# Glossary > Definitions of VINR and payments terminology used across the docs. Plain-language definitions for the terms used throughout VINR documentation, from authorization to settlement to loyalty currency. Where a term maps to an object you can fetch through the API, the ID prefix is shown so you can recognize it in payloads and logs. > All monetary amounts in VINR are integers in the currency's minor unit. `1000` means EUR 10.00, not EUR 1000. The default currency across the platform is EUR. ## Payments terms These cover the lifecycle of moving money, from the moment a customer presents a card to the moment funds land in your bank account. | Term | Definition | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Authorization** | A hold placed on a customer's funds confirming the money is available, without yet moving it. Authorizations can be captured later or expire if left uncaptured. | | **Capture** | The step that converts an authorization into an actual charge. With `captureMethod: 'manual'` you capture explicitly; with `automatic` (the default) VINR captures immediately on approval. | | **Payment** (`pay_`) | The top-level record of a single attempt to collect money from a customer. A payment moves through statuses such as `pending`, `authorized`, `completed`, and `failed`. | | **Customer** (`cust_`) | A stored profile representing the person or business you transact with. Customers hold saved payment methods, addresses, and a transaction history. | | **Payment method** | The instrument used to pay — card, SEPA direct debit, iDEAL, or a saved token. Methods can be attached to a customer for reuse. | | **Refund** (`re_`) | A return of captured funds to the customer, in full or in part. A payment may have several partial refunds up to its captured total. | | **Dispute** (`dp_`) | A chargeback raised by the cardholder's bank contesting a payment. Disputes have evidence deadlines and can be won or lost. See [Disputes](/docs/payments/disputes). | | **Settlement** (`setl_`) | The batch in which authorized funds are cleared by the card networks and moved toward your balance. | | **Payout** (`po_`) | A transfer of your available VINR balance to your connected bank account, on your configured schedule. | | **3D Secure (3DS)** | An issuer authentication step (a code or biometric prompt) that shifts fraud liability to the issuer. Test it in sandbox with card `4000 0000 0000 3220`. | ```ts import { Vinr } from '@vinr/sdk'; const vinr = new Vinr({ secretKey: process.env.VINR_SECRET_KEY }); // An authorization you capture later — note amount is in minor units (EUR 25.00) const payment = await vinr.payments.create({ amount: 2500, currency: 'EUR', captureMethod: 'manual', customer: 'cust_8f2a1c', }); // ...after the goods ship, capture the held funds await vinr.payments.capture(payment.id); ``` ## Billing terms These describe recurring revenue: catalog, subscriptions, metering, and the invoices that tie them together. | Term | Definition | | ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Product** (`prod_`) | A thing you sell — a plan, a seat, or a metered service. Products are billing-agnostic until you attach prices. | | **Price** (`price_`) | A specific cost and cadence for a product: amount, currency, interval, and pricing model (flat, per-unit, or tiered). A product can have many prices. | | **Subscription** (`sub_`) | A standing agreement that bills a customer for one or more prices on a recurring interval. Drives the `subscription.created`, `subscription.updated`, and `subscription.deleted` events. | | **Invoice** (`inv_`) | An itemized statement generated for a billing period. When paid it emits `invoice.paid`; when collection fails it enters dunning. | | **Usage record** (`mbu_`) | A reported quantity of consumption (API calls, gigabytes) for a metered price, aggregated at the end of the period into invoice line items. | | **Proration** | The adjustment applied when a subscription changes mid-cycle, charging or crediting the unused portion of the period. | | **Dunning** | The automated retry-and-notify process VINR runs when an invoice payment fails, before marking the subscription past due. | | **Trial** | A period during which a subscription is active but not billed. The first real invoice is issued when the trial ends. | ## Engagement terms The Engagement pillar is VINR's loyalty layer. It lets you reward customers with points and let them redeem rewards, tied to the same customers you bill. | Term | Definition | | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Loyalty program** (`prog_`) | The container that defines how points are earned and spent: earn rules, point currency, and expiry policy. | | **Loyalty account** (`loy_`) | A single customer's standing within a program, holding their current point balance and tier. One per customer per program. | | **Points** | The program's internal currency. Points are not legal tender and carry no cash value unless your program rules state otherwise. | | **Points transaction** (`ptx_`) | An immutable ledger entry that credits or debits points. Earning emits `loyalty.points.earned`; spending emits `loyalty.points.redeemed`. | | **Reward** (`rwd_`) | A catalog item a customer can claim with points — a discount, free item, or perk. | | **Redemption** (`rdm_`) | The act of exchanging points for a reward, debiting the account balance and reserving or issuing the reward. | | **Tier** | A status level (for example Silver, Gold) that unlocks accelerated earn rates or exclusive rewards. | ```ts // Award points when a payment completes await vinr.loyalty.points.earn({ account: 'loy_3d9b0e', points: 150, reason: 'order.purchase', reference: 'pay_8f2a1c', }); ``` ## Integration terms These are the building blocks for connecting VINR to your own systems. | Term | Definition | | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Event** (`evt_`) | An immutable record that something happened, named with dotted notation like `payment.completed` or `invoice.paid`. Events power webhooks. | | **Webhook endpoint** (`we_`) | A URL you register to receive event deliveries over HTTPS. VINR signs each delivery with the `x-vinr-signature` header. | | **Signature verification** | Confirming a webhook genuinely came from VINR by validating its signature with `vinr.webhooks.verify(payload, signature)`. Always verify before trusting a payload. | | **Idempotency key** | A unique value you attach to a write request so retries do not create duplicate records. | | **API key** | The secret credential (`X-Api-Key` header on raw REST) that authenticates your server. Sandbox keys hit `https://sandbox.api.vinr.com`; live keys hit `https://api.vinr.com`. | | **Sandbox** | The isolated test environment where no real money moves and the [test cards](/docs/getting-started/quick-start) apply. | ## Compliance terms These appear in onboarding, risk, and reporting flows. | Term | Definition | | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **PCI DSS** | The card-industry security standard. Using VINR's hosted checkout keeps card data off your servers and minimizes your PCI scope. | | **SCA** | Strong Customer Authentication, the EU requirement that often triggers a 3D Secure step on a payment. | | **KYC / KYB** | Know Your Customer / Know Your Business — the identity verification you complete during onboarding before payouts are enabled. | | **Settlement currency** | The currency your payouts are denominated in, which may differ from the currency a payment was taken in. | > This page is informational and not legal advice; consult your compliance counsel for binding decisions. ## Next steps [Quick Start](/docs/getting-started/quick-start) — Put these terms to work and make your first payment in five minutes. [API Reference](/docs/api-reference) — See every object, its ID prefix, and its fields in full. [Webhooks](/docs/integration/webhooks) — Receive and verify the events defined above.