Frequently Asked Questions

The turnaround time can vary from company to company, however it can take as little as 24 hours to one week. Very high volume merchant accounts seem to take the longest. AuthoTrans will allow you to fax back the application, but our office will still need the original signed application for our files. This allows for faster approval time.

With AuthoTrans when you close your batch by (5:30 pm Central Time) you can have your batch deposit by the next business day. But the typical time period is 2 business days, if you miss the time above.

Yes. If you are set up with an American Express One Point program your daily deposits include all American Express credit cards. You will no longer have a separate monthly statement fee and easier monthly accounting when you reconcile each month.

With AuthoTrans we can provide processing solutions for every type of businesses from small retail stores to large merchants. Swipe terminals or POS Inventory solutions with software for retail merchants; real-time processing for Internet sites; pc software for mail order/phone order and Internet businesses; mobile plus for low volume, seasonal mobile merchants, and virtual terminals for Internet, mail and telephone order businesses.

If you receive a Call Center response on your credit card terminal screen, call the voice authorization center for approval; a Call Center response means the issuer is requiring additional information, before the transactions is approved.

A chargeback is what it’s called when a transaction is reversed. In other words, rather than adding money to your account it is deducted. Chargebacks can occur for a wide variety of reasons, such as double-charging, credit card expiration, bank error and customer disputes.

Please contact our office before you make a change to your business checking account. Make sure you leave your old checking account open until our office has made the change on our side; the normal process takes 24 to 48 hours in the banking system. When changing your checking account, the signor of the merchant account will need to sign a form requesting the change; this form will be provided by our office. Signer must also provide a new voided check or a letter signed by a bank official with your new account information which must accompany the signed form. If you close your bank account prior to giving our office the new account, your funds could be delayed since we would be depositing into a close account.

AuthoTrans has compiled answers to some frequently asked fraud and security questions to help merchants spot fraud, reduce fraud and know what to do if you suspect fraud for credit cards or key-entered transactions.

How to Spot Fraud

Below are a few telltale signs that can tip you off to potential fraud—watch for customers who:

• Purchase a large amount of merchandise without regard to size, style, color or price
• Don’t ask questions on major purchases
• Try to distract or rush you during the sale
• Make purchases and leave the store but then return to make additional purchases
• Make large purchases just after the store has opened or as the store is closing
• Refuse free delivery for large items

If You Suspect Fraud

• For card-not-present purchases, ask the customer for a phone number or an e-mail address and contact the customer with any questions
• Ask for additional information (consumer information or information that would typically be present on the card) or a picture identification
• Call the Authorization Center and ask to speak to a Code 10 operator

No. This practice is known as “credit card laundering” or factoring.” It is against the Visa and MasterCard agreement. Using someone else’s merchant account to process your credit card transactions can lead to heavy fine and perhaps more. In addition, you’ll also put that merchant’s credit card processing account in jeopardy.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was established in 2006 by the major card brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Financial Services, and JCB International). All businesses that process, store, or transmit payment card data are required to implement the standard to prevent cardholder data theft. Your card-handling practices and processing environment determine which requirements of the PCI DSS apply to your business.

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council mandates that all merchants comply with PCI standards. Annual validation (or proof) of that is mandated by merchant processors and is a way of documenting your compliance.[/toggl_framede]

You will be charged a monthly Non-Compliance Fee.
The payment brands may, at their discretion, fine an acquiring bank $5,000 to $100,000 per month for PCI compliance violations. The banks will most likely pass this fine on downstream to the merchant that is not compliant. Furthermore, the bank will also most likely either terminate your relationship or increase transaction fees. Penalties are not openly discussed nor widely publicized, but they can be catastrophic to a small business.

Yes. PCI compliance doesn’t require a connection to the Internet, or even a computer system. PCI compliance is determined by the way you store, handle, or process credit card information, whether hardcopy in a locked filing cabinet, or on the computer.