# Outcome API
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/ethoca-alerts-for-merchants/documentation/api-reference/outcome-api-ref/index.md

The Ethoca Alerts for Merchants Outcome API lets merchants and merchant partners provide necessary outcome and feedback (such as `REFUNDED` and `NOT_SETTLED` messages) via an update that is made available to card issuers so that they know not to raise a chargeback.

### Environment Domains {#environment-domains}

* Sandbox
* Production

```Sandbox
https://sandbox.api.ethocaweb.com/ethoca/alerts/merchants
```

```Production
https://api.ethocaweb.com/ethoca/alerts/merchants
```

### How it Works {#how-it-works}

* For every successfully matched alert you receive through your [Push API](https://developer.mastercard.com/ethoca-alerts-for-merchants/documentation/api-reference/push-api-ref/index.md), you send the outcome of the alert to us through the Alerts for Merchants Outcome API.
* We send an acknowledgement response back to you that the outcome was received and that the alert was successfully updated with the outcome.
* We then pass the outcome on to the issuer to help avoid a chargeback.

Diagram how-it-works-outcome

### APIs {#apis}

Note: The API request below shows example data for each individual field. Test cases are available to use in the sandbox, which include sets of request data that return expected responses. Contact your [Ethoca Customer Delivery Team](mailto:customerdelivery@ethoca.com) for details.
API Specification: `https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/ethoca-alerts-for-merchants/swagger/alert-outcome-specs_inbound.yaml`

### Error handling {#error-handling}

See [Code and Formats](https://developer.mastercard.com/ethoca-alerts-for-merchants/documentation/code-and-formats/index.md) for detailed information about error response handling for the Alerts for Merchants API.