Informational Prompting
Simplify supports an Informational Prompt Message on the MX915 and MX925. This is a flexible feature designed to allow merchants to display information for customers and get customer input using a variety of screen layouts. This message type does not affect the processing of financial transactions.
The POS controls this process by sending an Informational Prompt Request that defines the screen to be displayed. The PIN Pad must be in a Closed state to process this request. Exceptions: (1) If another Informational Prompt Request is sent when the PINpad is already displaying an Informational Prompt screen, the display for the second request will replace the first screen. (2) After sending an Informational Prompt Response, the PINpad will display a wait screen for a configurable interval before going to the Closed state. If a new Informational Prompt Request is sent during this interval, the PINpad will process the request.
Simplify returns the customer input in the Informational Prompt Response. Input includes the action button (virtual button) or hard key pressed. Depending on the type of Informational Prompt Message sent, input may also include entered text or a selected radio button or check boxes. Additional requests can be sent if further customer interaction is required.
The Informational Prompt Message is a Non-Financial message type (Transaction Type 36) with a Message Type of 14. It is discussed separately in this chapter due to its many uses.
As described in Non-Financial Message Format, Non-Financial messages have the following generic format:
| API Field #, Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 0001,36 | Transaction Type 36. Non-Financial message |
| 0011,xxx.. | User Data. The first two bytes of Field 11 define the Message Type, as described below. Usage of other bytes varies based on Message Type; see Field 11 for details. |
| 5001,xxx.. | Non-Financial Data The format of this field depends on the value of Message Type See the sections on specific messages below for details. |
Information on fields 11 and 5001 specific to the Informational Prompt Message is as follows:
Field 11
The format of field 11 in the Informational Prompt Message (36-14) is modeled on that in the Signature Request and Response Messages (36-01, 36-02). Exception: the Screen ID subfield of field 11 is not used. As shown in the following table, the Response echoes the Request except for the Timeout Value, which is replaced with the Completion Code.
| Field 11 Subfield | Length | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Message Type | 2 | Always 14 |
| Sequence Number | 3 | Transaction identifier |
| Screen ID | 3 | Not used |
| Timeout Value/ Completion Code | 3 | Request: Screen timeout in seconds (000=No timeout) Response: Completion Code (000=Success) See Field 11 for more information. |
| VersionBuildInfo | Var | Response only: ‘?’ followed by Version and Build numbers |
Field 5001
In the Informational Prompt Message, field 5001 is used in the Request to define the screen that will be displayed and in the Response to return customer action/data entered. The generic structure of Field 5001 is TTTLLLVVV..VV, broken down as follows:
| Field 5001 Subfield | Length | Description |
|---|---|---|
| TTT | 3 | Tag identifying screen to be displayed: 010=Text with optional buttons 020=Scrolling text 030=Virtual keyboard 040=Radio buttons 050=Check boxes 070=Scrolling text with radio buttons 071= Scrolling text with virtual buttons |
| LLL | 3 | Length of data (VVV…VV) Note: if data is longer than 999 bytes, set LLL to 999. The application will process the additional data. |
| VVV…VV | var | Data |
The following pages provide detailed breakdowns of Field 5001 and sample messages for each supported value of Tag.