Checkout Overview

Forter's fraud decision fires before payment authorization (pre-auth), after payment authorization (post-auth), or both. Post-auth is the default: Forter sees the authorization result (AVS, CVV) for a stronger signal. Pre-auth blocks checkout before the payment processor is called, saving authorization fees on declines.

Configure this via forterAuthTiming (see Configure Decisions): POST_AUTH (default), PRE_AUTH, or PRE_AND_POST_AUTH to run both in sequence.

Forter returns one of three outcomes: Approve, Decline, or Not Reviewed. See Post-Auth Flow and Pre-Auth Flow for how each is handled at each timing.

If the Forter API call fails, the cartridge retries automatically, then fails open. Checkout proceeds either way. Forter never blocks checkout due to its own unavailability.