Smart Routing

Product Overview

INFO

Smart Routing is a rule-based payment routing system that determines the most suitable payment channel based on predefined routing policies.
By applying configurable rules across multiple dimensions — including card BIN, issuing country, traffic ratio, and processing cost — it enables stable, predictable, and cost-optimized payment processing with minimal operational overhead.

Core Features

1. Rule-based Channel Selection

At transaction initiation, the system evaluates transaction attributes against configured routing rules to determine the appropriate payment channel.
Routing decisions are completed within milliseconds to ensure seamless processing without additional latency.

Supported routing dimensions include:

• BIN-based Routing: Route transactions by specific card BIN ranges or issuer identification numbers
• Issuing Country or Region Routing: Direct transactions based on the issuing country or region
• Traffic Ratio Routing: Distribute transaction volume proportionally across multiple channels for traffic balancing or A/B testing
• Cost-based Routing: Prioritize acquirer channels with lower transaction processing costs to optimize overall expense efficiency

2. Flexible Multi-level Configuration

Routing rules can be defined and managed at multiple hierarchy levels — institution, merchant, or sub-merchant — to accommodate diverse business and operational needs.

• Granular Control: Apply different routing logic per merchant or card type
• Customizable Priorities: Define rule precedence to ensure deterministic outcomes
• Real-time Deployment: New or updated routing rules take effect immediately without service interruption

3. Deterministic Decision Logic

• Static Rule Execution: Ensures consistent routing outcomes for identical transaction conditions
• Priority-based Evaluation: Executes rules in order of predefined priority
• Transparent Operation: Provides complete visibility into routing decisions for monitoring and auditing

Typical Use Cases

1. Regional Optimization
   When a transaction uses a card issued in Japan, the system routes it to Worldpay_Japan, leveraging local acquiring advantages to enhance approval rates.

2. Cost Optimization
   For a merchant with multiple acquiring options, Smart Routing directs transactions to the acquirer offering lower interchange or processing costs, helping reduce overall fees.

3. Traffic Balancing
   Distribute transactions across multiple acquirers according to configured traffic ratios (e.g., 70/30 split) to maintain load balance and enable performance comparison.

Technical Advantages

• Low-latency Decisioning: Millisecond-level routing logic with no perceptible delay
• Multi-dimensional Flexibility: Supports rule configuration by BIN, region, ratio, or cost
• Operational Stability: Predictable routing behavior with minimal maintenance risk
• Full Observability: Provides detailed routing logs for analysis, optimization, and audit compliance