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How the Mercoa Virtual Card Agent Works

The Mercoa Virtual Card Agent automates both card acceptance validation and payment execution using AI-powered workflows. This eliminates manual steps, increases reliability, and ensures compliance with security best practices.

Step 1: Validate Card Acceptance

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How the Agent Determines Card Eligibility

The Virtual Card Agent uses several methods to identify whether a vendor accepts card payments:

  1. Payment Link Analysis
    The agent scans invoice documents for payment links and inspects the linked pages to determine if card payments are supported.

  2. Vendor Portal Search
    If no payment link is found, the agent searches the vendor’s website or billing portal to identify card acceptance options.

  3. Direct Vendor Contact (Future Support)
    In upcoming versions, the agent will be able to call vendors directly to confirm card acceptance preferences.

Fee Detection

  • The agent extracts fee details directly from invoices, payment pages, and vendor portals.
  • In cases where fee information is unclear or inconsistent, the agent defaults to conservative logic and may return false.
  • If card acceptance cannot be confidently confirmed, the agent marks the invoice as not eligible for card payment.

Step 2: Process Card Payment

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Payment Execution Workflow

  1. Secure Card Submission
    Submit virtual card details to Mercoa using either of the following methods:

    • Secure iFrame (recommended)
    • Raw Card Details

  2. Automated Portal Navigation
    The agent logs into the vendor’s portal, fills out payment forms, and submits the virtual card payment.

  3. Receipt Capture & Reconciliation
    After submitting the payment, the agent captures the transaction receipt and returns it to your platform for recordkeeping and reconciliation.

Security Best Practices

  • All card information is handled securely through encrypted channels.
  • Virtual cards are recommended for enhanced security.
  • One-time-use virtual cards loaded with the exact invoice amount are recommended for maximum security and reconciliation accuracy.

Edge Cases & Limitations

  • Fees/Acceptance Unclear: If the agent can’t definitively decide card acceptance or fee structure, it will return a negative result.
  • Payment Gateway Errors: The job result and webhook will return errors such as invalid card, insufficient funds, or missing payment link.
  • Rate Limits & Quotas: Standard API rate limits apply; contact support@mercoa.com for high-volume requirements.
  • Supported File Formats: The system supports PDF and HTML invoices; scanned documents may have variable results.