# Claims and decisions

A claim asks for a remedy. Only the decision authority named in the accepted policy can approve it.

## File against an exact purchase

An authenticated buyer or authorized claimant must identify the purchase, claim reason, requested amount and evidence. The policy determines the filing deadline and evidence requirements.

> Sample policy: Atlas API promises an export within 24 hours of settlement. A non-delivery claim may be filed within seven days of settlement. Demo Reviewer evaluates a fictional service receipt and independent delivery log.

The public example shows a fictional API result failure. The saved workspace enforces its own claim deadline and stores private test evidence; the owner plays the reviewer. Neither view evaluates the truth of real external evidence. A missing log alone is not proof of non-delivery.

## Bind the decision

A real decision must authenticate the permitted adjudicator and bind the purchase, claim, policy version, approved amount, beneficiary, decision time and one-time consumption identifier. A decision is not unrestricted debit authority.

## Keep the states separate

| Record | Possible states |
| --- | --- |
| Purchase | Offered, accepted, settlement pending, protection active, closed. |
| Claim | Not filed, under review, approved, rejected. |
| Payout | Unpaid, partially paid, paid. |
| Obligation | Outstanding, partially recovered, recovered. |

A claim can be approved while its payout is unpaid. Closing the filing window must not erase an existing unpaid award.

## Rejection and delayed settlement

In the rejected scenario, the fictional evidence records delivery within the deadline, so there is no award. In the delayed-settlement scenario, protection does not activate and a claim cannot progress.

## API availability

The saved workspace supports authenticated claim and decision operations on the sandbox host. The [API reference](api.html) links its manifest and lists the public documentation resources. Workspace controls save private fictional records; the public walkthrough only explains the flow.