CAID

CAID (Card Acceptor ID) is an alphanumeric string that identifies a specific store location or transaction point. CAID serves as a unique identifier for the origin of a payment transaction provided by the merchant’s acquiring bank and its value typically ranges from 1 to 15 characters long. The primary purpose of a CAID is to enable acquiring banks and card brands to track and process transactions accurately and communicate with each other.

When a transaction is initiated, the CAID is sent to the respective payment card brand, passing it on to the acquiring bank to identify the origin point of the transaction. It helps determine the exact location from which a money transfer originated, ensuring that the funds are correctly routed to the appropriate merchant account. CAIDs are unique to each transaction origin point, such as a store location or a payment terminal, and are essential for maintaining secure and accurate payment processing. They are also required in all subsequent messages following the original transaction message, including reversals, disputes, and dispute responses.

It is important to distinguish CAIDs from Merchant IDs (MIDs). While CAIDs identify the location of a transaction, MIDs are unique values that identify the merchant to whom the transaction is attached.