster payments through digital or electronic wallet services. You can move funds out of a digital wallet and deliver them to a cardholder's Visa account. This is considered a Money Transfer transaction for risk-control purposes in the Visa processing network. A Staged Digital Wallet (SDW) functions as a brand acceptance mark.
IMPORTANT
Contact your Visa representative for more information and requirements on digital wallets. For more details on digital wallet transactions, visit the Staged Digital Wallet Operators (SDWO) section at Visa Access (Visa Online).

Real-Time Deposit/Check Deposit

This service converts a check into a digital payment delivered to a cardholder's Visa account.

Loyalty and Offers

This service pays a loyalty reward or merchant offer onto a card using OCT as part of a loyalty program.

Prepaid Load

This service enables customers to add value to an eligible Visa reloadable prepaid card.
IMPORTANT
The US market currently supports a separate prepaid load service called Visa ReadyLink. For more information on Visa ReadyLink, contact your Visa representative.

Credit Card Bill Payment

This service enables consumers to pay a credit card bill.
IMPORTANT
When using OCT supported by Visa Direct, you can only use Visa data, like transaction data, reports, and the Visa Direct Account Lookup (ACNL), to operate the Visa program. You cannot use this data for any other purpose.