CheckoutPayment Scenarios

Account Funding Transactions (AFT)

Understand what AFT transactions are, why card networks require them, and how they apply to card payins.

What is an Account Funding Transaction (AFT)?

An Account Funding Transaction (AFT) is a card network classification required by the card networks when processing card payments. It indicates the purpose and nature of the fund transfer so that card networks can apply the correct routing, risk screening, and compliance rules.

AFT is required for card and mobile payments only

Why is AFT Required?

Card networks introduced AFT classification to:

  • Prevent fraud and money laundering — By requiring merchants to declare the source and purpose of funds, networks can apply targeted fraud models to high-risk categories.
  • Enforce MCC-level compliance rules — Certain merchant category codes (MCCs) have strict rules about what types of payments they can process. AFT type enforcement ensures merchants operate within their approved use cases.
  • Support regulatory obligations — Many jurisdictions require card networks and their participants to maintain records of fund transfer purposes.

The Two Types of AFT Transactions

Person-to-Person (P2P)

A P2P transaction represents a fund transfer from one individual to another individual.

Use cases:

  • A peer-to-peer lending platform transfers a repayment from one user to another
  • A social payment feature where users tip or send money to other users on the platform

Key characteristics:

  • The sender is different from the recipient of the funds

Example of How to Pass P2P AFT Transaction data

$curl -X POST https://api-sandbox.coinflow.cash/api/checkout/card/merchantId \
>     -H "x-coinflow-auth-session-key: " \
>     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
>     -d '{
>  "subtotal": {
>    "cents": 100,
>    "currency": "USD"
>  },
>  "card": {
>    "cardToken": "tok_1Hh1XYZ2eZvKYlo2XxYz1234",
>    "expYear": "26",
>    "expMonth": "09",
>    "email": "jane.doe@example.com",
>    "firstName": "Jane",
>    "lastName": "Doe",
>    "address1": "123 Elm Street",
>    "city": "Springfield",
>    "country": "US"
>  },
>  "customerInfo": {
>    "firstName": "Dwayne",
>    "lastName": "Johnson",
>    "address": "201 E Randolph St",
>    "city": "Chicago",
>    "state": "IL",
>    "country": "US",
>    "zip": "60601",
>    "dob": "1972-05-02"
>  }, // The data of the payer
>  "accountFundingTransaction": {
>    "recipientAftInfo": {
>      "firstName": "Barack",
>      "lastName": "Obama",
>      "address1": "6001 S. Stony Island Ave",
>      "city": "Chicago",
>      "postalCode": "60637",
>      "countryCode": "US",
>      "state": "IL",
>      "dateOfBirth": "19610804"
>    } // The data of the receiver
>  }
>}'

Account-to-Account (A2A)

An A2A (account-to-account) transaction is a transfer where the person making the payment is transferring funds to fund an account they own themselves - they are both the sender and the beneficiary.

Use cases:

  • A user uses their debit card to load funds into a custodial trading or exchange account
  • A gig economy or staffing platform disburses wages or earnings to a worker

Key characteristics:

  • The recipient is the same as the sender

Example of How to Pass A2A AFT Transaction data

$curl -X POST https://api-sandbox.coinflow.cash/api/checkout/card/merchantId \
>     -H "x-coinflow-auth-session-key: " \
>     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
>     -d '{
>  "subtotal": {
>    "cents": 100,
>    "currency": "USD"
>  },
>  "card": {
>    "cardToken": "tok_1Hh1XYZ2eZvKYlo2XxYz1234",
>    "expYear": "26",
>    "expMonth": "09",
>    "email": "jane.doe@example.com",
>    "firstName": "Jane",
>    "lastName": "Doe",
>    "address1": "123 Elm Street",
>    "city": "Springfield",
>    "country": "US"
>  },
>  "customerInfo": {
>    "firstName": "Dwayne",
>    "lastName": "Johnson",
>    "address": "201 E Randolph St",
>    "city": "Chicago",
>    "state": "IL",
>    "country": "US",
>    "zip": "60601",
>    "dob": "1972-05-02"
>  }, // The data of the payer
>}'

Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) That Require AFT

AFT classification is particularly important — and often strictly enforced — for merchants in the following MCC categories:

MCCCategory
7995Betting / Casino Gambling
7800Government-Licensed Casinos
7801Internet Gambling
6538Money Transfer - Merchant
6540POI Funding Transactions
6012Merchandise and Services - Financial Institutions
4829Money Transfer - Wire Transfer
6051Financial Institutions - Merchandise, Services, and Debt Repayment
6211Securities Brokers/Dealers

MCC assignment affects your AFT eligibility

Your MCC is assigned at onboarding and determines which AFT types you are approved to originate. If your platform’s use case does not align with your registered MCC, contact the Coinflow integrations team before going live. Operating outside your approved MCC can result in transaction declines or network-level sanctions.

How AFT is Configured in Coinflow

AFT type is a configuration applied at the merchant level during the underwriting onboarding process.

1

Work with Coinflow during onboarding

During the onboarding process, Coinflow’s risk and compliance team will assess your platform’s use case, MCC, and payout flow to determine the correct AFT type.

2

Confirm your AFT type

Your integration manager will confirm whether your account should be configured as P2P or A2A based on:

  • Your registered MCC
  • Your flow of funds (who pays and who receives the funds)