> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usepooler.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Route Management

> Understanding payment routes and how Pooler optimizes payment routing

Payment routes are the paths that payments take from your account to recipient accounts. Pooler automatically selects optimal routes, but understanding route management helps you optimize costs and processing times.

## What are Payment Routes?

Payment routes are the payment networks and channels used to transfer funds. Different routes have different characteristics:

* **Processing Speed** - How fast payments are processed
* **Cost** - Fees associated with the route
* **Reliability** - Success rate of the route
* **Coverage** - Countries and banks supported

## Route Types

### Local Routes

Routes for payments within the same country:

| Route Type                        | Speed              | Cost          | Coverage              | Use Case                 |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------ |
| **NIP (Nigeria Instant Payment)** | Instant to minutes | Low           | Nigerian banks        | Local Nigerian transfers |
| **Local Bank Transfers**          | Minutes to hours   | Low to medium | Local banks           | Standard local transfers |
| **Mobile Money**                  | Instant to minutes | Low           | Mobile money networks | Mobile money transfers   |

### Cross-Border Routes

Routes for international payments:

| Route Type                   | Speed              | Cost                             | Coverage                   | Use Case                     |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------ | -------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| **SWIFT**                    | 1-5 business days  | Medium to high                   | Global                     | International wire transfers |
| **Regional Networks**        | Hours to days      | Medium                           | Regional (e.g., SEPA, ACH) | Regional transfers           |
| **Corridor-Specific Routes** | Varies by corridor | Optimized for specific corridors | Specific country pairs     | High-volume corridors        |

## Route Selection

### Automatic Route Selection

Pooler automatically selects the best route based on:

**Factors Considered:**

1. **Destination** - Recipient country and bank
2. **Amount** - Payment amount (some routes have minimums/maximums)
3. **Currency** - Source and destination currencies
4. **Speed Requirements** - Processing time needs
5. **Cost Optimization** - Balance between speed and cost
6. **Route Availability** - Current route status and capacity

### Route Selection Algorithm

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify Available Routes">
    Determine all routes that can handle the payment based on destination, currency, and amount.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Filter by Requirements">
    Filter routes based on:

    * Speed requirements
    * Cost constraints
    * Route availability
  </Step>

  <Step title="Score Routes">
    Score each route based on:

    * Cost (lower is better)
    * Speed (faster is better)
    * Reliability (higher success rate is better)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Optimal Route">
    Select the route with the best score for the payment.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Route Optimization

### Cost Optimization

Optimize routes for cost:

* **Route Comparison** - Compare costs across available routes
* **Bulk Routing** - Use cost-effective routes for bulk payments
* **Time-Based Routing** - Use cheaper routes when speed isn't critical

### Speed Optimization

Optimize routes for speed:

* **Priority Routes** - Use fastest routes for urgent payments
* **Route Selection** - Prefer instant/same-day routes
* **Time-Based Selection** - Consider processing times when selecting routes

### Balanced Optimization

Balance cost and speed:

* **Tiered Routing** - Use fast routes for small amounts, cost-effective for large
* **Business Rules** - Apply business-specific routing rules
* **Dynamic Selection** - Adjust based on current conditions

## Route Information

### Getting Route Information

Route information is included in payment quotes:

```javascript theme={null}
const quote = await poolerClient.post('/payments/initiate', paymentData);
const routeInfo = quote.data.data.route;

console.log('Route:', routeInfo.name);
console.log('Estimated Time:', routeInfo.estimated_time);
console.log('Route Fee:', routeInfo.fee);
```

### Route Details

Route information includes:

| Field                | Description              |
| -------------------- | ------------------------ |
| **Route Name**       | Identifier for the route |
| **Estimated Time**   | Expected processing time |
| **Route Fee**        | Fee for using this route |
| **Route Type**       | Local or cross-border    |
| **Currency Support** | Supported currencies     |

## Route Management Strategies

### Strategy 1: Automatic Selection

Let Pooler automatically select routes:

| Aspect          | Details                                                                                   |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pros**        | No configuration needed<br />Always uses optimal route<br />Adapts to changing conditions |
| **Cons**        | Less control over routing<br />May not match specific business needs                      |
| **When to Use** | Standard payment requirements<br />Don't need route control<br />Want simplicity          |

### Strategy 2: Route Preferences

Specify route preferences when available:

| Aspect          | Details                                                                                          |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Pros**        | Control over routing<br />Optimize for specific needs<br />Balance cost and speed                |
| **Cons**        | Requires configuration<br />May need updates over time                                           |
| **When to Use** | Specific routing requirements<br />Cost or speed optimization needs<br />Business-specific rules |

### Strategy 3: Route Monitoring

Monitor route performance and adjust:

| Aspect          | Details                                                                       |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pros**        | Data-driven decisions<br />Continuous optimization<br />Identify issues early |
| **Cons**        | Requires monitoring setup<br />Need analysis capabilities                     |
| **When to Use** | High payment volumes<br />Need optimization<br />Want performance insights    |

## Route Performance

### Monitoring Route Performance

Track route performance metrics:

| Metric                      | Description                       |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Success Rate**            | Percentage of successful payments |
| **Average Processing Time** | Mean time to complete             |
| **Cost per Payment**        | Average cost per payment          |
| **Error Rate**              | Percentage of failed payments     |

### Route Analytics

Analyze route data to optimize:

| Analysis Type          | Description                 |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------- |
| **Route Comparison**   | Compare routes side-by-side |
| **Trend Analysis**     | Identify trends over time   |
| **Cost Analysis**      | Understand cost patterns    |
| **Performance Trends** | Track performance changes   |

## Route Failures

### Handling Route Failures

When a route fails:

1. **Automatic Retry** - Pooler may automatically retry with alternative route
2. **Manual Retry** - You can manually retry the payment
3. **Route Selection** - New route may be selected for retry
4. **Notification** - You receive notification of route failure

### Route Failure Reasons

Common reasons for route failures:

| Reason                | Description                     |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **Route Unavailable** | Route temporarily unavailable   |
| **Bank Rejection**    | Recipient bank rejected payment |
| **Compliance Issues** | Compliance-related rejections   |
| **Network Issues**    | Payment network problems        |
| **Invalid Details**   | Incorrect recipient details     |

## Best Practices

<Tip>
  * Pooler's automatic route selection is optimized for most use cases.
  * Track route performance to identify optimization opportunities.
  * Balance cost and speed based on your needs.
  * Implement retry logic for route failures.
  * Reach out for route optimization for high-volume scenarios.
</Tip>