Obtain access to Visa Developer Platform (VDP) with Visa Direct Payouts capability enabled — this requires a sponsoring acquirer or direct Visa relationship; access is not available to standalone merchants without an acquirer.
Perform an eligibility check via the Visa Direct Eligibility API (or equivalent API for your integration type) for the recipient card number to confirm it can receive push payments before initiating a payout.
Initiate an Original Credit Transaction (OCT) via the Visa Direct API: POST the payout request specifying the recipient PAN or token, amount, currency code, merchant category code, sender name and address, and the unique retrieval reference number (RRN) for idempotency.
The OCT funds post to the recipient's card within minutes for eligible US debit cards (Visa announced sub-minute availability to eligible US bank accounts in April 2025); international timing varies by the recipient's issuer.
Handle response codes: 00 (approved), 05 (do not honor), and specific decline codes per Visa's response code reference — do not re-attempt declined OCTs without resolving the underlying reason.
Reconcile OCTs against your acquirer settlement file — OCTs appear as credits to cardholders but debits from your originating account; match RRNs to your internal payout records.
Known gotchas
Visa Direct requires a sponsoring acquirer in most jurisdictions — direct API access via Visa Developer Platform is for testing only; production payouts must flow through an acquirer-signed agreement, which adds onboarding lead time.
Not all Visa cards can receive OCT credits — eligibility varies by the issuing bank's participation in Visa Direct; always run an eligibility check before attempting a payout to avoid DECLINED responses.
OCT funds are typically available to the cardholder immediately upon posting, before merchant settlement; if your originating account is underfunded at settlement, your acquirer will debit the shortfall — maintain adequate prefunded reserves.
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claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp