Card Not Present, CenPOS, credit card processing

B2B Cloud payment processing technology blog about increasing profits, efficiency and security.

Card Not Present, CenPOS, credit card processing

Balancing card not present risk with customer convenience

Accepting credit cards for card not present customers can be risky, and merchants have long sought solutions to protect themselves from future disputes. The problem is most of those methods are PCI Compliance nightmares, often storing card data in the clear on paper credit card authorization forms. Enabling customers to self pay is one way to mitigate risk.

HOSTED PAY PAGE – ONLINE PAYMENTS

accept payments onlineWith a hosted pay page solution, customers are directed to a secure web page. The ‘host web server’ is the payment gateway, thus reducing merchant PCI Compliance burden. Gateways have different fraud tools for merchants, beyond the usual address and CVV security verification. Examples of hosted pay page solutions:

  1. Link to custom payment processor URL (First Data)
  2. Embedded payment object on merchant web page; the merchant should have an SSL certificate, even though the payment object itself is on a different server. This is usually achieved with an iframe. (CenPOS)
  3. Link to a custom payment gateway URL (CenPOS); this provides continuity when merchants change processors

ELECTRONIC BILL PRESENTMENT & PAYMENT (EBPP)

EBPP Electronic Bill Presentment & PaymentCustomers are sent an electronic invoice, which they can pay remotely. Both merchants and customers have a portal to manage various functions. EBPP used to be costly, upwards of $100,000, but now, there’s solutions for all price ranges based on merchant needs. Examples of EBPP solutions:

  1. Standalone– merchants login to a web based portal and generate an invoice which is delivered electronically to customers. (Paypal, CenPOS)
  2. Integrated, accounting software managed – customers receive electronic invoices with data originating from accounting, ERP, or other software, and the ERP managing the delivery of the invoice, reminders etc (Quickbooks & Intuit merchant services, ERP/CenPOS).
  3. Integrated, gateway managed – customers receive electronic invoices with data originating from accounting, ERP, or other software (Quickbooks & Intuit merchant services, Quickbooks & 3rd party gateway integration/ any merchant account), and the gateway managing the delivery of the invoice, collection reminders etc.

EBPP BENEFITS VS HOSTED PAY PAGE

  • Pushes out to customer- less friction to complete the payment and or sale
  • Reduce risk with additional evidence trail for dispute defense; records of invoice delivery and customer opted to pay strengthen defense; card brand rules include chargeback protection without a signature if bill to address matches the company address and the employee email address was used. (See Visa Merchant Rules for details)
  • Automated reminders if they don’t pay (solutions vary widely how this works)
  • Customer visibility to credit outstanding; ability to self-free up credit to buy more
  • Reduced calls to accounts receivable for questions about what invoices are outstanding

HOSTED PAY PAGE & EBBP VENDOR SELECTION

There are wide differences in payment gateways, and the related solutions. The best solution varies depending on the business type.

Critical needs for business to business:

  • Level III processing supported for all payment channels
  • Collections automation
  • Flexibility – the average merchant changes processors every three years; choose a gateway independent of the processor to avoid business disruptions
  • 3 D Secure (Vbyv and MasterCard Secure) – card not present fraud is expected to rise dramatically with US EMV adoption
  • Tokenization – empower customers to self store and manage payment methods
  • Card Updater – if applicable for recurring service

CenPOS is a merchant centric, end to end payment engine that meets all omnichannel and critical business to business needs. For sales and integrations, contact Christine Speedy 954-942-0483.

 

Payware PC End of Life and Replacement Options

Like PCCharge® Software end of life, Verifone also announced the official End Of Life for PAYware PC in May 2015. Company’s that have PC based payment solutions are quickly shutting them down in order to move to cloud based payment gateways, supporting a wider array of newer technology and compliance needs, including EMV.

What does Payware PC end of life mean?

Product development has ended. Verifone has a timeline to stop selling and stop supporting Payware PC. The product owner does not have to immediately change, but should review the timeline and consequences for future business decisions.

PAYware PC Key Dates:

  • Final Order Date: After May 22, 2015, Verifone will no longer take orders for new PAYware PC licenses for new customers. Existing customers may elect to purchase new MID/TIDs or add on services to existing licenses through September 24, 2015.
  • Final Shipment Date: After May 29, 2015, Verifone will no longer ship orders for new PAYware PC licenses. Verifone will ship to existing customers electing to purchase new MID/TIDs or add on services to existing licenses (as set forth above) no later than October 1, 2015.
  • End of Development Date: Effective immediately, there will be no new Verifone sponsored software development with respect to PAYware PC.
  • End of Support Date: Effective October 1, 2015, subject to the following paragraph, Verifone will no longer provide support for PAYware PC. Until October 1, 2015, support will be limited to phone troubleshooting and suggested changes to configurations or third party components in PAYware PC; support will not extend to product code changes.

“This is an ideal time to examine long term omnichannel payment needs to avoid transitioning to other outdated technology,” according to Christine Speedy, a cloud payments expert. “At their core, all payment gateways enable merchants to process web based transactions securely with cloud solutions. Beyond that, there are many differences, and even bleeding edge solutions could lead to further disruption, if the new technology disappears when ideas don’t catch on or venture capital dries up.”

TIPS FOR NEW PAYMENT GATEWAY VENDOR SELECTION:

Is 3-D Secure (Verified by Visa and MasterCard Secure) for card not present transactions supported?
Does it have any EMV certifications? If not, what is the roap map time frame? (note- EMV certified is not the same as EMV ready or EMV capable)
Is the gateway processor neutral to provide maximum financial flexibility? (Critical for integrations.)
If business to business, for which sales channels does the gateway support level III processing? (mobile, retail, EBPP, kiosk, online payments, ecommerce, other) Can the user bypass submitting level III data on eligible transactions?
Is ACH supported? (If no, this is a red flag as lagging in innovation.)
What type of audit trail is available for PCI 3.0? How long is the data accessible?

CenPOS differentiator examples:

  • Level III processing all sales channels, even retail
  • Least cost routing and interchange management reduces merchant fees
  • US EMV certified signature capture terminals today, including Verifone MX915; works with your processor and a secure web page, or mobile app or integrated solution
  • Available in over 100 countries

Do you need a new payment gateway for your application? Or to replace your Payware PC account? CenPOS is a flexible omnichannel gateway with EMV, 3-D Secure, tokenization, and Level III processing. CenPOS solutions, including virtual terminal, mobile, and electronic bill presentment and payment, can significantly impact EBITDA, PCI Compliance, and efficiencies. Contact Christine Speedy at 954-942-0483 for integrations and new accounts.

EMV Chip Terminal Buyers Guide

Merchants and developers are racing to implement EMV terminals to accept chip cards ahead of the October 1, 2015 merchant liability shift deadline. Buyer beware- some ‘EMV Ready‘ terminals may never be certified.

EMV READY VS EMV CERTIFIED

Credit card terminals advertised as EMV Ready, EMV Capable or EMV Compliant are terminals that ‘could’ accept chip cards in the future. But, the terminal must be certified to the processor. Due to the expense and time, not all terminals will be certified. If the terminal is driven by a POS application or payment gateway, both the solution and the terminal must be certified to each processor or merchant acquirer.

Tip: Beware language like “this terminal will get you ready for EMV”.

The image below from First Data shows specific terminals that solutions partners have submitted that their integrating, however, there’s no guarantee any will ever be completed.

CenPOS, an end to end payment engine, offers the only independent payment gateway with US EMV certified terminals available for all major processors today.

CenPOS has offered gateway driven certified EMV terminal solutions since January 2015. Is CenPOS right for your company, POS, or ERP?  Click here to view the full EMV Buyers Guide.

Christine Speedy is a global authorized reseller of CenPOS, specializing in B2B, omnichannel and integrations.

Payment Gateway In Australia With Tokenization

australia payment gatewayNeed an Australian payment gateway with tokenization and online payment capability? CenPOS is a merchant-centric, end-to-end payments engine that drives enterprise-class solutions for businesses, saving them time and money, while improving their customer engagement. CenPOS is compatible with merchant processors globally so there’s no change to deposits.

CenPOS Australia Payment Options Boost Profits:

Integrated gateway: Integrate any application with our easy to use API’s. With the embedded payment object option, keep your applications out of scope for PCI Compliance.

Hosted pay page / Online Payments: Included free, add online payments to your web page with just a few lines of code.

Virtual Terminal: Login to secure web pay and manually enter transactions, or set up a schedule to automatically charge.

Batch Processing: This interface enables PCI certified 3rd party processors and others to automate transaction processing with a delimited file. Upload for multiple accounts at the same time.

Electronic Bill Presentment & Payment (EBPP): Eliminate phone calls and faxes for credit card numbers by empowering customers to self-pay 24/7; automate reminders for past due accounts receivables.

More Benefits:

  • CenPOS patented cash management solution improves interchange qualification, increasing merchant profits
  • Unlimited tokens for variable, recurring, installment (fixed or variable) billing
  • Available in over 100 countries – one gateway for all your global payment needs
  • PCI Compliant credit card authorization forms automatically generated
  • Multiple payment types supported for omnichannel needs

Is CenPOS the right solution for your Australian or multinational business? Our special expertise in your region is card not present, primarily business to business. No other payment gateway provides the depth of reduced PCI Compliance burden and operational efficiencies as CenPOS.

Contact Christine Speedy via email or Skype today.

First Data Delisted Certifications for Sage and 3Delta

First Data regularly publishes a list of certified integrated partner solutions as well as delisted certifications. ERP and other product developers involving payments should monitor this list to ensure compliance for their merchants.

Reasons for delisting include the version is no longer PCI Compliant or doesn’t meet some other processing requirement; a replacement certified version may be available, but that is not always the case, nor are merchants always current with the latest vendor software that has the certified payment gateway connection.

First Data Integrated Partner Solution delisting details:

•    3Delta Systems product EC-Suite Gateway is no longer boarding new merchants. 3Delta has replaced the EC-Suite with Payment Works Suite.
•    Sage Payment Gateway – delisted May 2015, see notes for details. No corresponding certified product is listed under the company name Sage.
•    Fiscal Systems, Inc. products Travstar1 and Travstar1/NEDOS v 9.1.0 are no longer available for boarding new clients. Travstar1/NEDOS v 10.00.01 is certified.

Other products with versions delisted this year include Counterpoint, USAePay, Retail.net, and Aloha EDC. Merchants using Saas product solutions continually have the latest integrated version and can avoid issues related to expired gateway certifications, which may not be readily shared with the parties that need to know.

Another tab on the document lists certified partner solutions, including who’s EMV certified today and for what equipment.

First Data Delisted Integrated Partner Solutions link to First Data download page for a list current certified solutions as well as delisted certifications.  Bookmark 3D merchant security links here for this and other security links.

Editor note:

Prospective CenPOS customers and developer partners often ask how is CenPOS different than the existing integrated gateways. The First Data certifications list is a simple way to compare some technical items. For example, 3Delta is certified for level III processing, but not international or retail.

The list for certifications may be imperfect, though the EMV certifications is likely accurate as this is a hot button that developers are needing current data for. This post has been updated to remove links since First Data removed the related published document.

Call Christine Speedy, PCI Council QIR certified, for simple solutions to complex payment transaction problems, 954-942-0483, 9-5 ET.