# Getting Started
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/straight-through-processing/documentation/getting-started/index.md

## Glossary {#glossary}

|                                                         Terms                                                         |                                                                                                              Definition                                                                                                              |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| AP                                                                                                                    | Accounts Payable                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| API                                                                                                                   | Application Programming Interface                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Array                                                                                                                 | A data structure consisting of a collection of similar elements (values or variables), each identified by at least one array index or key.                                                                                           |
| ASCII                                                                                                                 | American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Character-encoding standard for electronic communication.                                                                                                                        |
| Boolean                                                                                                               | A data type with only two possible states: true or false.                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Char                                                                                                                  | Character. A single information unit, approximately equal to the smallest unit in a writing system of an alphabet or syllabary.                                                                                                      |
| Client                                                                                                                | A client application consuming the STP API.                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ClientRef                                                                                                             | Client Reference. A unique ID specified by the client.                                                                                                                                                                               |
| CRUD                                                                                                                  | Create, read, update, and delete operations of persistent storage.                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Custom field                                                                                                          | A field that captures provider-required data that a client must specify when registering a supplier with STP.                                                                                                                        |
| DDA                                                                                                                   | Direct Debit Account                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| HAL                                                                                                                   | Hypertext Application Language                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| HATEOAS                                                                                                               | Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| HTTP                                                                                                                  | Hypertext Transfer Protocol                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| Hypermedia                                                                                                            | Content that includes graphics, audio, video, plain text, and hyperlinks. For more information, refer to [HATEOAS](https://developer.mastercard.com/straight-through-processing/documentation/code-and-formats/hypermedia/index.md). |
| ICCP                                                                                                                  | In Control for Commercial Payments                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Integer                                                                                                               | Whole number that contains no decimals or fractions.                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| JSON                                                                                                                  | JavaScript Object Notation                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Link relation                                                                                                         | A descriptive attribute attached to a hyperlink to define the type of the link, or the relationship between the source and destination resources.                                                                                    |
| MIME                                                                                                                  | Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| [Mastercard Payment Gateway Services (MPGS)](https://developer.mastercard.com/product/payment-gateway-services-mpgs/) | A payment gateway that enables point-of-sale (POS) and mobile payments.                                                                                                                                                              |
| OAuth                                                                                                                 | An open protocol to allow secure authorization in a simple and standard method from web, mobile, and desktop applications.                                                                                                           |
| PAN                                                                                                                   | Primary Account Number                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Payment                                                                                                               | Fee submitted for the goods or services.                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| Payment provider                                                                                                      | The payment gateway that processes the payment by submitting the authorization request to the supplier's acquirer.                                                                                                                   |
| REST                                                                                                                  | Representational State Transfer                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| SDK                                                                                                                   | Software Development Kit                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| STP                                                                                                                   | Straight Through Processing                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| String                                                                                                                | Sequence of characters                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Supplier                                                                                                              | A company or person providing the goods or services. Also known as a merchant.                                                                                                                                                       |
| TNS                                                                                                                   | Transaction Network Services                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Track Business Payment Service (BPS)                                                                                  | A service used for exchange of payments-related data between the world's Buyers and Suppliers.                                                                                                                                       |
| UML                                                                                                                   | Unified Modeling Language                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| Unicode                                                                                                               | A standard for consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text expressed in multiple writing systems.                                                                                                                      |
| URL                                                                                                                   | Uniform Resource Locator                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| UI                                                                                                                    | User Interface                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| VAR                                                                                                                   | Value-Added Reseller (Sheet)                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| VCN                                                                                                                   | Virtual Card Number                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |