Manual Tasks
On our platform, we strive to automate and streamline as many processes as possible to ensure a smooth and efficient experience. However, there are certain situations where full automation is not feasible — whether due to regulatory reasons, edge cases, or the need for human judgment. In these instances, we rely on manual tasks: a form of asynchronous communication between you and our teams for events with an unclear outcome or delayed resolution, informing you when an action or decision is needed from you to proceed.
Manual tasks may be triggered by a variety of events, such as suspected fraudulent transactions, authorization issues, or cases where the status of a transaction remains unclear.
Manual tasks in your space
You can view all open manual tasks under Space > Manual Tasks or directly in the manual task list. The menu header also displays a number indicating the pending manual tasks.
When you open a task, you get more information about it and can decide what should happen.
Expiry and automatic decisions
Each manual task has an expiry date. If you do not respond within this timeframe, a decision is automatically made on your behalf. This decision typically depends on the task type and context, distinguishing between three risk scenarios:
- The merchant takes the risk of a default.
- The liability of a default is shifted to the buyer.
- A third party takes the risk of a default.
If the merchant bears the risk and you do not respond before the task expires, we will proceed by declining the transaction.
Expired "Transaction Completion Failed" tasks
If the completion of an Authorized transaction fails, a manual task of the type Transaction Completion Failed is created. The expiry date is shown on the task. As long as the task is open, you can resolve the situation from within the task.
If the task is not handled before its expiry date, the automatic decision is to void the transaction. The void is triggered by PostFinance Checkout itself, not by an API call or a portal user, so it does not appear as a request from your system or your users. If the authorization has already expired at the processor, the void is processed offline.
Once the transaction is Voided, the authorization is cancelled and the amount can no longer be captured. If you still want to collect the money, you need to charge the customer again with a new transaction.
To avoid unintended voids:
- Check the expiry date of each open manual task and resolve Transaction Completion Failed tasks before they expire.
- Subscribe to notifications for this task type (see Notifications) so that failed completions do not go unnoticed.
- To find out afterwards why a transaction was voided, filter the manual task list by state, including expired tasks.
Notifications
To be notified about new manual tasks, create a notification subscription: open the manual task list in your space and click Subscription. You can:
- register one or several email addresses, or receive notifications via Slack (if available in your subscription),
- choose between immediate notifications and a daily summary,
- select which task types trigger a notification — for all or only specific types.
New task types are not added to existing subscriptions automatically. When new task types become available, review your notification subscription and add them manually if you want to be notified.