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Published 10/15/2001

Glossary

Activation Date	A field on the Certificate Issue page. This field indicates the date the certificate is activated, which can differ from the date the certificate is issued. Information in this field is used for generating reports.
add value	The addition of value, such as dollars, to a certificate. See also transaction type.
application server	A software package that runs on a middle-tier server. Application servers typically reside between Web browser-based thin clients and back-end databases and business applications. Application servers handle application logic and connectivity and often are used to translate HTML form input into commands that the database application understands. These commands allow a customer to browse products available based on preferences they enter in an HTML form.
ASP	Microsoft Active Server Pages. The server-side execution environment in Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) that enables you to run ActiveXTM scripts and ActiveX server components on the server to create dynamic content and web-based applications. Application service provider. An organization that provides various types of software applications and support.
Audit report	A tabular display of information about certificates a merchant has issued. In audit reports, certificate transactions are summarized by the certificate profile, certificate type, and/or the range of dates specified. Merchants access the Audit Report page by selecting Audit Report under the Reports heading on the Merchant Administration web site.
Body of message (html)	A field on the Certificate Issue page and on the Certificate Profile page. This field contains the body of email messages in HTML format. See also Certificate Issue page and Certificate Profile page.
Body of message (plain text)	A field on the Certificate Issue page and on the Certificate Profile page. This field contains the body of email messages in plain text format. See also Certificate Issue page and Certificate Profile page.
browser	A program that lets users view data; typically a Web browser used on the Internet.
BXA	Bureau of Export Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Certificate HTML	A field on the Certificate Profile page used by the Stored Value processor when sending graphical versions of certificates to email recipients.
Certificate Issue page	The page merchants use to issue certificates. Merchants access the Certificate Issue page by selecting Issue Certificates under the Certificates heading on the Merchant Administration web site, then selecting the name of the certificate to be issued.
certificate profile	A set of fields on the Certificate Profile page that define the properties of a Stored Value certificate (SVC) and serve as a template for issuing new SVCs. These fields specify the type of certificate (see certificate type) and contain the email messages sent out when an SVC is issued. Merchants can set up an unlimited number of certificate profiles for use on specific occasions such as: Father's Day, Mother's Day, other holidays, "Congratulations on 10 years of service," "Apologies for the delay in shipping," and so on.
Certificate Profile page	A page merchants use to create certificate profiles. Merchants access this page by selecting Configure Profiles under the Profiles heading on the Merchant Administration site, then selecting Add Profiles or the name of an existing profile.
certificate status	The state of a certificate in the system (active, frozen, or invalid). Merchants can use this information when creating reports.
certificate type	The category to which a certificate belongs. Types of certificates include: · Gift - Used by customers to make purchases on a merchant site · Gift return - Used to issue credit to a customer who returns a product · Incentive - Used by corporations for reward and incentive programs · Promotion - Used for promotional campaigns · Customer service - Used to apologize to a customer for a mistake
CGI	Common Gateway Interface. A scripting language that allows an HTTP server to run programs that can extend a Web server's ability to interact with a client. CGI is usually used with Perl programming language and is the original Web application development methodology. It is relatively portable and widely used.
CSR	Customer Support Representative. Your primary contact for support questions and issues after your account begins to receive live transactions.
Current Balance Totals report	A tabular display of the current balance totals of certificates a merchant has issued. Merchants can run Current Balance Totals reports using any or all of the following criteria: · Created Date · Activation Date · Expiration Date · Certificate Status
customer	A person who uses your company's goods or services; see also purchaser, merchant, and recipient.
customer service certificate	See certificate type.
CyberSource Promotions Network	A CyberSource Promotions Network enables you to offer certificates that your customers can redeem at other Web sites. For more information about Promotions Networks, see the Stored Value Planning Guide, available on the CyberSource Support Center.
DBMS	Database management system. A collection of programs that enables the storage, modification, and extractraction of information from a database (an organized collection of information). The terms relational, network, flat, and hierarchical all refer to the way a DBMS internally organizes information.
Default Greeting Message (Max 254 characters)	A field on the Certificate Profile page that contains a default email message to be sent to certificate recipients.
DES	Data Encryption Standard. A popular 56-bit key encryption method developed in 1975 and standardized by ANSI in 1981 as ANSI X.3.92.
distributor	A third party who ships items in the customer's order, submits a settlement request to the bank, and sends order completion information back to CyberSource. Also known as a fulfillment house.
DNS	Domain Name System. An Internet service that translates an IP address into a domain name. For example, the IP address 123.45.6.7 could be associated with a DNS of yourname.com. Also known as Domain Name Service.
Domain Name System	See DNS.
DPL	Denied Person's Listing, such as the BXA's list of denied persons.
EDI	Electronic Data Interchange. The conversion of a transmitted document into a format that the receiving computer can read. Also known as Electronic Document Interchange.
ELC	Electronic License Certificate. A method used to provide a license for electronically distributed software.
Electronic Data Interchange	See EDI.
email send date	See Send e-mail on.
ERP	Enterprise resource planning. A term for the broad set of activities that are supported by multimodule application software that is used to help a manufacturer or other business manage the important parts of its business, such as planning products, purchasing parts, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, or tracking orders. ERP can also include application modules for the finance and human resources aspects of a business. Typically, an ERP system uses or is integrated with a relational database system. The deployment of an ERP system can involve considerable business process analysis, employee retraining, and development of new procedures.
evaluation account	A free account merchants use to download and evaluate CyberSource software before signing contracts with CyberSource.
Expiration	A field on the Certificate Profile page indicating the day the certificate expires (certificates expire at 12:01 a.m. Pacific time on the expiration date). When merchants creates certificate profiles, they select from these expiration options: · Days after issue (default is 365 days) · Specific date · Does Not Expire See also Certificate Profile page.
fee	An amount CyberSource charges merchants for Stored Value Services. Types of fees include: · Issuance - for electronic certificates · Add value - for increasing the value of existing certificates · Redemption - for using or reducing the value of certificates You are billed according to which certificate type you use for each profile. See also transaction type.
field	Information you send to CyberSource for an ICS application or the contents of a reply CyberSource returns. The term field also refers to informational elements in CyberSource reporting services.
file transfer protocol	See FTP.
firewall	A security hardware and software combination that limits access to an internal local area network (LAN). A firewall might also restrict access to the Internet from within the LAN.
From Email Address	A field on the Certificate Profile page that specifies the email address of the sender.
FTP	File Transfer Protocol. This is a system used to transfer files over the Internet.
fulfillment house	See distributor.
gift certificate	See certificate type.
gift return certificate	See certificate type.
Greeting Message (up to 254 characters)	A field on the Certificate Issue page that contains the message to be sent to certificate recipients. Merchants can create profiles that allow purchasers of gift-type certificates to define this field during the purchase process. Compare to Default Greeting Message
ICS	The CyberSource® Internet Commerce Suite.SM
incentive certificate	See certificate type.
IP	Internet protocol. A protocol that guarantees each machine connected to the network has its own unique address. An IP address consists of four sets of numbers, separated by periods (for example, 123.45.6.7). An Internet user can specify an IP address to route information to a particular destination, although the DNS method (for example, yourname.com) is more commonly used.
ISE	Implementation Support Engineer. An ISE is assigned to you when you register with CyberSource. The ISE is your primary contact for any technical questions before your account receives live transactions. When you are ready to go live with your site, contact your ISE to switch your account status to receive live transactions.
LAN	Local area network. A company's internal network.
load	The initial placement of information about a certificate into the Stored Value database. See also transaction type.
mail server	A server that routes, stores, and forwards email messages between clients.
merchant	A company that operates a Web store.
merchant ID	An identifier issued by CyberSource for a single merchant who uses CyberSource Stored Value services.
merchant name	Login name assigned to the merchant.
Merchant Order Number	An optional field on the Certificate Issue page used to identify a certificate. Merchants who issue certificates with order numbers can use those numbers to search for and create reports about certificates.
merchant password	The unique passwords assigned to merchants registered with CyberSource. Merchants access the Merchant Administration web site using these unique merchant passwords.
multithreading	The ability of an operating system to execute different parts of a program, called threads, simultaneously. A program which employs multithreading in a manner that ensures that its threads do not interfere with each other is considered thread-safe.
notification status	The state of the certificate in the processing queue. States include: · Need to Send - Email has not yet been sent to the recipient. · Sent - Email was sent to the recipient. · Picked Up - The recipient viewed the email. Merchants can use notification status as a criterion for creating reports.
ODBC	Open database connectivity. A standard interface between programs and database servers.
offering	A product or service that is available for purchase on an eCommerce web site. A line item in an order.
order	One or more offerings selected at a merchant's Web store by an eCommerce customer.
Order Confirmation Email	Fields on the Certificate Profile page that determine whether purchasers will receive order confirmation through email. Fields include: · Send order confirmation (checkbox) · Subject · Body of message (plain text) · Body of message (html) Order Confirmation Email fields are used for gift-type certificates only.
password	Required to access the Merchant Administration site. Passwords are case-sensitive and assigned by CyberSource.
password hint	Included in login password information to remind merchants of their passwords.
Picked-up Confirmation Email	See Send picked-up confirmation.
printing status	A field in a report that identifies whether or not a certificate has been printed. The Certificate Report provides a drop-down list with options to identify the status of a certificate. Note: CyberSource no longer prints certificates for you. You must print them yourself or use a third-party printing service. See Printed Certificate File Download for more information.
production accounts	Accounts used to send transactions to the production server after the merchant goes live.
Profile Name	A field on the Certificate Profile page that identifies the certificate profile.
promotion certificate	See certificate type.
Promotions Network	See CyberSource Promotions Network.
proxy server	A server that sits between a client application, such as a browser that sends HTTP requests, and a real server. A proxy server intercepts all requests to the real server to see if it can fulfill the requests. If not, it forwards the request to the real server. A proxy server can also filter requests that are sent to the real server, for example, to restrict access and improve performance. The CyberSource ICS server supports SCMP messaging to and from your proxy server.
purchaser	The person who buys a certificate.
Purchaser Information	Fields on the Certificate Issue page for information related to the certificate purchaser. First Name and Last Name are required. Middle Name is an optional field. Purchaser E-mail address is required. Physical address information is optional.
recipient	The person who receives a certificate.
Recipient Information	Fields on the Certificate Issue page for information related to the certificate recipient. First Name and Last Name are required. Middle Name is an optional field. Recipient E-mail Address is required for email certificates. Physical address information is required for paper certificates. Note: CyberSource no longer prints certificates for you. You must print them yourself or use a third-party printing service. See Printed Certificate File Download for more information.
Recipient Notification Email	Recipients receive this notification via email.
Redemption Statistics report	A tabular display of redemption statistics such as purchase amount and redemption amount and the difference between the two. Merchants can run Redemption Statistics reports on their existing certificate profiles using date range criteria.
reply	Information that is returned as a result of sending a request to the CyberSource ICS server.
request	The content of an order sent to the CyberSource ICS server for processing.
RSA	An Internet encryption and authentication system developed in 1977 by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman. The first letters of the developers' last names make up the acronym given to this system. The RSA algorithm is the most commonly used encryption and authentication algorithm. It is included as part of the Web browsers from Netscape and Microsoft.
Search for Certificates page	A page used to search for a certificate, view the transaction history and balance of a certificate, and access redeem and add value features for a certificate. Merchants access the Search for Certificates page by selecting Search for Certificates under the Certificates heading on the Merchant Administration Web site.
send confirmation email	The option to confirm a certificate action through email. This option is available for gift-type certificates only. See: · Send issuance confirmation · Send order confirmation · Send picked-up confirmation
Send e-mail on	A field on the Certificate Issue page that determines whether CyberSource sends email notifications to recipients and purchasers. Email notification is enabled when the check box next to Send e-mail on is selected and a date is specified. Merchants access the Certificate Issue page by selecting Issue Certificates from the Certificate Functions heading on the Merchant Administration page, then selecting the profile of the certificate to be issued.
Send issuance confirmation	A field on the Certificate Profile page used to enable email confirmation of certificate issue. When a merchant selects the check box next to Send issuance confirmation, email messages are sent to purchasers when orders are issued by CyberSource. See also Certificate Profile page.
Send order confirmation	A field on the Certificate Profile page used to enable email confirmation of an order. When a merchant selects the check box next to Send order confirmation, email messages are sent to purchasers when orders are received by CyberSource. See also Certificate Profile page.
Send picked-up confirmation	A field on the Certificate Profile page used to enable email confirmation of certificate pick-up. When merchants select the check box next to Send picked-up confirmation, email messages are sent to purchasers when recipients view email certificates for the first time. See also Certificate Profile page.
servlet	A persistent applet that runs on a server. Once activated, a servlet remains in memory and can be reused until the destroy method is called or the server goes down. The persistent, reusable nature of servlets provides a distinct advantage to CGI programs, which vanish from memory once a request is fulfilled.
spend	The use of a certificate and the depletion of its value. See also transaction type.
SQL	Structured Query Language. The standard retrieval language for relational database management systems.
Network Group	A field on the Certificate Profile page. Available only to authorizing merchants in a Promotions Network. See also Certificate Profile page.
Stored Value certificate	See SVC.
Subject	Fields on the Certificate Profile page in the Recipient Email Messages and Purchaser Email Messages sections. These fields contain information that appears on subject lines of notification and confirmation email.
SVC	Stored Value certificate. This refers to a certificate of value that is issued by the CyberSource. There are several types of SVCs, including gift, promotional, incentive, and compensation. One important difference among the types is that a gift certificate is purchased by one customer and issued to another customer. Promotional, incentive, and customer service certificates are issued directly by merchants to customers, and they do not have purchasers associated with them.
tax nexus	The presence of a business within a tax jurisdiction such that the taxing locality has authority to require the business to collect and pay sales and use taxes, and to require it to comply with tax statutes and regulations. For more information about nexus and tax liability, consult your tax specialist or attorney.
TCP	Transmission control protocol. A set of rules designed to break streams of data from a computer into small packets, which in turn can be sent across the Internet and reassembled on the receiving end.
test accounts	Accounts used to send transactions to the test server after merchants sign contracts with CyberSource.
thin client	In a client-server environment, a client, such as a Web browser, that performs little processing other than displaying data from the server.
trading partner	The intermediary between a content creator and a merchant.
transaction	The activity that takes place after a customer clicks the Buy button.
Transaction report	A tabular display of transactions on certificates a merchant has issued. Merchants can generate transaction reports using any of all of the following criteria: · Transaction Date · Certificate Number · Transaction Type · Certificate Type · Certificate Profile
transaction type	The category to which a transaction belongs. There are four transaction types: fee, load, add value, and spend. · Fee - Charge the merchant incurs for each transaction. · Load - Issuance of a certificate. · Add value - Addition of funds to an existing certificate. · Spend - Redemption of a certificate.
Web server	The server node on the Internet or an intranet. The Web server responds to browser requests. The browser and Web server use HTTP to communicate.