OCT with dedicated OCT accounts and settlement split option

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Purple information icon] Partner notice: This article explains the standard OCT funding model based on a dedicated OCT funding account and the optional OCT Settlement Split feature. It is intended for partners using the existing OCT setup where payouts are funded from a separate OCT account.

Under the standard OCT setup, merchants send payouts from a dedicated OCT funding account in the payout currency. That account must contain sufficient funds before an OCT can be processed. To simplify liquidity management, Paynetics also supports an optional OCT Settlement Split feature that automatically redirects a configurable percentage of acquiring settlement into the dedicated OCT account.

• Overview

• How the Dedicated OCT Funding Model Works

• Funding the OCT Account

• Supported settlement and funding currencies

• API Behavior        

  • Response fields

• Partner onboarding and eligibility

• Supported countries and scheme considerations

• Additional scheme and processing fields

• Supported Use Cases

• OCT transaction flow

• OCT Settlement Split

• How Settlement Split Works

• Configuring the OCT Settlement Split

• Configuration Rules

• Operational Responsibility

• Funding responsibility and failure handling

• Reporting and Visibility

• Settlement reporting and audit trail

• When to Use This Model

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Summary

• Support

Overview

OCT payouts are executed from a dedicated funding account that is opened per merchant and per currency. The payout amount is debited from that account in real time before the OCT is sent for processing. If sufficient funds are not available, the payout is declined.

This model gives partners a clear funding structure, but it also means OCT liquidity must be monitored actively. Merchants may fund the OCT account manually, or they may use OCT Settlement Split to automate part of the funding flow from acquiring settlement.

• A separate OCT funding account is required for each payout currency.

• The OCT account must be funded before payouts are processed.

• The balance field in the API identifies the funding account to use.

• If the OCT balance is depleted, further payouts are blocked until funds are restored.

• Settlement Split can be configured to move part of acquiring settlement into the OCT account automatically.

How the Dedicated OCT Funding Model Works

1. The merchant is enabled for OCT and receives one or more dedicated OCT funding accounts.

2. The merchant funds the relevant OCT account in the required currency.

3. The partner sends an OCT request through POST /v1/oct.

4. The request includes the balance value identifying the funding account to debit.

5. Paynetics validates the available balance before the payout is processed.

6. If funds are available, the OCT is sent and the amount is debited from the dedicated account.

7. If funds are not available, the OCT is declined.

Important:

The funding account currency must match the OCT currency. Cross-currency funding is not supported for this model.

Funding the OCT Account

The dedicated OCT account can be funded through supported payment rails, depending on the currency. This allows merchants to prepare payout liquidity in advance and continue OCT processing without interruption.

• EUR: SEPA or SEPA Instant

• BGN: BISERA

• GBP: Faster Payments

Partners should provide merchants with a way to monitor OCT account balances and expected payout demand. This is especially important for higher-volume programs such as gaming, funds disbursement, or wallet payouts.

Supported settlement and funding currencies

OCT processing and settlement are subject to the merchant’s approved account and terminal setup. The documentation lists EUR, GBP and BGN as supported settlement currencies. Dedicated OCT accounts may also be available in USD and other configured currencies; confirm the live currency setup with Paynetics before integration.

For RON payouts, confirm the approved processing and country configuration with Paynetics before integration. RON payouts may take approximately two additional days beyond the standard settlement cycle—for example, T+5 instead of T+3. Availability and timing are subject to the merchant’s live setup.

API Behavior

The OCT endpoint remains the same, but the dedicated funding model requires the funding-account reference in the request.

POST /v1/oct

Integration note:

Access to the private Acquiring API Swagger is provided on request. Use either card or the complete card-detail set (card_number, card_expiration_month, card_expiration_year and cardholder_name), not a mixture that leaves the recipient card data incomplete.

Response fields

Integration tip:

If the balance token points to an account in a different currency from the OCT request, the transaction will fail.

Keep the selected balance aligned with the payout currency.

Partner onboarding and eligibility

OCT is available only to approved merchants and approved business use cases. Before going live, Paynetics completes underwriting, scheme registration and risk checks and confirms the merchant’s enabled use-case codes, currencies, terminals and dedicated OCT funding accounts.

• Partners integrate through the private Acquiring API; the Swagger definition is provided on request.

• The merchant must have an active acquiring setup and an active dedicated OCT funding account in each payout currency.

• Partners must use the terminal and use-case configuration supplied during onboarding. Do not assume that a request field can enable an unapproved use case.

• PAN data must be handled securely. Use a stored card token where available; otherwise transmit card details only through the approved encrypted integration.

• Funding is the merchant’s responsibility. Supported funding rails may include SEPA, SEPA Instant, Faster Payments and BISERA, depending on currency and account setup.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Warning icon]

Important: Country, issuer and scheme eligibility can change and is not guaranteed for every card or BIN. Validate live eligibility with Paynetics before launching a new programme, particularly for Gaming & Gambling and Cryptocurrency.

Supported countries and scheme considerations

Inbound OCT availability depends on the recipient’s country, issuer and approved use case. The following countries are indicative and must be validated during onboarding.

Additional scheme and processing fields

    Depending on the approved OCT flow and scheme requirements, additional fields may be required by the downstream     processing setup. Confirm the applicable fields with Paynetics during onboarding and include them exactly as     specified.

Format note: The standard Acquiring API field birthday is documented as an ISO 8601 date. The additional processing fields above use the YYYYMMDD format. Do not substitute one field or format for another.

Supported Use Cases

Paynetics supports OCT for approved merchant categories and approved business use cases. A merchant may be approved for one or more use cases depending on underwriting, regulatory scope, and scheme registration requirements.

Use-case approval remains merchant-specific. Some use cases, especially gaming and cryptocurrency, require additional scheme, compliance, and underwriting approval.

OCT transaction flow

1. The partner initiates the payout through the approved Acquiring API integration.

2. Paynetics validates the request, merchant configuration, recipient card details and the available balance in the selected currency.

3. The OCT is routed to the card scheme and the recipient’s issuer.

4. When accepted by the issuer, funds are posted to the eligible recipient Visa card, subject to issuer and country support.

No card pull is performed: an OCT is a push-to-card transaction. The merchant must ensure that recipient card data is tokenised or transmitted through the approved secure integration.

OCT Settlement Split

OCT Settlement Split is an optional funding feature that helps automate OCT liquidity management. Instead of sending the full acquiring settlement amount to the merchant’s standard settlement account, Paynetics can automatically transfer a configurable percentage of the settlement into the merchant’s dedicated OCT account.

This reduces the need for manual top-ups, while keeping the existing dedicated OCT account model unchanged.

• The split is configured per currency.

• Only settlement in the same currency can fund the matching OCT account.

• Cross-currency allocation is not supported.

• Foreign exchange conversion is not supported.

• The remainder of the settlement continues to the merchant’s normal settlement account.

How Settlement Split Works

1. Paynetics calculates the merchant’s net settlement amount after fees, reserves, and adjustments.

2. The configured split percentage is applied to that net settlement amount.

3. The calculated portion is transferred automatically to the OCT funding account in the same currency.

4. The remaining amount is transferred to the merchant’s standard settlement account.

The same logic applies independently for each configured currency.

Configuring the OCT Settlement Split

Eligible users can configure the percentage through the Partner Portal for each currency with an active OCT account.

1. Open the relevant currency account, for example EUR or GBP.

2. Select the Split icon.

3. Enter the percentage and confirm the configuration.

Values from 0% to 100% are supported, including decimals up to two decimal places, such as 12.50%, 27.75% and 33.33%. A value of 0% disables the split for that currency. Configuration changes can be updated at any time and previous values remain available in Split History.

Effective timing:

A new or updated split becomes effective from the next settlement cycle. Settlements already calculated or in progress are not affected.

Configuration Rules

OCT Settlement Split can be configured for each eligible currency where an active OCT account exists.

Example multi-currency setup:

Operational Responsibility

Settlement Split helps automate funding, but it does not guarantee sufficient payout liquidity in all cases. Merchants remain responsible for monitoring OCT balances and ensuring funding remains adequate for expected payout activity.

• OCT volumes may exceed the amount generated through the configured split percentage.

• Acquiring settlement volumes may be lower than expected.

• There may be no settlement in a given cycle.

• Payout peaks may occur during weekends, campaigns, seasonal spikes, or special events.

Important: Even when Settlement Split is configured, OCT payouts may still fail if the OCT funding account does not contain sufficient funds at the moment of processing.

Where needed, merchants should adjust the configured split percentage and/or make additional manual top-ups.

Funding responsibility and failure handling

The merchant remains responsible for maintaining sufficient funds in each dedicated OCT account. Settlement Split reduces the need for manual top-ups but does not guarantee that the balance will cover payout demand.

• Manual funding may be needed when OCT volume exceeds the configured split amount.

• Additional funding may be needed when acquiring settlement is lower than expected or unavailable in a settlement cycle.

• Plan additional liquidity for weekends, promotional campaigns, seasonal peaks and special events.

• If the balance is insufficient, OCT payouts may be declined until funds are credited to the account.

Merchants should regularly review balances, transaction history and funding activity, adjust the split where appropriate, and perform additional top-ups when required.

Reporting and Visibility

Existing OCT account functionality remains unchanged. Automatic split-funded transfers appear as credit transactions in the OCT account transaction history.

Merchants can continue to monitor:

• OCT account balance

• Transaction history

• Funding activity

• Settlement-related transfers

Settlement reports may include additional OCT split-related fields when the feature is configured.

Settlement reporting and audit trail

Automatic settlement funding transfers appear as credit transactions in the OCT account transaction history. Settlement reports may include the following fields when Settlement Split is configured:

Configuration changes are protected by existing Partner Portal controls, including two-factor authentication, OTP authentication and role-based access controls. Changes are audit logged with the acting user, timestamp, previous and new values, IP address, and browser or device information.

When to Use This Model

This model is a good fit when a merchant needs a dedicated and clearly controlled OCT funding structure, including explicit balance separation and optional automatic replenishment from settlement.

• Use it when a separate OCT funding account is required operationally or commercially.

• Use Settlement Split when the merchant wants to reduce manual top-up effort.

• Use manual top-ups in addition to Settlement Split where payout activity is volatile or settlement timing does not fully match payout demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

The standard OCT setup uses a dedicated funding account per currency and requires sufficient funds before payouts can be processed. The optional OCT Settlement Split feature helps automate funding by redirecting a configured share of acquiring settlement into the OCT account.

• Dedicated OCT funding accounts remain the basis of this model.

• The balance field is required in the OCT request.

• Settlement Split is optional and configured per currency.

• Only same-currency settlement can fund the matching OCT account.

• Merchants remain responsible for maintaining sufficient payout liquidity.

Support

For help with OCT enablement, funding account details, Settlement Split configuration, or operational questions, contact your Paynetics relationship manager or the Paynetics Support Team.