BEGINNER 4 Modules · 12 Lessons ~3 hours Certificate Included

Payments Fundamentals

A comprehensive introduction to modern payments infrastructure. By the end of this course, you will understand how money moves through global payment networks — from the moment a customer swipes a card or initiates a bank transfer to the point where funds settle in the merchant or recipient's account.

This course is designed for operations staff, new joiners to FinTech companies, compliance teams, and developers building payment integrations who need a solid conceptual foundation before working with payment APIs or regulatory frameworks.

Course Overview

Duration~3 hours

Modules4

Lessons12

LevelBeginner

PrerequisitesNone

Certificate✓ Yes

Skills you'll gain

Payment Rails ISO 20022 Card Networks ACH Basics Settlement PCI DSS

Start Module 1 →

Curriculum

Course Modules

1

What Is Payments? — Foundations

3 lessons · ~45 min

›

1.1 — Payment Definition, Types & Core Concepts 15 min

1.2 — Participants & Roles: Issuers, Acquirers, Networks, PSPs 14 min

1.3 — Payment Instruments: Cards, ACH, Wire, Wallets, RTP 16 min

2

Payment Rails — How Money Actually Travels

3 lessons · ~50 min

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2.1 — Card Networks: Visa, Mastercard, and Four-Party Model 18 min

2.2 — Real-Time Payments: RTP, FedNow, and Instant Settlement 16 min

2.3 — Cross-Border Rails: SWIFT, SEPA, and Correspondent Banking 16 min

3

The Processing Lifecycle — Authorization to Settlement

3 lessons · ~55 min

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3.1 — Authorization Flow: From Tap to Approval in 2 Seconds 20 min

3.2 — Clearing & Settlement: T+1, T+2, and Batch Windows 18 min

3.3 — Reconciliation Basics: Matching, Exceptions, and Disputes 17 min

4

Payments Security & Risk Controls

3 lessons · ~45 min

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4.1 — PCI DSS Overview: Scope, Levels, and Compliance Requirements 15 min

4.2 — Tokenization, Encryption, and 3DS Authentication 16 min

4.3 — Fraud Controls in the Authorization Path 14 min

Start with Lesson 1.1 → Take Sample Quiz