Credit Card Processing

Manny,

This type of thing is handled in hardware by your router/firewall. SMC, NetGear, SonicWall, D-Link, US Robotics, Symantec and many others sell a router/firewall that has a serial port built-in to it so that when your broadband connection dies, it will automatically dial out on an external modem. Note you must have a dialup Internet account in addition to your broadband. If using DSL, you usually get a dialup account with 20 hours or so per month access included. Otherwise, a cheap dialup account for about $10-40 per month.

Cost for the router/firewall ranges from $60 to 2,000, depending on features. External modem with cable run $100-125. Please, please _only_ buy a US Robotics 56k External modem. It _always_ works! Model # USR5686E

For the actual processing of credit/debit cards, you can use any bank/ISO (Mercury works fine as do others) that uses Vital as their processor with the free built-in RMS/MSPOS credit/debit card functions.

Credit card swipes run $70-125. If you decide to do debit cards, and you should look at doing so, add another $125-300 for the pinpad.

You don't have the hardware currently if you want automatic roll over to dial up. The Linksys WRT54G does not have rollover to dialup capability. You need a router that has a serial port on the back to connect to the external modem. Jeff is right. Only use a USR 5686E. We have had good luck with the Netgear FVS338NA router.

If you want to use your old hypercom terminal when the internet goes down, then you don't need rollover to dial up. You can keep your current setup. NPC supports Vital. You need to call them and ask them for a Vital setup sheet.

This is probably best handled by your RMS partner.

Thanks! Now it is fairly clear. I called my NPC sales rep and asked him. Can you recommend a Pin Pad and Magnetic (USB) reader for me please? How does the Pin Pad connect to the PC? USB or serial or wedge or...?

Overall, should I expect the same rate as I have with my standard cc processing or lower? I know it is case by case, but is there a trend?

Thanks aga> You don't have the hardware currently if you want automatic roll over to

Manny,

For the pinpad, only 2 are officially supported, the Verifone 1000SE

and the Ingenico 3010 They connect via the serial port. Remember to buy the cable. For a mag stripe reader, we like the Magtek line USB. Do _not_ buy the HID version. Keyboard emulation works as soon as you plug it in

When dealing with credit cards, _everything_ is negotiable. Your ISO, NPC, may try to raise the rate or not.

Have them fill out the attached sheet and fax it back to you so you can set it up.

To setup credit/debit cards in RMS, click here;

You must have access to CustomerSource.

Jeff,

thanks. One final question. Pin based CC transactions were natively within RMS if I use NPC which is in the pull down menu, ie I do not have to switch away from RMS.

M

"Jeff" wrote:

Manny,

I've never heard of a pin based credit card. Pin based are debit cards.

Not sure what pull down menu you are referring to.

After setup, you will have 1 to 5 credit card tender types, you decide. Some have just a single one called Credit Card, other like to break it down by type of card, Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover, etc

You will also have a Debit Card tender type

When finished with the sale, the cashier selects the proper tender, swipes the card, and in about 2-3 seconds the receipt printer starts printing, if approved.

For the debit card, the cashier selects the Debit Card tender type, swipes the card, asks the customer to enter their PIN # on the pin pad, the customer confirms the dollar amount by pressing the Enter key on the pin pad, and in about 2-3 seconds the printer starts printing

Manny,

Unless you plan on using PCCharge, an extra cost program, do not select PCCharge. For the free built-in credit/debit card RMS software, select Preferred Acquirer... The free stuff _only_ works with Vital. If NPC account can use Vital, you're good to go.

If you are using PCCharge or ICVerify, you have to exit or minimize RMS to process a debit card. In RMS, it just pops up a screen for the customer to enter his/her pin number.

You're receipt settings can remain the same, although, you should get a customer's signature on all credit card transactions, if possible.

Jeff,

it is important to stay within RMS. So Vital is the only way to stay within then? Or Citbank or Mercury if I have understood it correctly. Man, this is confusing. I do not want to have to exit RMS. Then on the other hand, in the getting started guide it states that "PC CHarge and RMS" should be able to communicate together...

Manny

"Jeff" wrote:

Manny,

Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Paymentech, NPC, etc are all ISOs (Independent Sales Organizations). They all resell Vital's processing services.

RMS has a _free_, built-in program that communicates with Vital only.

PCCharge, ICVerify and Atom (if they are still around) are all standalone programs that communicate with different processors, Vital being one of them. They all cost $250+ They also add a layer of complexity, because they work between RMS and the processor.

Assume for kicks you are using PCCharge.

RMS passes the info to PCC. PCC then sends the info to the processor. The processor sends info back to PCC. PCC then sends the info to RMS.

OR

If not using anything but RMS. RMS sends the info to the processor, the processor sends the info back to RMS

You would use these other programs _only_ if your ISO can/will not use Vitals' services or if you require check guarantee or EBT processing.

Jeff,

Mercury is an ISO that processes many Microsoft RMS merchants. We have a few unique capabilities:

1. We can process credit, debit and gift card transactions through RMS. We have our own platform for gift card transactions which we do for free. This can be great if you have multiple locations doing gift on different POS systems.

1. Mercury only processes transactions from integrated point of sale systems. We know how to set them up and support them and do so with the least amount of hassle of any of the processors.

2. Mercury provides a web reporting tool that will show all transactions in real-time (in a safe, truncated format).

Marc Katz Mercury Payment Systems, 800-846-4472

Jeff wrote:

Marc,

Thanks, we already recommend your services here and to our clients occasionally too!

Jeff,

by the way, you keep menti> Manny,

Marc,

One thing that would be great is if you could add functionality to do tips or at least be able to do a pre-auth. Obviously that is not possible through RMS's EDC interface but it doesn't have to use there interface. Here is how I envision it:

1. The cashier enter all the items.
2. The cashier then presses a custom pos button. The pos button captures the current transaction information, performs a pre-auth and prints a reciept.
3. Cashier hands the receipt to the customer to sign and add a tip(if so desired).
4. The cashier then takes back the receipt and either adds a TIP item or enters the tip in as a TenderType, finalizing the transaction in RMS. Could what I have described actually work?

Rob

That is the Vital setup, which is basically for Citibank, BofA, WellsFargo and Paymentech or any Merchant Service provider that can process on the Vital network i.e. Mercury, Abanco...

Rob

Manny,

It depends on whether or not the debit cards are on the national debit card networks, i.e.. Cirrus, Star, Plus, etc