Listed below are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding how to use the payment gateway.
Where else can I go if I have questions about my payment gateway account or the Merchant Interface?
How do I contact Customer Support?
How do I update my user profile (phone number, email address)?
How do I change my user password?
How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to payment gateway account notification emails?
How is a credit card transaction processed?
How do I connect my website to the payment gateway to submit transactions?
How do I charge a credit card or bank account?
How do I refund a credit card or bank account?
How do I view my transactions?
Why is my customer’s credit card being declined?
What does "Address provided does not match billing address of cardholder" or "AVS mismatch" mean?
How do I obtain a voice authorization for a transaction?
How do I charge a credit card once I have a voice authorization?
How do I close my payment gateway account?
How do I protect my account against credit card fraud?
I can't find my eCheck.Net® Service Application. Where can I get another one?
What is the Gateway Monthly Fee?
How can I view my payment gateway billing statement?
How can I view my eCheck.Net statements?
How do I update my business information (address, phone number, website address)?
Which integration method should I use?
What card swipe devices are supported?
Can I process international transactions?
How do I obtain a transaction key?
What is a transaction fingerprint?
How can I customize the payment gateway hosted payment form?
Why am I receiving response code 103 when trying to issue a refund?
What is the difference between a linked and unlinked credit?
What tools are available for controlling fraudulent transactions?
Where else can I go if I have questions about my payment gateway account or the Merchant Interface?
The Knowledge Base provides comprehensive answers to virtually any customer support question, as well as useful links to demos and information on contacting us. We strongly recommend using the Knowledge Base anytime you need help.
How do I contact Customer Support?
You can contact Customer Support for help with any technical, billing, or account questions. Customer Support is available from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday (closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas). To contact Customer Support, click the Contact Us icon in the Merchant Interface. A pop-up window opens listing the numbers and links you can use. For your convenience, this information is also listed below (Note: This information is subject to change. Please use the Contact Us icon in the Merchant Interface for the most reliable source of contacting Customer Support).
E-mail: support@authorize.net
Chat: Click the Live Help icon in the Merchant Interface
How do I update my user profile (phone number, email address)?
You can easily update your account information on your User Profile page of the Merchant Interface.
Step 1: Click User Profile in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Edit Profile Information.
Step 3: Update your First Name, Last Name, Title, Phone Number, Extension or Email Address(es) as necessary.
Step 4: Click Submit.
How do I change my user password?
You can change your user password at any time in the Merchant Interface.
Step 1: Click User Profile in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Change Password.
Step 3: Enter your current password.
Step 4: Enter a new password.
Note: Your password must be at least eight (8) characters long and contain a combination of upper and lower case letters and numbers.
Step 5: Re-enter the new password in the Confirm New Password text field.
Step 6: Click Submit.
Please consider the following guidelines for selecting a strong password for your user account.
Your password should not contain any information about you that can be easily discovered, such as a spouse or child’s name, a license plate number, or the numbers in your street address.
Do not share your password with anyone. If you have reason to believe that your password might have become compromised, change it immediately.
Do not write your password down. Keep it in memory only. If you absolutely must write your password down, store it in a secure location accessible only to you.
Do not enable settings that allow your Web browser to remember your password.
If for any reason you need to share your password, do so only in person or over a live phone call with an authorized person. Never share your password in an email, voice mail, or chat session.
Never display or transmit your password in any communication or online transmission (other than when logging into your account).
Never share your login ID and password in the same communication.
How do I subscribe or unsubscribe to payment gateway account notification emails?
You can easily subscribe to payment gateway account notification emails on your User Profile page of the Merchant Interface.
Step 1: Click User Profile in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Edit Profile Information.
Step 3: Click the check boxes to select the email types you would like to receive. You will not receive email types that are not selected.
Step 4: Click Submit.
How is a credit card transaction processed?
The following steps summarize a credit card transaction processed through the payment gateway.
Step 1: The merchant submits a credit card transaction to the payment gateway on behalf of a customer using a secure connection from a website, at a retail location, from a mail order/telephone order (MOTO) center, or using a wireless device.
Step 2: The payment gateway passes the transaction securely to the Credit Card Interchange (a network of financial entities that manage processing and settlement) using the merchant bank’s processor.
Step 3: The Credit Card Interchange routes the transaction to the customer’s credit card issuer.
Step 4: The credit card issuer approves or declines the transaction based on the customer’s available balance and passes the transaction results and (if approved) the appropriate funds back through the Credit Card Interchange.
Step 5: The Credit Card Interchange relays the transaction results back to the payment gateway using the merchant bank’s processor.
Step 6: The payment gateway sends the transaction results to the customer and/or the merchant.
Step 7: The Credit Card Interchange passes the appropriate funds for the transaction to the merchant’s bank, which then deposits funds into the merchant’s bank account.
For more information refer to the Implementation Guides.
How do I connect my website to the payment gateway to submit transactions?
There are multiple ways to connect to the payment gateway. You should choose the connection method that best suits your business needs and Web development resources.
Advanced Integration Method (AIM) – AIM offers the most flexible integration, allowing merchants to host their own secure payment form and send transactions to the payment gateway using an end-to-end SSL or TLS connection.
Server Integration Method (SIM) – SIM uses scripting techniques to authenticate transactions with a unique transaction fingerprint. SIM also provides a customizable payment form and receipt page hosted on the payment gateway’s secure server.
Certified Shopping Carts – Certified shopping carts integrate to the payment gateway using AIM and are compliant with the highest payment gateway security standards. Certified shopping carts are an ideal solution for merchants with minimal Web development resources.
For a full description of these methods, please review the Implementation Guides.
How do I charge a credit card or bank account?
There are three ways you can submit charge transactions to the payment gateway.
Enter a charge transaction in the Virtual Terminal
Step 1: Click Virtual Terminal in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Select the Payment Method for the transaction that you need to enter. Depending on your account configuration, you might have up to four options available: Charge a Credit Card, Refund a Credit Card, Charge a Bank Account, and Refund a Bank Account. For a charge transaction, select either Charge a Credit Card or Charge a Bank Account.
Step 3: If you have chosen to charge a credit card, you must also select the Transaction Type. Three options are available: Authorize and Capture, Authorize Only, and Capture Only.
If you select Authorize and Capture, the transaction will be sent for authorization and automatically submitted for settlement upon approval.
If you select Authorize Only, the transaction will be sent for authorization but will not be automatically submitted for settlement. These transactions must be captured manually.
If you select Capture Only, you must provide an authorization code. These transactions will be submitted for settlement.
Step 4: Enter the credit card or bank account number and other associated details of the transaction. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Step 5: Click Submit.
For more information on submitting transactions using the Virtual Terminal, please read the Virtual Terminal topic.
Upload a transaction file
You can upload a file of transactions to the payment gateway for processing.
Step 1: Click Upload Transactions in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Upload New Transaction File.
Step 3: Click Browse to locate the transaction file that you need to upload.
Step 4: Click Upload File.
For more information about transaction file formatting and requirements, please see the Upload Transactions topic.
Advanced Integration Method (AIM) or Server Integration Method (SIM)
Your customers can also submit transactions to the payment gateway automatically from your e-commerce website. This is done by connecting your website to the payment gateway using either AIM or SIM. For more information about these connection methods, please review the Implementation Guides.
How do I refund a credit card or bank account?
When submitting a transaction type of refund, the following rules apply:
You can only refund a transaction that has been previously authorized using the payment gateway.
The original transaction that you wish to refund must have a status of Settled Successfully. You cannot issue refunds against unsettled, voided, declined or errored transactions.
The refund transaction must be issued within 180 days of the date the original transaction was settled.
A refund transaction cannot exceed the amount of the original transaction.
The payment method provided in the refund transaction must match the payment method that was provided in the original transaction. You must provide the last four digits of a masked credit card or bank account number from the original transaction.
There are three ways you can submit refund transactions to the payment gateway.
Enter a refund transaction in the Virtual Terminal
Step 1: Click Virtual Terminal in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Select the Payment Method for the transaction that you need to enter. Depending on your account configuration, you might have up to four options available: Charge a Credit Card, Refund a Credit Card, Charge a Bank Account, and Refund a Bank Account. For a refund transaction, select either Refund a Credit Card or Refund a Bank Account.
Step 3: Enter the details of the transaction, including the original Transaction ID in the Original Transaction ID text field. Other required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).
Step 4: Click Submit.
For more information on submitting refund transactions using the Virtual Terminal, please read the Issuing Credits Guide and the Virtual Terminal topic.
Upload a transaction file
You can upload a file of transactions to the payment gateway for processing. For refunds, the original Transaction ID must be included in the "Transaction ID" file position of the upload file.
Step 1: Click Upload Transactions in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Upload New Transaction File.
Step 3: Click Browse to locate the transaction file that you need to upload.
Step 4: Click Upload.
For more information about transaction file formatting and requirements, please see the Upload Transaction File Guide.
Advanced Integration Method (AIM) or Server Integration Method (SIM)
You can also submit automatic refund transactions to the payment gateway. This is done by integrating to the payment gateway using either AIM or SIM. The original transaction ID must be submitted. For more information about these connection methods, please review the Implementation Guides.
How do I view my transactions?
There are multiple ways to view transactions in the Merchant Interface.
Perform a Transaction Search
Step 1: Click Transactions in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Enter your search criteria. You can view transactions within a date range, of a particular status, or for a specific customer or account number. Combine criteria to narrow your search.
Step 3: Specify the number of results that you wish to view per page.
Step 4: Click Search.
The payment gateway will return a list of transactions that match your specified search criteria. You can view details for any transaction included in this result set by clicking the Transaction ID.
For more information about the Search feature, please read the Transaction Search topic.
Manage Unsettled Transactions
You can view a list of transactions that have not yet been submitted for settlement. These transactions can be voided or captured prior to being picked up for settlement (depending on their status).
To view unsettled transactions, click Unsettled Transactions at the top of the main left side menu. You can view transaction details for any unsettled transaction by clicking the Transaction ID.
For more information about viewing unsettled transactions, please read the Unsettled Transactions topic.
Run Transaction Reports
You can also run a report to view a list of settled or declined transactions by settlement batch date.
Step 1: Click Transaction Detail in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Select an item type from the Item Type drop-down list.
If you select Settled Transactions, you will view the complete list of transactions submitted for settlement in the selected settlement batch.
If you select Declined Transactions, you will view the list of transactions within a settlement batch that were declined during authorization.
Step 3: Select a settlement batch date from the Date drop-down list.
Step 4: Click Run Report.
For more information about running a transaction report, please read the Transaction Detail Reports topic.
Why is my customer’s credit card being declined?
The payment gateway does not always receive a specific reason as to why a credit card transaction is declined by the card issuing bank. All of the details provided by the processor for a transaction are displayed on the Transaction Detail page. In the case where a transaction has been declined due to AVS Mismatch or Card Code Mismatch, this information is displayed at the top of this screen indicating the reason for the decline.
What does "Address provided does not match billing address of cardholder" or "AVS mismatch" mean?
These are two responses generated by the Address Verification Service (AVS), a credit card verification system that compares the billing address information provided by the customer with the billing address on file at the customer’s credit card issuing bank. The processor then returns an AVS response code that describes the status of the match. The payment gateway compares the AVS response code against the AVS settings established by the merchant in the Merchant Interface and either accepts or rejects the transaction.
The AVS filter is not intended for use as absolute protection against fraud, nor is it intended for use in all processing scenarios. Settings should be made carefully to be sure that the filters are implemented appropriately based on specific processing needs.
For more information about the AVS response codes and settings, please read the Address Verification Service topic.
How do I obtain a voice authorization for a transaction?
The following phone numbers can be called to obtain a voice authorization for credit card transactions.
Visa: 800-228-1122
MasterCard: 800-228-1122
American Express: 800-528-2121
Diners Club: 800-525-9040
Discover/Novus: 800-347-1111
JCB: 800-522-9345
For Visa and MasterCard the following phone numbers should be used for certain processors:
Nova: 800-725-1243, 800-834-0409, or 800-337-9010
GPS: 800-777-0225
During the call, you will be required to submit your merchant number. If you do not have your merchant number, contact your Merchant Service Provider. If the credit card transaction is approved, you will be given an authorization code. For more information on how to submit a Capture Only transaction, please see the Virtual Terminal topic.
How do I charge a credit card once I have a voice authorization?
After you receive a voice authorization from the credit card issuer to charge a credit card, you need to capture the transaction.
Step 1: Click Virtual Terminal in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Select the Charge a Credit Card payment method.
Step 3: Select the Capture Only transaction type.
Step 4: Enter the required transaction information, including the authorization code.
Step 5: Click Submit.
Please note that your merchant bank might charge you an additional fee for processing a voice-authorized transaction. For more information, contact your Merchant Service Provider.
How do I close my payment gateway account?
you need to contact Customer Support in order to close your payment gateway account. To authenticate that you represent your payment gateway account, you will be required to supply some account information, which might include:
your Payment Gateway ID
the last four digits of the checking account number or credit card number that we bill for monthly service charges
the last four digits of the Account Owner's Social Security Number or Federal Tax ID number
You can choose one of the following ways to contact Customer Support to initiate a request to close your payment gateway account.
Call
You can call Customer Support toll-free at 877-447-3938, available Monday through Friday, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
eTicket
Send a request to close your account using the eTicket service from within the Merchant Interface.
1. Log on to the Merchant Interface at https://account.authorize.net. Make sure you log on to the Authorize.Net account that you want to close.
2. Click Contact Us at the top of the page.
3. Click Create a New eTicket.
4. Verify your contact information and then type your request for account closure in the space provided.
5. Click Submit to send the account closure request to Customer Support.
For security reasons, we will not close your Authorize.Net account by email. To verify your identity, you must send your request using the eTicket service from within the Merchant Interface. It is important you do not send any other sensitive information by e-mail.
How do I protect my account against credit card fraud?
For account security information and tips on maximizing the protection of your account, please review the Security "Best Practices" White Paper. This document can also be accessed by clicking on the Reference & User Guides button in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files window.
I can't find my eCheck.Net service application. Where can I get another one?
The eCheck.Net service applications are available for download online. There are two versions of the application.
Standard eCheck.Net® Service Application – For merchants with an estimated monthly electronic check processing that exceeds $20,000.00. You should submit this application if you are a Sole Proprietor, Partnership, Corporation, LLC, Professional Corporation, or Personal Guarantor.
What is the Gateway Monthly Fee?
The Gateway Monthly Fee is a flat monthly service fee. This fee is established by the reseller or Merchant Service Provider that created your payment gateway account.
How can I view my payment gateway billing statement?
You can view your Billing Statement at any time in the Merchant Interface.
Step 1: Click Statements in main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Billing Statement.
For more information about your Billing Statement, see the Billing Statement topic.
How can I view my eCheck.Net statements?
You can view your eCheck.Net statements at any time in the Merchant Interface.
Step 1: Click Statements in left side menu.
Step 2: Click Settlement Statement or Billing Reserve Statement.
For more information about your Settlement or Billing Reserve statements, see the Statements topic.
How do I update my business information (address, phone number, website address)?
You can edit your billing address on the Merchant Profile page of the Merchant Interface.
Step 1: Click Merchant Profile in the main left side menu.
Step 2: Click Edit Business Information.
Step 3: Update your Address, Phone Number, Fax Number, Products/Services Description, website Address, and Shopping Cart Solution as necessary.
Step 4: Click Submit.
For more information about your Merchant Profile, see the Merchant Profile topic.
Which integration method should I use?
The following questions might help you determine what integration method you should use. You might need to contact your Web developer for additional information regarding these questions.
Is a credit card physically presented to the merchant during a transaction? If YES, use Card Present (CP).
Do you or the shopping cart (or other service provider) you are using have a SSL/TLS certificate? If YES, use Advanced Integration Method (AIM). If NO, use Server Integration Method (SIM).
Do you require the payment form to show your website’s domain name (for example, http://www.merchant.com)? If YES, use AIM. If NO, use SIM.
Do you want to keep the customer on your website throughout the payment process? If YES, use AIM. If NO, use SIM.
AIM – AIM is the recommended method of integration for all Card Not Present (CNP) merchants. AIM offers the most flexible integration, allowing merchants to host their own secure payment form and send transactions to the payment gateway using an end-to-end Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection.
SIM – SIM is the recommended solution for all merchants who do not have an SSL certificate. SIM uses scripting techniques to authenticate transactions with a unique transaction fingerprint. SIM also provides a customizable and secure payment gateway hosted payment form to make integration easy. The payment gateway can handle all the steps in the secure transaction process; payment data collection, data submission, and the response to the customer.
CP – The CP integration method is designed for developers and providers of point-of-sale (POS) systems and retail payment solutions. To connect to the payment gateway using the CP integration method, retail and mobile merchants only need to purchase a ready-to-install POS solution or device.
For detailed information about AIM, SIM and CP, and for additional guidelines on choosing the integration method that will best meet your business needs, please refer to the Implementation Guides.
What card swipe devices are supported?
We support any card swipe device that is used in conjunction with our point-of-sale (POS) partners’ premier retail and mobile payment processing systems or solutions. To view a list of our certified POS partners, please visit our POS Solutions Directory.
Can I process international transactions?
Yes. Merchants can submit transactions to the payment gateway on behalf of non-U.S. customers. To do so, your bank account must be with a financial institution located in the United States, and you must be configured to accept the customer’s card type: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diner’s Club, or EnRoute. The payment gateway will submit the amount of the transaction to the customer’s card issuer, who will then handle all currency conversion to U.S. dollars. Since default Address Verification Service (AVS) settings might cause foreign transactions to be declined, merchants who plan to regularly accept international transactions should make sure that their AVS settings are configured to meet their business needs.
The payment gateway generated transaction key is a complex value that uniquely identifies a merchant’s payment gateway account, and is similar to an account password. Transaction keys are used to authenticate requests submitted to the payment gateway, and can be obtained in the Merchant Interface. To learn more about Transaction Keys, please see the API Login ID and Transaction Key topic in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.
How do I obtain a transaction key?
Please follow these steps to obtain a transaction key:
Step 1: Click Settings in the left side menu.
Step 2: Under Security Settings, click API Login ID and Transaction Key.
Step 3: Verify your identity by requesting and confirming a PIN.
Step 4: To disable the old transaction key, click the Disable Old Transaction Key check box.
Note: If the Disable Old Transaction Key check box is not selected, the old Transaction Key will automatically expire in 24 hours.
Step 5: Click Submit to continue. Your new Transaction Key appears.
To learn more about Transaction Keys, please see the API Login ID and Transaction Key topic in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.
What is a transaction fingerprint?
A transaction fingerprint is a hash generated using the HMAC-MD5 hashing algorithm on a set of merchant- and transaction-specific fields, including the merchant’s transaction key. A unique, single use transaction fingerprint is required for each transaction sent to the payment gateway using SIM. If the transaction fingerprint cannot be validated the transaction request will be rejected.
How can I customize the payment gateway hosted payment form?
You can customize the background, text color, header, footer, and the form fields displayed on the payment gateway hosted payment form.
Step 1: Click Settings in the left side menu.
Step 2: Under Transaction Format Settings, click Payment Form.
Step 3: Customize the payment form settings to your business.
For more information about customizing the payment gateway hosted payment form, please see the Payment Form topic in the Merchant Interface Help Files. For more information on how to upload an image to the payment gateway for use on the hosted Payment Form, please see the Implementation Guide for your integration method.
Where can I find a listing of transaction response codes or error messages and their possible causes?
The implementation guides include a detailed listing of all response, or error, codes and the reasons why they would be received. Please refer to our Implementation Guides for more information.
You can also troubleshoot certain errors by using our Response Reason Code Tool.
Why am I receiving response code 103 when trying to issue a refund?
Response code 103 can be received in the event that your payment gateway account is configured for Expanded Credits Capabilities (ECC), and the account password is being submitted with transactions. To resolve this issue, submit the account transaction key in place of the password.
To learn more about Transaction Keys, please see the API Login ID and Transaction Key topic in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.
You can also troubleshoot certain errors by using our Response Reason Code Tool.
What is the difference between a linked and unlinked credit?
A linked credit is a refund transaction submitted against a charge transaction that was originally processed through the payment gateway. By default, all payment gateway accounts require that credit transactions be submitted with the transaction ID of the original charge transaction, be less than the original charge amount, and that the original transaction be less than 180 days old.
An unlinked credit is not linked to a previous charge transaction processed through the payment gateway and has no date or amount restrictions. In order to process unlinked credits, you must apply for Expanded Credit Capabilities (ECC) by submitting the Request for ECC Form.
The Address Verification Service (AVS) is a system designed by bankcard processors to aid in the detection of suspicious transaction activity. For a transaction, AVS matches billing address information provided by the cardholder with the cardholder’s billing address on file at the credit card issuing bank. The processing network then sends an AVS response code indicating the results of the match to the payment gateway. This service is included with every standard Card Not Present payment gateway account and is highly recommended for all e-commerce and Mail Order/Telephone Order transactions.
For more information about AVS, please see the Address Verification Service topic in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.
Card Code Verification, or CCV, is a payment gateway feature that verifies the card code submitted by the customer with the card-issuing bank. Transactions with card codes that do not match are rejected by the payment gateway according to the settings configured by the merchant. This feature provides merchants with an extra measure of security against credit card fraud.
The card code is a three- or four-digit code assigned to a customer’s credit card number. This number is found either on the back of the card or on the front of the card at the end of the credit card number.
What tools are available for controlling fraudulent transactions?
For general protection from fraudulent transactions, it is highly recommended that you use AVS and CCV. However, for advanced prevention, we offer the Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (AFDS), a set of transaction filters and Internet Protocol (IP) address tools designed to help with the detection and prevention of suspicious transactions. Based on extensive research and transaction behavior analysis, this set of fraud filters was built to help merchants implement a flexible, rules-based fraud prevention solution customized to meet unique transaction processing needs. Using these filters proactively can significantly enhance day-to-day efforts to identify and control potentially fraudulent transactions.
For more information about AFDS, please see the Advanced Fraud Detection Suite topics in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.
The payment gateway automatically batches all transactions that are marked for settlement once a day based on the transaction cut-off time configured for your account. To view or edit your batch cut-off time, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Click Settings in the left side menu.
Step 2: Under Business Settings, click Transaction Cut-Off Time.
Step 3: View or configure the batch/transaction cut-off time for your business.
For more information about the transaction cut-off time, please see the Transaction Cut-Off Time topic in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.