When performing a payment transaction, you must request authorization from the issuer to accept a card for payment. It helps determine if the card number is valid; the card hasn’t been lost or stolen; and there are sufficient funds to cover the transaction. An authorization code does not guarantee that a transaction will not be disputed later.

An authorization request is made either through the POS device or by calling the Voice Authorization Center at the number on your POS device. When you process a card, you may get one of several authorization responses: approval; decline (ask for alternate payment form); referral or card auth (call the Voice Authorization Center); and decline pick-up (do not return the card).

When performing a payment transaction, you must request authorization from the issuer to accept a card for payment. It helps determine if the card number is valid; the card hasn’t been lost or stolen; and there are sufficient funds to cover the transaction. An authorization code does not guarantee that a transaction will not be disputed later.

An authorization request is made either through the POS device or by calling the Voice Authorization Center at the number on your POS device. When you process a card, you may get one of several authorization responses: approval; decline (ask for alternate payment form); referral or card auth (call the Voice Authorization Center); and decline pick-up (do not return the card).

When performing a payment transaction, you must request authorization from the issuer to accept a card for payment. It helps determine if the card number is valid; the card hasn’t been lost or stolen; and there are sufficient funds to cover the transaction. An authorization code does not guarantee that a transaction will not be disputed later.

 

The cost of accepting card payments is driven primarily by interchange. When you settle your transactions each day, Elavon’s network routes them to the respective card associations (like Visa®, MasterCard®, Discover® Network and UnionPay) and debit networks through interchange. Card associations and debit networks establish the rules and manage the interchange of all transactions, for which they charge fees to offset their costs. Interchange fees are paid at the time the transaction is exchanged.

Although interchange fees are applied to all credit card processors equally, they fluctuate in amount based on a variety of factors. Card associations quote the lowest rate for a transaction, assuming that a number of requirements (which vary according to the card type, the type of business accepting the card payment, and the transaction channel) are met. Transactions that meet all of the requirements for your industry are charged the “qualified rate.” If one or more of these requirements are not met, the transaction is categorized at a more expensive interchange level, known as a “downgrade.”

Some common causes of downgrades include manually entering or requesting voice authorization for a significant number of transactions rather than use a POS device; or you routinely settle transactions more than 24 hours after they are authorized.

A chargeback is a transaction disputed by the cardholder or card issuer. Businesses must be able to provide proof that the disputed transaction is valid and in accordance with Visa/MasterCard regulations or risk having their account debited for the disputed amount.

If you receive a chargeback, we will debit your DDA for the amount of the transaction, including any applicable currency fluctuations, and send you a chargeback notice. This notice includes the details of the transaction as well as specific instructions on how to respond. A business receiving a chargeback notice must provide proof that the transaction is valid and satisfactory to the rules/regulations of Visa/MasterCard to get money back. Receiving a chargeback notice can also mean extra processing time and cost to you, a narrower profit margin, and possibly a loss of revenue. That’s why it’s important to carefully track and manage the chargebacks that you receive, avoid future chargebacks, and know your representment rights.

After being notified by a cardholder about a disputed transaction, the cardholder’s issuing bank may order a copy of that particular sales draft through us to determine what occurred at the point of sale. This is called a copy request or retrieval. A retrieval request most often occurs when a cardholder loses their copy of the transaction receipt, does not remember the transaction or questions the transaction for any reason.

A chargeback is a transaction disputed by the cardholder or card issuer. Businesses must be able to provide proof that the disputed transaction is valid and in accordance with Visa/MasterCard regulations or risk having their account debited for the disputed amount.

 

Understanding the merchant processing industry can get confusing at times. There are many different elements that make up a merchants fees for processing, the biggest of which is called Interchange. These are fixed rates, discount rates and discount per item (DPI) that the issuing banks charge all processors for over 300 different card types, transaction methods and industries. In addition to Interchange, you have Dues and Assessments that are being charged by the associations, as well as the processors margins.