# Acceptance and settlement lifecycle

Availability: **Proposed specification**  
Documentation: **1.1** | Updated: **19 September 2026**

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## Acceptance outcomes

An acceptance record evaluates one delivery under one frozen rule set. Its processing status is pending until evidence is sufficient to produce passed, failed or disputed. Missing evidence remains pending until the applicable deadline; it must not default to passed.

| Task resolution | Condition | Effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| open | Work, recovery or acceptance is still permitted | A policy-compliant attempt may be scheduled |
| completed | An eligible delivery passed acceptance | Close execution; account for charges separately |
| failed | No accepted delivery and retry policy is exhausted | Close with a reason and usage record |
| cancelled | Cancellation won the state transition and is confirmed | Close further execution authority |
| disputed | An unresolved acceptance or responsibility issue closes normal processing | Open a case; retain evidence and fee holds |

RES-01 Closing a task MUST atomically prevent new attempts and retire its remaining execution authority. A later complaint or refund creates a separate case or adjustment; it does not rewrite a closed task's history. An acceptance failure may permit a new attempt only if the frozen retry policy allows it.

## Payment outcomes

Maintain a separate accounting status, such as not_due, eligible, pending, confirmed, failed or reversed. eligible means contractual conditions for a charge have been evaluated; confirmed requires the payment channel's confirmation evidence. A successful workload may still have a failed payment, and a cancelled workload may incur an agreed usage charge.

PAY-01 The executor MUST NOT create acceptance or payment confirmations. PAY-02 Duplicate payment notifications MUST have one ledger effect. PAY-03 Adjustments and refunds MUST preserve the original invoice and external payment reference.

## Acceptance ownership

The checker records its identity, rule version, code digest, evidence references and decision. When the same organization operates the executor and checker, documentation must identify that relationship. A separate software process is not an independent third-party verification service.

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