US-based Transaction Network Services (TNS) has added smart routing capabilities to its Payment Orchestration platform. The update is designed for unattended and high-volume payment environments, helping operators in parking, EV charging, transportation, vending, and retail route transactions according to business rules, performance signals, and provider availability, with the aim of improving approval rates and controlling transaction costs.
Routing each transaction automatically
Whether a transaction is approved, and at what cost, depends on factors including the issuer, acquirer, card type, payment method, channel, and geography. Smart routing evaluates each transaction against the operator's configurable rules, performance signals, and provider availability, then sends it through the route that best matches the operator's priorities. The process runs continuously, reducing the need for manual oversight across providers, channels, and markets.
Michael Johnson, Global Managing Director, TNS Payments Market, said every failed transaction in an unattended environment is lost revenue with no opportunity for recovery. He added that the routing technology helps operators respond automatically to changing transaction conditions, improving revenue without adding operational complexity. For operators processing large volumes across several markets, small gains in acceptance rates and costs can have a significant commercial impact.
AI-assisted insights in the merchant portal
Through the TNSPay Merchant Portal, businesses can monitor payment performance in real time across providers, channels, and locations. AI-assisted insights help operators identify trends and understand approval and decline patterns, while configurable dashboards, scheduled reporting, and natural language queries allow teams to explore payment data. This helps teams move from reporting on payment activity to making more informed decisions about how to optimise their routing.
David Hore, Senior Director, Payments Product Portfolio, TNS Payments Market, said identifying the best path for each payment in real time across hundreds of parameters is not something operators should have to manage manually. Smart routing forms part of the TNS Payment Orchestration platform, which also supports the company's Android-based unattended terminal portfolio and Bring Your Own App capabilities. Operators keep control of their overall routing strategy, while the platform applies it to individual transactions.
