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Your Guide: To Doing Business With American Express
Your Guide: To Doing Business With American Express
Internet
General Information americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
Point-of-Purchase Materials americanexpress.co.uk/ondisplay
Online Merchant Services americanexpress.co.uk/oms
Marketing Opportunities americanexpress.co.uk/marketing
Telephone
Merchant Customer Services 01273 67 55 33*
? Voice Response (automated phone service) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
? Customer Representatives available Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, and Saturday 9am to 5pm
? If you have any questions about your POS terminal, you can either call Merchant Customer Services
or your POS terminal provider
E-mail
Branch Additions/New Business [email protected]
9 4
Terminal Provider
Name: Number:
1
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Contents
3 Getting Started
4 Processing and Submitting Transactions
6 Reconciling Payment
8 Preventing Fraud
9 Disputes and Chargebacks
11 Point-of-Purchase Materials
12 Marketing Opportunities
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
360827.01_UK_MERCH_TXT_09:A610134_Merchant Pack 08 13/10/09 14:27 Page 2
Getting
Started
1 Where there is any difference between those terms and this booklet, the terms of the Card Acceptance Agreement shall apply.
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Processing
and Submitting
Transactions
The information below details all you need Non Chip and PIN Cards
to know on processing transactions. You can Simply swipe the Card
also find lots more information and FAQs at
If the magnetic strip is unreadable, key in
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
the transaction manually and take an imprint
Chip and PIN of the Card to validate Card presence
Your POS terminal will automatically call
American Express now issues Chip and PIN
Cards, but signature Cards will continue to American Express and respond with an
be in circulation for both American Express Authorisation Code, a ‘Decline’ or a
and other card issuers, including overseas ‘Referral’ message. If you do receive a
Cardmembers travelling to and spending in ‘Referral’ message please call us on
the UK. So, you are likely to see a mix of 020 8551 1111* to obtain a decision
different Card types, and should accept all Always ensure you compare the signature
of them equally. on the receipt to the signature on the back
of the Card. If they do not match, you
Processing the transaction when should refuse the transaction
the Cardmember is present If your terminal is broken or unable to
Checking the validity of the Card automatically connect to American Express
Verify that the Card has not been visually Call American Express Authorisations
altered or tampered with on 020 8551 1111* to obtain an
Chip and PIN Cards Authorisation Approval Code
Contact your POS terminal provider who
Simply place the Card in the ‘Chip’ reader
will be able to advise you on the problem
in your POS terminal
The Cardmember should then enter their PIN If your POS terminal is having difficulty
Return the Card and provide the accepting American Express transactions
Cardmember’s copy of the transaction receipt A contact number and error code may be
If the Chip and PIN transaction fails, simply displayed for further assistance
follow the Swipe Card Procedure detailed If no number is displayed, please contact
below. Please note that if you process the your terminal provider for instructions
transaction using this secondary method,
you may be liable for chargeback if the
Cardmember later disputes the charge
If the Chip and PIN transaction is declined,
you should refuse the transaction
If you receive a ‘Referral’ message
please call us on 020 8551 1111*
to obtain a decision
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Processing
and Submitting
Transactions
When the Cardmember is not present You will then need to process the credit as
a REFUND transaction. Always ensure the
In the case of mail, telephone or internet
Cardmember signs the receipt, if present
transactions, where the Cardmember is not
at time of transaction.
present to sign or to enter their PIN, you
need to follow a slightly different process. Important Note Credits can only be issued
to the American Express Card that was used
Obtain the following information from
for the original purchase.
the Cardmember:
Their name as it appears on the Card Submitting charges and credits
Their 15 digit Card Account Number The submission/reconciliation process varies
The Card’s expiry date by terminal. So, you may need to obtain
The Cardmember’s billing address details from your POS terminal provider.
You must, however:
The delivery address
Ensure your electronic POS terminal has
The Card’s 4 digit security code which is
successfully submitted all transactions
located on the front of the Card (if required
on a daily basis
by your policy)
Submit all charges and credits within
Obtain an Authorisation Approval Code seven days of the goods or services
Please follow your Card not present process being provided or goods being returned
to obtain an authorisation. If this process is
unavailable then please contact the dedicated Echo and Enhanced
number for American Express Authorisations File Acknowledgments
– 020 8551 1111*. Our two file acknowledgement products offer
a simple way of confirming electronically, that
Processing credits your direct submissions to American Express
It is sometimes necessary to issue customer have been received and processed.
credits. Please follow the process detailed below: The ‘Echo’ provides confirmation that a
submission file has been received by us
Record the following information on a
The Enhanced File Acknowledgement
credit note:
(EFA) provides information on the
The 15 digit Card Account Number subsequent processing of submission files,
Date credit was issued and details at a Merchant level, the status
Amount of credit of data, accepted or rejected
Your business name and address These reports are available only to Merchants
Your American Express Merchant Number that submit directly to American Express; they
are not available via third parties. For more
information, please call 01273 67 55 33*.
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Reconciling
Payment
Key things to know about Just take a moment to sign up and you’ll
reconciling payments immediately enjoy advantages like:
Complimentary and secure access to a
Payment Plan – we provide you with a
payment plan outlining the exact number wide range of information about your
of working days prior to settlement. Merchant account in a format that is clear
and easy to use
Paid Net – we deduct the discount on
Simple payment reconciliation with greater
each transaction prior to settlement rather
detail – on each individual transaction
than asking you for payment at the end of
the month. Easy to manage cash flow by viewing
your statement data online – up to two
Offsetting of Credits vs. Debits – we will
days before payment is credited to
offset any adjustments to your account i.e.
your bank account
credits, refunds or chargebacks, prior to
settlement. Quick searches for individual transactions
by amount, date range or card number
American Express is committed to providing
Less paperwork with a fast, flexible
you with efficient and innovative tools
and services to help you manage your online service designed to replace paper
American Express account. statements. You can view, print and
download your statements from the past
Online Merchant Services 13 months
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Reconciling
Payment
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
360827.01_UK_MERCH_TXT_09:A610134_Merchant Pack 08 13/10/09 14:27 Page 7
Preventing
Fraud
Despite the great lengths American Express fraudulent Card transactions made with lost,
and the payment card industry go to in order stolen or counterfeit Cards that could otherwise
to prevent fraud, it continues to be a fact of be charged back to you. Please note this may
life. There are, however, a number of steps not apply if you are on our full fraud recourse
you can take to limit your risk. programme. If we have not certified your
Whenever you are suspicious of a terminals for Chip and PIN, you will be liable
Card or the person presenting it, call for any losses arising from Chip and PIN Card
American Express Authorisations on transactions that are found to be fraudulent
020 8551 1111* and choose the code and could have been prevented if you had
10 option for an authorisation which will installed and used appropriately certified Chip
connect you directly to an Authoriser and PIN terminals. You will remain liable for
fraudulent transactions arising from a failure
For your protection, if you are ever
to follow our standard Card acceptance
suspicious do not confront the
procedures. Please contact your terminal
customer directly
provider directly, if you need any information
When the Cardmember is present, be alert regarding the status of your terminal equipment.
to Cards that are visibly altered or damaged
Always be suspicious of the following: Card Identifier Digits (CID) and
Different delivery and billing addresses Address Verification Service (AVS)
(such situations carry a high risk of fraud) CID is the four-digit security code printed on
A large number of identical high-value items the front of all American Express Cards above
the embossed account number.
A request for immediate or overnight
delivery of expensive items AVS provides the ability to electronically
check your customer’s American Express
Secure customer data billing address and postcode against the
If you store credit, debit or charge card data, details we hold.
especially by electronic means, please ensure Because CID and AVS include the Card
you familiarise yourself with the Payment Card Identifier Digits you can be assured that the
Industry Data Security Standard (‘PCI DSS’). person making the transaction has possession
For more information on how to comply with of the Card and, if you securely deliver to the
data security please visit: validated address, you have greater assurance
americanexpress.com/datasecurity that the chance of the transaction being
fraudulent is minimised. CID and AVS include
Liability shift and offer additional information helping you
If we have certified all of your terminals for Chip to make informed decisions on whether to
and PIN, and you adhere to our standard Card proceed with a Card Not Present transaction.
acceptance procedures as outlined in the Card CID and AVS from American Express are
Acceptance Agreement, you will not be liable for provided to you on a complimentary basis.
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
360827.01_UK_MERCH_TXT_09:A610134_Merchant Pack 08 13/10/09 14:27 Page 8
Disputes and
Chargebacks
A chargeback is a debit for the amount of If you do make an error please contact
a disputed charge that American Express is Merchant Customer Services on
entitled to collect from a Merchant. In order 01273 67 55 33*
to help you reduce the number of enquiries Was the standard Operational Procedure
you receive and the number of chargebacks followed properly?
processed, please ensure you follow the
Always get an Authorisation Approval Code
standard operational procedures which can
be found in our Card Acceptance Agreement Never split a charge to avoid your floor
at Schedule A. limit threshold (if you have one) or to
skip authorisation
We advise that you make these details available
For signature Cards, please ensure that
to your staff so they have a thorough
understanding of how the procedure works. your staff verify the signature against the
If you require additional copies please contact one on the Card
us on 01273 67 55 33*. Ensure you keep all records of sales and
charges so any disputes can be more
Most Cardmember disputes can be avoided,
easily resolved
and outlined below are some common
situations and some helpful hints on how What to do when you receive an
to avoid them: enquiry letter:
Does the Cardmember recognise Respond either by post or fax to the
the transaction? address or fax number indicated on the
letter with all required details, before
Make sure your trading name appears
the reply-by date on the request
on each Cardmember statement
Ensure you indicate in the space provided
To check your trading name, call our
whether Credit or no Credit is due, as
Merchant Customer Services on
supported by your attached documentation
01273 67 55 33*
If no reply is received from you by the
Provide as much data as possible to help
reply-by date, American Express will
the Cardmember recognise the transaction,
deduct the Charge value from your
e.g.; itemise the bill by room, restaurant
Merchant account
or mini-bar
Please note that even where you send
Has a single charge been processed more
a reply, we may still find in favour of the
than once?
Cardmember. We also have rights to
When submitting transactions via your chargeback instantly before notifying you
electronic POS terminal, do not re-swipe where the Cardmember presents sufficient
the Card until the terminal notifies you to evidence to us.
do so. This will avoid the transaction going
through twice unnecessarily
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Disputes and
Chargebacks
10
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Point-of-Purchase
Materials
Being an American Express Merchant, you Be seen in all the best places
can benefit from our extensive range of
All the Point-of-Purchase Materials are
complimentary Point-of-Purchase Materials to
available on a complimentary basis and
help open up your business to the large
can be ordered in the following way:
number of American Express Cardmembers
who look out for the American Express logo. Order online – Visit
It’s worth remembering: americanexpress.co.uk/ondisplay
and choose from the wide range of
As of February 2009 there were over 92
Point-of-Purchase Materials available.
million American Express Cards in force
globally Order by telephone – Call Merchant
(American Express Annual Report 2008, published Customer Services on 01273 67 55 33*.
February 2009)
* Please ensure you have your American Express Merchant number and be prepared to answer security questions when you call.
11
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
Marketing
Opportunities
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
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Marketing
Opportunities
13
americanexpress.co.uk/merchant
American Express Payment Services Limited
Registered Office: Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9TQ, United Kingdom
Registered in England and Wales with Company Number 06301718.
American Express Payment Services Limited is authorised by the Financial Services Authority 11/2009
under the Payment Services Regulations 2009 (Ref No. 484347) for the provision of payment services.