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 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 to the payment gateway to submit transactions?
How do I charge a credit card?
How do I refund a credit card?
How do I view my transactions?
Why is my customer’s credit card being declined?
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?
How can I contact Customer Support?
What is the Gateway Monthly Fee?
How can I view my payment gateway billing statement?
How do I update my business information (address, phone number, Web site address)?
What card swipe devices are supported?
Can I process international transactions?
How do I obtain a transaction key?
Why am I receiving response code 103 when trying to issue a refund?
What is the difference between a linked and unlinked credit?
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 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 may 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 at a retail location or via 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) via 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 via 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.
How do I connect to the payment gateway to submit transactions?
Card Present (CP) integration is designed for developers and providers of point-of-sale (POS) systems and retail payment solutions. This method connects via Advanced Integration Method using a Secure Sockets Layer connection. CP solutions may be developed so that retail and mobile merchants need only to purchase a ready-to-install POS solution or device.
For a full description of this method, please review the Card Present Implementation Guide.
How do I charge a credit card?
You can easily submit charge transactions to the payment gateway.
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: Charge a Credit Card or Refund a Credit Card. For a charge transaction, select Charge a Credit Card.
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 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 help file.
How do I refund a credit card?
When submitting a transaction type of refund, the following rules apply:
You can only refund a transaction that has been previously authorized via the payment gateway.
The original transaction that you wish to refund must have a status of Settled Successfully. You may not 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 the credit card number from the original transaction.
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: Charge a Credit Card or Refund a Credit Card. For a refund transaction, select Refund a Credit Card.
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 help file.
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 help file.
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 help file.
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 help file.
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, Card Code Mismatch, or FraudScreen.Net thresholds, this information is displayed at the top of this screen indicating the reason for the decline.
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 help file.
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 will 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 may 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 will 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 may 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
your user account secret answer
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.
How can 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. – 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 appears 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
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 help file.
How do I update my business information (address, phone number, Web site 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, Web Site Address, and Shopping Cart Solution as necessary.
Step 4: Click Submit.
For more information about your Merchant Profile, see the Merchant Profile help file.
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.
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 help file 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: Type in your Secret Answer (the answer to your Secret Question configured at account setup).
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 help file in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.
Where can I find a listing of transaction response codes or error messages and their possible causes?
The Card Present Implementation guide includes a detailed listing of all response, or error, codes and the reasons why they would be received. Please refer to our Card Present Implementation Guide 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 help file 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 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 help file in the Merchant Interface Online Help Files.