ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Transaction processing

Transaction processing is like playing a game with a friend where you need to keep track of who owes what to whom. Imagine that you have a piggy bank and your friend wants to borrow some money from you. You give him the money and he promises to return it later.

When your friend returns the money, you update your piggy bank balance to show that you received the money back. This is called a transaction. Transaction processing is the process of recording and updating these transactions to keep track of who owes what to whom.

In the real world, businesses use transaction processing to keep track of all the money coming in and going out. Every time a customer buys something or pays for a service, a transaction is recorded. This helps businesses keep track of their finances and make sure they are making a profit.

Transaction processing happens very quickly using computers and software. The data from each transaction is stored in a database and is updated in real time. So, when you buy something with your credit card, the transaction is processed instantly, and your balance is updated right away.

Overall, transaction processing is a way to keep track of all the money coming in and going out of a business, and it's all done with the help of computers and software.