Acquirer Reference Number

Explore the uses of the Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) and where to find it.

What is ARN?

The Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) is a unique identifier assigned to credit and debit card transactions once the acquiring bank has processed it.

This number tracks the transaction through the payment network, from the merchant to the cardholder's bank.

Benefits of ARN

  • Tracking transactions. ARN allows to track the status of a transaction, providing transparency and reducing disputes.
  • Dispute resolution. In case of chargebacks or disputes, the ARN can be used to quickly locate and reference the transaction in question.
  • Reconciliation. ARN helps in reconciling transactions between the merchant's records and the acquiring bank's records.

Locate the ARN

There are two ways to find the ARN: either by notification or from the payment information in the Dashboard.

To receive by notification, please reach out to your assigned TAM (Technical Account Manager) or dLocal point of contact who will be able to further assist you.

From the API

You can obtain the ARN from the payment notification you receive. Follow these steps to retrieve it:

  1. Send an API request to make a payment.
  2. Extract the ARN from the transaction details in the notification.
  3. Save the ARN in your database for future reference and tracking.

Example notification with ARN value

Here is an example of a payment notification where you can find the ARN:

{
    "id": "D-4-be8eda8c-5fe7-49dd-8058-4ddaac00611b",
    "amount": 100.00,
    "status": "PAID",
    "status_detail": "The payment was paid.",
    "status_code": "200",
    "currency": "USD",
    "country": "AR",
    "arn" : "arn1234566687", // Acquirer Reference Number 
    "order_id": "4m1OdghPUQtg",
    "notification_url": "http://www.merchant.com/notifications",
    "created_date": "2019-06-26T15:17:31.000+0000"
}

In this example, the ARN is "arn1234566687".

Parameter details

PropertyTypeDescription
idStringThe transaction ID.
typeStringThe transaction type. Possible values are PAYMENT, REFUND or CHARGEBACK.
amountNumberTransaction amount (in the currency entered in the field currency).
currencyStringTransaction currency in ISO 4217.
countryStringCountry code of the transaction. ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
statusStringThe status of the transaction.
status_codeStringThe status code.
status_detailStringThe status details.
arnStringThe ARN value.
order_idStringID given by the merchant in their system,
notification_urlStringURL where dLocal will send notifications associated with changes to this transaction.
created_dateStringThe date the transaction was created.

From the Dashboard

You can obtain the ARN from the payment information in dLocal's dashboard. Follow these steps to retrieve it:

  1. Access dLocal's dashboard by logging in.
  2. Search for the specific transaction.
  3. Open the transaction details to find the ARN.
  4. Record or export the ARN for your records.

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ARN availability

ARNs are only available for debit and credit card transactions since they are assigned to a transaction when it goes from the merchant's bank (acquirer) through the card scheme to the cardholder's bank (issuer).