Frequently Asked Questions

What is PCI DSS?

This is an acronym for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. PCI DSS is a set of security standards that were created by the major credit card companies (American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa International) to protect their customers from identity theft and security breaches. Under the PCI DSS, a business or organization should be able to assure their customers that its credit card data/account information and transaction information is safe from hackers or any malicious system intrusion. There are 12 key requirements to achieving PCI DSS compliance.

What is Interchange?

Interchange is the percentage and transaction fee charged to merchants to process credit/debit card transactions. Interchange is priced at the transaction level and depends upon the combination of industry category code, the method by which cards are accepted, the card product, and sometimes even varies by transaction size. All banks and merchant processing companies operate from the exact same Interchange, Dues and Assessment costs.

What are Dues & Assessments?

Dues & Assessments are processing fees merchants pay to the Card Associations to finance their roles in the following:

• Operating the network
• Setting rules
• Setting pricing
• R&D (develop new technology, combat fraud)
• Marketing/Branding

They are a set percentage of the sale and are generally collected on a daily or monthly basis. With Monthly Assessments, merchants pay on or around the first of the month via an ACH transaction for the previous month's assessment fees. With Daily Assessments, fees are debited from each batch. Additionally, on the last day of the month, the merchant is assessed additional fees which may include charges for reporting, authorizations, international or cross border transactions, etc.

Why are there different rates on my statement?

The rates vary based on the amount of risk involved in the transaction. The lowest rates will always be the ones where the customer is present and the card is swiped and a receipt signed in a face-to-face transaction. The credit card companies view these types of transactions to be fairly low in risk for fraud, whereas internet transactions and transactions where orders are taken by phone or mail are generally considered higher risk since the customer is not present and the card is not in hand.

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What is a merchant account, and do I need one?

A merchant account is set up with a financial institution to allow you to accept credit card payments directly from your customers. All money collected through your merchant account is deposited directly into your business checking account within 2 to 4 business days. You need a merchant account if you want to take credit card payments from your clients using your own business name, and have the money deposited directly into your business checking account. A merchant application must be filled out, signed, and approved in order to set up a merchant account, and this application serves as a contract with Element for merchant payment processing services.

Do you offer merchant accounts to businesses outside the United States?

Element has the ability to facilitate merchant processing in Canada. Please contact us for additional details.

What Card types are accepted?

All cards are accepted, including MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, and JCB; as well as debit cards.

How do I get set up for Discover Card and American Express?

If you have an American Express merchant ID number, this needs to be provided to us on the merchant application; or you can elect to apply for an American Express account (also on the merchant application) and Element will handle the account set up on your behalf. For Discover, due to their recent changes in policy and procedure for obtaining a merchant account; Element will apply for a new Merchant ID from Discover, even if a previous merchant account existed.

How long does it take to get an account set up?

From the time we receive your application, it generally takes 1 - 3 days to receive your approval. If you are ordering a equipment (terminal, PIN pad, card reader) it is shipped out upon approval, and will generally reach you within five business days. You can begin processing as soon as you have received your designated product(s).

What if I don't get approved?

We have an average 98% approval rate, so it's very unlikely that you wouldn't get approved. We will go over all the details of your business before you apply, so we will do our best to be sure that you will get approved.

How long does it take to receive our funds once an order is processed?

Funds are deposited directly into your business checking account (via ACH) typically within 48-72 hours.

Can I use someone else's merchant account to do my transactions?

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 fines and other severe penalties. In addition, you'll also put that merchant's credit card processing account in jeopardy.

What kind of transaction reporting is available?

Element has a powerful, online reporting suite called Web-based reporting. With Web-based reporting you can review daily batch and transaction detail, reconcile daily deposits, conduct a search by date or card number or transaction amount, view monthly statements online, and much more. You have the option to elect to receive paper statements at the end of each month, too.

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What is an authorization?

As the name implies, an authorization is a transaction you use to:

Help verify that the card is not counterfeit

Verify that the cardholder has sufficient credit for the purchase

Place a "hold" on the cardholder's credit line for the amount of the transaction

An authorization is required in order to complete a Sale transaction.

What is a deposit? Do I need to process a deposit for every sale?

A deposit is the action of submitting your authorized transactions for payment. While an authorization places a hold on a cardholder's available balance to cover your payment, a deposit completes the process of charging your cardholders and remitting payment to your business. In many cases, you have the option of setting your POS device to automatically deposit your transactions daily.

I've already obtained an authorization. Do I still need to process a deposit?

Yes. The funds will not be available to you unless you process the deposit.

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What is a sales draft?

A sales draft is a receipt of acknowledgement that the credit card customer signs upon completion of the transaction. A sales draft is automatically generated and signed by the customer during most face-to-face credit card transactions.

When do I need a sales draft?

For every face-to-face credit card sale, a sales draft must be completed. This draft is a legal and binding contract between you and your customer

If you have a POS system with a printer attached, it will automatically generate a sales draft for credit cards that are deposited electronically. When the draft has finished printing, present it to the cardholder for signature. Give the cardholder the bottom copy of the draft and retain the top copy (with the original signature) for your files.

Do I need to have an imprint of the card for it to be accepted for payment?

You do not need an imprint of the card IF the transaction was swiped through a POS device that produces a paper receipt of the transaction. However, you do need to create an imprinted receipt if the transaction was key-entered into your POS device or a receipt was not automatically generated by your POS device.

What do I do with my copies of the sales draft?

All sales drafts should be stored by the merchant in a restricted access area for at least one year after the transaction date. Further, you should retain all original sales drafts or legible microfilm copies for at least three years after the transaction date.

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What is a credit?

A credit is a refund issued by you to a legitimate customer due to a return, cancellation of a sale or entry error. This transaction reduces your day's processing total.

When should I issue a credit?

A credit is required when a customer returns merchandise or cancels a sale and requests a refund on the amount of the return. You should process the credit through your POS system if the original transaction was electronically deposited.

Am I required to issue a credit?

No. But even if it is your store policy not to issue credits, your customer has the right to seek reimbursement through chargeback procedures. If your store incurs excessive chargebacks, you may be required to pay additional fees and, in extreme cases, have your right to accept Visa or MasterCard revoked.

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What is a chargeback?

A chargeback occurs when a consumer requests a refund from their credit card company. The merchant is billed by its merchant bank, which has been billed initially by the card issuer. A chargeback fee, often up to $35, is charged per incident to the merchant, which is not refundable regardless of the outcome of the dispute. The merchant bank will charge the merchant a fee for the retrieval of information, and if it is determined that the customer is right, there will be another fee for the chargeback itself. The customer will be refunded their money directly through the credit card company and your checking account will be debited. Eventually, if your account has excessive chargebacks, the bank may choose to cancel your account. So, the more you do to protect yourself against chargebacks, the better off you'll be.

Am I liable for chargebacks?

Yes, if the customer has a valid dispute with the charge in question and you do not provide the necessary documentation and/or satisfactorily remedy the situation. If, however, the customer doesn't have a valid dispute and you complied with processing regulations, you may not be liable. If the chargeback is found to have been in error, a merchant will be granted a reversal.

What are some of the different types of chargebacks?

A sale can be charged back for more that 35 valid reasons, the four most common are:

• no signature on a draft
• failure to fulfill a request for a sales draft
• no imprint on a draft
• unauthorized purchase

What is the chargeback procedure?

Most often, the first stage of a chargeback procedure comes in the form of a ‘retrieval request.' A retrieval request is a request from a card-issuing bank to see an original, photocopy or fax of a sales draft to prove the validity of the sale. If one of your customers disputes a Visa or MasterCard sale, you will receive a letter of notification and be requested to send a copy of the signed copy of the draft or other information to your processor.

In most cases, if your records are complete and you have complied with credit card regulations, you can successfully contest chargebacks. It is also possible that the initiation of a chargeback will cause the cardholder's bank to withdrawal funds from your bank account. Note that you would be notified by letter after your account has been debited. This is why we always encourage merchants to maintain a balance in their accounts.

What is my responsibility?

You are required to locate the signed copy of the draft or other requested information and send a copy of it to your processor within the time allowed. Failure to do so will result in a chargeback due to non-receipt of requested item. Your credit card processors may request copies up to three years following the date of sale.

How can I avoid chargebacks?

For Card-Present Transactions:

• Verify that the card number and signature on the receipt matches the number and signature on the card.
• If you manually key in a card number, get a manual imprint of the card.
• Check the expiration date and do not accept expired cards.
• Return policies must be printed on the sales receipt close to the signature line.
• Do not accept a card that looks to have been altered.
• Obtain authorization for the full amount of the sale.
• If a card is declined, do not continue to get an authorization.

For Card-Not-Present Transactions:

• Confirm the customer's card number and obtain the customer's signature on an order form.
• Make the warranty and return policies clear on your Web site, in e-mail and other correspondence.
• Use security features such as AVS to verify the billing address and ZIP code, and CVV2 to verify that the consumer is in possession of the card.
• Ship goods only to the cardholder's billing address and obtain a signed proof of delivery from the shipper for delivered goods.
• Include a customer service telephone number in the billing name that appears on customer's bank statement.
• Never charge a cardholder's card until the goods have been shipped.
• Pay special attention to international purchases since they have a greater risk of credit card fraud.

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