Treat status as operational information
A provider needs to know whether a request is still outstanding, being processed, successfully paid or in an exception state.
The useful question is not simply whether a passenger clicked a payment link, but what authoritative state the payment reached.
Keep the payment connected to the request
Reconciliation becomes easier when the payment remains associated with the passenger reference, journey context and agreed amount that caused the request to exist.
Do not treat processing as final
Some payment attempts may require processing before a final state is known. Providers should avoid treating an intermediate state as completed payment.
Review exceptions instead of hiding them
If a payment needs attention, the operational record should make that visible. An exception that is clearly surfaced is safer than silently assuming success.