MasterCard and Discover are modifying their rules concerning the processing
of debit, prepaid and gift cards. THIS E-MAIL INCLUDES IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW REQUIREMENTS AND THE TIMELINES REGARDING
AUTHORIZE.NET'S SUPPORT OF THE REQUIREMENTS, SO PLEASE READ IT THOROUGHLY.
MasterCard's rule changes go into effect May 1, 2010, and Discover's rule
changes go into effect April 16, 2010. However, Authorize.Net, MasterCard
and Discover have worked together to extend these dates for all merchants
using Authorize.Net solutions. OUR MERCHANTS WILL NOW HAVE UNTIL JUNE 30,
2011, TO IMPLEMENT SUPPORT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THEIR SYSTEMS.
What are the requirements?
MasterCard and Discover are requiring that all merchants support the
following:
- Balance response transactions - For prepaid and gift cards, once the card
has been used, the remaining account balance will be transmitted along with
the authorization response. The remaining balance must be printed on the
customer receipt, displayed on the Web page or point-of-sale terminal, or
both.
- Partial authorization transactions - When a customer's transaction amount
exceeds the balance available on their debit, prepaid or gift card, instead
of declining the transaction, a partial authorization for the amount
available to the customer will be returned. This will allow the customer to
pay for the remaining amount with another form of payment. This is called a
split-tender transaction.
- Authorization reversals - An authorization reversal is a real-time
transaction initiated when the customer decides that they do not want to
proceed with the transaction, or if the merchant cannot complete the
transaction for any reason. Authorization reversals free up the customer's
available balance on their debit, prepaid or gift card.
What steps is Authorize.Net taking to support these requirements?
Authorize.Net will be updating our systems over the coming months to
support the requirements, but will be dependent on each processor's
readiness. For a table of when we anticipate we will support the
requirements with each processor, please visit
http://www.authorize.net/support/pafaqs/#when.
What do I need to do to support the requirements?
The steps that you will need to take to support the requirements depend on
how you connect to the payment gateway. For example, if you connect using a
shopping cart, point-of-sale device, or other solution, you will need to
contact your solution provider to confirm that they will be supporting the
requirements. If you connect using a direct integration, you should contact
your Web developer for assistance. Please direct your Web developer to
http://www.authorize.net/support/pafaqs/#do for information on the changes
they will need to make.
Do I have to support the requirements?
MasterCard and Discover are requiring all merchants to support the
requirements with the exception of merchants that exclusively process
transactions via batch uploads, mail order/telephone order (MOTO), or
recurring payment transactions. Your Merchant Service Provider (MSP) is
ultimately responsible for determining if the requirements apply to your
business, so please contact them for assistance in determining if your
company is exempt.
Once again, these requirements will not be enforced for Authorize.Net
merchants until June 30, 2011. However, we wanted to bring them to your
attention now so that you have plenty of time to plan for their
implementation.
For more information on the requirements, including how they affect our
value-adding services, please visit our FAQ page at
http://www.authorize.net/support/pafaqs/.
Thank you for your attention to these important changes and for being an
Authorize.Net merchant.
Sincerely,
Authorize.Net
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