Methods and systems for rate-limiting control of transaction processing

A computing device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, are to cause the processor to:
• receive checkout requests in connection with a merchant account;
• complete, for each of at least one of the checkout requests, an authorization operation and a capture operation via a payment processor;
• measure a congestion metric correlated to capacity of the payment processor to process payment requests and detect a first payment throughput limit event with regard to the payment processor based on the congestion metric exceeding a first threshold;
• responsive to the first payment throughput limit event, complete a respective authorization operation for each new checkout request, and delay a respective capture operation for the new checkout request until after a second payment throughput limit event is detected;
• and,
• detect the second payment throughput limit event based on the congestion metric being below a second threshold set lower than the first threshold and, responsive to the second payment throughput limit event:
• complete authorization and capture operations for each subsequent checkout request received, and
• complete the delayed respective capture operation,
• wherein the congestion metric includes a merchant-specific congestion metric correlated to capacity of the payment processor to process payment requests relating to the merchant account, and the first threshold is a merchant-specific first threshold associated with the merchant account.

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are to cause the processor to:

• receive checkout requests in connection with a merchant account;
• complete, for each of at least one of the checkout requests, an authorization operation and a capture operation via a payment processor;
• measure a congestion metric correlated to capacity of the payment processor to process payment requests and detect a first payment throughput limit event with regard to the payment processor based on the congestion metric exceeding a first threshold;
• responsive to the first payment throughput limit event, complete a respective authorization operation for each new checkout request, and delay a respective capture operation for the new checkout request until after a second payment throughput limit event is detected;
• and,
• detect the second payment throughput limit event based on the congestion metric being below a second threshold set lower than the first threshold and, responsive to the second payment throughput limit event:
• complete authorization and capture operations for each subsequent checkout request received, and
• complete the delayed respective capture operations,
• wherein the congestion metric includes a merchant-specific congestion metric correlated to capacity of the payment processor to process payment requests relating to the merchant account, and the first threshold is a merchant-specific first threshold associated with the merchant account.