How do I know the transaction is approved?

You can check up to 3 fields in the response depending on how thorough you want to be. At a minimum, you should check the TRANSACTION_STATUS field: it will contain the value “1”.
If you want to check further, the RESULT_CODE field should contain “990017” and the AUTH_CODE field should not be blank.

Can I do the authorisation and the settlement separately?

Yes, PayGate has an Auto-Settle configuration setting that is enabled by default for all merchants.
This means PayGate automatically creates the settlement transaction when a PayWeb request is approved.

If you'd prefer to only authorise the transaction (without transferring funds immediately), email support@paygate.co.za to request Auto-Settle be disabled.
You’ll then need to manually perform the settlement via the Merchant Access Portal.

What happens if the customer clicks ‘Cancel’ on the PayWeb payment page?

TRANSACTION_STATUS will be “3”
RESULT_CODE will be “990028”
TRANSACTION_ID will be blank

How will I know the transaction was authenticated?

When receiving the transaction results from PayGate, check the first character of the RISK_INDICATOR field.

If it is ‘A’, your customer has been authenticated — you receive chargeback protection.
If it is ‘N’, the transaction was not authenticated — take extra steps to confirm cardholder legitimacy.

The transaction was authenticated but still declined. Why?

Even if a cardholder passes 3D Secure authentication, their issuing bank may still decline the transaction (e.g. for insufficient funds).
Authentication ≠ Authorisation.