{"section":"tutorials","requestedLocale":"en","requestedSlug":"what-is-a-transaction","locale":"en","slug":"what-is-a-transaction","path":"docs/en/tutorials/payments/payments-overview/what-is-a-transaction.md","branch":"main","content":"The movement that money makes when exchanged for a product or service is what we call __transaction__. Thus, payment is only one step in a process that involves an intense flow of information exchange between several parties: [gateways](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-a-payment-gateway), [sub-acquirers](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-a-sub-acquirer) and/or [acquirers](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-an-acquirer), [brands](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-a-credit-card-brand) and [issuing banks](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-the-issuing-bank).\n\nIn a VTEX store, a transaction starts every time a user chooses a [payment condition](/en/docs/tutorials/difference-between-payment-methods-and-payment-conditions) and closes their order. From there, the purchase data is sent for the validation of each of the members involved in this process. You can track each step of the [transaction flow](/en/docs/tutorials/transaction-flow-in-payments) on the Payments. With this module, you accurately visualize the status of a payment through each status.\n\n### Related articles\n- [What is a payment gateway?](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-a-payment-gateway)\n- [What is a sub-acquirer?](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-a-sub-acquirer)\n- [What is an acquirer?](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-an-acquirer)\n- [What is a credit card brand?](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-a-credit-card-brand)\n- [What is the issuing bank?](/en/docs/tutorials/what-is-the-issuing-bank)\n- [Difference between payment methods and payment conditions](/en/docs/tutorials/difference-between-payment-methods-and-payment-conditions)\n- [Transaction flow in Payments](/en/docs/tutorials/transaction-flow-in-payments)"}