Understand Payment Types in DataNow

Description: Learn how DataNow displays payment method information, what the less obvious payment type values mean, and what to do when you see them in reports.

Where Payment Types Appear

Payment type information appears in several places across DataNow reports:

• F&B Sales — Payments & Settlement tab: Payment Methods tile, Amount Settled by Revenue Center & Processor, Amount Settled by Revenue Center & Payment Method.
• F&B Sales — Employee Performance tab: Employee Sales by Creator & Payment Type.
• Sales Audit: Payment Type Summary and Payment Type Details.
• Day over Day: Drill into the authorized and settled amounts in Current Month Tender Totals and Historic Tender Totals.
• Sales Hub: Tenders tile (Today, This Month, and Last 12 Months tabs).

Standard Payment Types

Most transactions will display a standard card network or payment method. These are populated directly from the data returned by the payment gateway:

Less Common Payment Types

The following values appear less frequently and often prompt questions. Here is what each one means.

Unknown

Unknown appears when DataNow receives payment data from the gateway but the data does not include a card network identifier. DataNow cannot determine whether the card was Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or another type.

Common causes:

• The gateway returned a generic payment type (for example, "Credit") without specifying the card network.
• The transaction was processed through a third-party or alternative payment method that does not pass card type data to the platform.
• The order was manually moved to a completed state during a reconciliation process, and card type data was not carried through.

Note: Unknown does not indicate a failed or at-risk transaction. The payment was processed and settled — DataNow simply does not have enough information from the gateway to identify the card type. There is no action required and no way to resolve this within DataNow. To identify the actual card type, check the transaction in your gateway or processor report using the order confirmation number.

Shift4 Credit

Shift4 Credit indicates a card-present transaction — the guest's card was physically swiped, tapped, or inserted at a POS device. The card type (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, etc.) is returned by the gateway and will be visible in detailed payment views.

This is the standard payment method for in-person POS transactions and is working as designed. Shift4 Credit appears alongside the card type in the Payment Type Details tile in Sales Audit and in the F&B Sales payment reports.

Note: Shift4 Credit is the payment method label — it reflects how the transaction was processed (card-present), not a problem with the transaction. The underlying card network will be available in detailed views.

Shift4 Token

Shift4 Token indicates a card-not-present (CNP) transaction — the card was not physically swiped, tapped, or inserted at a POS device. A stored card token was used to process the payment remotely. The card type is returned by the gateway and will be visible in detailed payment views.

This typically appears on:

• Rich Checkout orders placed through the mobile ordering experience.
• Orders where a guest's previously stored payment method was used.

Note: Shift4 Token is the payment method label — it reflects how the transaction was processed (card-not-present), not a problem with the transaction. This is expected and correct behavior for mobile and online order channels.

Other / Unrecognized Values

Occasionally a payment type value may appear that is not in the standard list above. This can occur when:

• A third-party integrator passes a payment type code that does not have a mapped display name configured for that ecosystem.
• A new payment method is being tested or rolled out and the payment type mapping has not yet been added.

Important: If you see a payment type value that you cannot identify and it is appearing consistently across multiple orders, contact venuesupport@shift4.com with the report name, an example order confirmation number, and the date range. This may indicate a missing payment type mapping that needs to be configured.

Payment Type Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fix or resolve Unknown payment types in DataNow?

No. Unknown appears because the gateway did not return card type data to the platform. DataNow cannot retroactively determine the card type. The underlying transactions are settled and accurate — only the card type label is missing. Use your gateway or processor report to identify specific transactions if needed.
 

What is the difference between Shift4 Credit and Shift4 Token?

Shift4 Credit is the payment method for card-present transactions — the card was physically used at the POS device. Shift4 Token is the payment method for card-not-present transactions — a stored card token was used, such as for Rich Checkout or mobile orders. Both return a card type from the gateway and both represent successfully settled transactions. The distinction reflects the channel through which the payment was made, not any issue with the transaction.

I see a payment type I don't recognize. What should I do?

If the value appears consistently across multiple orders and is not one of the types described in this guide, contact venuesupport@shift4.com with an example order confirmation number and the report name. It may indicate a missing payment type mapping for your ecosystem.