Yes, each step is a transaction, but the whole is not consistent at any one moment. Availability was chosen over consistency all the way up.

We see this pattern all over the place. The primary example is any place that accepts checks as payment. Availability is immediate, but consistency is not necessarily there.

You see it with a business making a PO. Lots of places will still take credit cards which are only processed daily (ok, this is becoming rare where there is cell service.)