Plug-in API for modular network transaction processing

A computer-implemented method for processing network transactions, comprising:

• defining a series of interfaces, wherein each interface corresponds to a stage of processing of a network transaction;
• providing a series of plug-in processing modules, where each interface corresponds to one of the series of plug-in processing modules;
• and
• configuring the series of interfaces and the series of plug-in processing modules such that
• i) each of the series of plug-in processing modules corresponds to a unique stage of a plurality of stages of processing the network transaction;
• ii) each of the series of plug-in processing modules is one of a plurality of plug-in modules corresponding to the unique one of the stages;
• iii) of the series of plug-in processing modules,
• one is configured to initialize a transaction,
• one is configured to get a request,
• one is configured to log in and obtain authorization,
• one is configured to generate a response,
• one is configured to send the response, and
• one is configured to terminate the transaction;
• and
• iv) transaction information is passed from a plug-in processing module corresponding to a current stage of processing to a plug-in processing module corresponding to a subsequent stage of processing via the corresponding interfaces.

A software program product executable by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system, the software program product being embodied in a computer-readable medium, comprising:

• an application programming interface (API) for modular network transaction processing;
• wherein the API defines a series of interfaces, each interface corresponding to a unique plug-in processing module;
• wherein each unique plug-in processing module corresponds to a unique stage of processing a network transaction;
• wherein, of the series of plug-in processing modules,
• one is configured to initialize a transaction,
• one is configured to get a request,
• one is configured to log in and obtain authorization,
• one is configured to generate a response,
• one is configured to send the response, and
• one is configured to terminate the transaction;
• and
• wherein the API conveys transaction information from a plug-in processing module for a current stage of processing to a plug-in processing module for a subsequent stage of processing.