Setting up methods of payments

The website can be set up to allow both credit card and check payments.  Credit cards can be processed manually, or they can be handled automatically by Affiniscape Merchant Solutions or other gateways.  The payment methods are established on the Online Payment page that governs all areas of the site.

Click on the Online Payments link in the administration area.  Then click each tab as shown below and fill out the appropriate fields as instructed.

General Setup

• Would you like for the user to be given link to a printable receipt upon completion of transaction?  Choose Yes in the pull-down menu if credit card and or pay pal payments will be used on the site and a receipt should be offered.

• Payment Introduction: Information entered into the editor will display on the payment page above the area where members choose the method of payment.
  
  NOTE: You can also create specific intros for specific modules (such as the calendar or job bank) that will override this intro when someone pays through that module.  Just click the Maintain Payment Intros link you see above the editor; you can also use the Intro-Payments link in Admin.  See Adding text/instructions to a payment page for details.  Make sure you save any changes on this page before you access payment intros!

Payment Methods

PayPal Setup

You can allow the system to accept credit card payments via PayPal if you wish.  However, if you already have a merchant account for accepting credit cards, you will probably not want to use this option; instead, you will enable credit cards under the Credit Card Setup section below.

• Would you like your members to be able to pay through PayPal? Choose Yes from the pull-down menu if you want the PayPal option on your payment page.

• If yes, please enter your PayPal email address here: Pay Pal Email Address: If you chose Yes above, enter the email address established with PayPal for payments.

Credit Card Setup

If you have your own merchant account, you can accept credit card payments on the website.  Just fill out the questions below.

NOTE: If you do not have a merchant account, you can obtain one that includes automatic credit card processing through Affiniscape Merchant Solutions - and you will almost certainly save money in the process.  Just call 800-644-9060 x5 for Affiniscape Merchant Solutions, or send a Site Setup support request.  We can also help you get set up with automatic credit card processing for an existing merchant account.

• If you are going to accept credit cards, which credit cards will you accept? From the multi-pulldown menu, highlight the credit cards accepted by the organization.  Multiple selections can be made by holding down the CTRL key (Option key on a Mac).  Make sure to only choose card types that are supported by your merchant account.

• Please select any additional fields you would like to include for the user to fill out on the payment page: If you would like to add any additional fields to the credit card form, choose them from this list.  This information will be passed to our payment system, and will also be passed to your automatic credit card processor, if you have one (see Authorization options below).
  
  If you like, you can have your credit card processor use one or more of these fields, such as the billing zip, to further verify the credit card.  Verifying using the billing address and billing zip may reduce the percentage rate you are charged for the transaction by your merchant account provider.  Therefore, it's a good idea to include these fields and to require them (see below).  The security code is not in this list of fields, as it is always included, but you can require it as well (see below).

• Please select any additional fields you would like to require the user to fill out on the payment page: If you want to require any of the fields that you chose in the above list, choose them in this list.  Any fields that you chose in the above pulldown but not in this one will be optional on the credit card form.
  
  For example, you may include all the fields pertaining to the billing address, but you may only require the Billing Address and Billing Zip so that you can verify the card using these fields and reduce the rate you are charged by your merchant account provider.

• Do you want to require users to enter the security code value on their card? The Security Code field (which refers to the 3- or 4-digit code on the back of the credit card) is always included on the payment page.  This option allows you to require this code to be filled in.  Requiring the security code will almost always reduce the percentage rate you are charged for the transaction by your merchant account provider.  Therefore, we highly recommend that you choose Yes for this field.

Authorization Options

If you are accepting credit cards on the site, you can set up automatic credit card processing.  This allows the website to process credit card payments automatically, transfer funds to your merchant account, and update your online payment records.  (Otherwise, you will need to process them manually one at a time through your merchant account.)  Automatic processing greatly relieves the time burden of dealing with payments.

Whether or not you already have a merchant account, you can set up automatic credit card processing through Affiniscape Merchant Services.  Just call 800-644-9060 x5, or send a Site Setup support request for more information.

The following fields are related to automatic credit card processing:

• Would you like to authorize credit card transactions through your VeriSign or Affiniscape Merchant Solutions account?

• Affiniscape Merchant Solutions: This option is available if you have made arrangements with Affiniscape Merchant Solutions to provide you a merchant account and online processing through Plug'n Pay.  With this setting, all your credit transactions and credit payment records will be processed automatically, and the funds from successful transactions will be automatically deposited in your merchant account.
  
  We recommend this solution, as it will provide you the most competitive rates on your credit transactions, and you will have in-house support for your merchant account through Affiniscape Merchant Solutions.  Plus, you can offer credit card processing as a benefit to your members; we will market to them on your behalf, and your association will get a portion of the revenue for each transaction!  That's a great way to generate non-dues revenue and save your members money in the process.

• VeriSign: This option is available if you have made arrangements with Affiniscape Merchant Solutions to provide you with a VeriSign account that hooks up with your existing merchant account.  With this setting, all your credit transactions and credit payment records will be processed automatically, and the funds from successful transactions will be automatically deposited in your merchant account.
  
  While we do support VeriSign, we recommend that you instead use Affiniscape Merchant Solutions and Plug'n Pay for your merchant account and online gateway.  You will almost always get better rates on your transactions, and you will have access to in-house support for your merchant account through Affiniscape Merchant Solutions.

• If you are using Affiniscape Merchant Solutions for credit card processing and have also been set up to take on-line checks (ACH), would you like to allow users to pay on-line by check? If you use Affiniscape Merchant Solutions, then you can optionally have ACH transaction ability set up, which allows someone to pay online using their checking account (rather than using a credit or debit card).  You need to arrange with Affiniscape Merchant Solutions to set up this feature.  Once you do, choosing Yes for this option will add the ACH option to your payment screen.

• If you are using VeriSign or Affiniscape Merchant Solutions, would you like for member registrations/renewals to be automatically made active upon approved VeriSign transactions? Most groups choose for all new members to be Inactive by default (see New Registrant Settings for more details).  This setting allows you to override this for members that pay by credit card if you wish, so that you can automatically activate members whose payment is guaranteed by AMS or VeriSign while making others wait until they are approved by the association.

  Choose Yes if new members should automatically be Active when they pay for their membership online by credit card (assuming their credit card is accepted). If you choose No, the setting on your New Registrant Settings page will be used regardless of whether they pay with credit card.

• If you are using VeriSign or Affiniscape Merchant Solutions, would you like for job bank listings to be automatically marked approved and paid for upon approved VeriSign/Affiniscape Merchant Solutions transactions?  Choose Yes if job bank postings should automatically be approved and posted on the association website when paid for by credit card.  This will override the security setting on your Job Bank or Career Center only when a job is paid for by an approved credit card.

Billing

If you wish, you can allow people to click a link indicating they will pay later, either by a mailed check or in person.  To allow this option, answer the following questions:

• Would you like to allow users to be billed for their transaction (pay later, mail in check, etc...)? Choose "Yes" from the pull-down menu.

• What would you like the text to say on the payment page for this option? Use this area to tailor the link used for check payments.  An example: "Click here to send in your payment with a printable invoice."

Invoices

On this tab, you can choose whether the system provides invoice links, as well as customize what the system puts on invoices and receipts.  If you make changes to these settings, you can go to Payment administration to pull updated receipts and invoices for any existing payment, and any new receipts or invoices generated will use these settings.

• Would you like for the user to be given link to a printable invoice upon completion of transaction? Choose Yes from the pull-down menu if you want a printable invoice to be available after someone chooses the option to pay by check.

• Would you like to include the members company name on all invoices? The system will always pull the name and address of the payer from their database record.  (It cannot pull a name or address if the person paying was not logged in.)  If you wish the system to also attempt to pull the person's company name from the database, choose Yes for this option.  If you do, then any person who is logged in and has a company name in his/her profile will have it listed with the person's name on the receipt or invoice generated by the system.

• Would you like to include purchase details on invoices? If you choose Yes, then the system will include a breakdown of what the person paid for on the invoice or receipt.  This works for calendar events registrations, form generator submissions, convention registrations, and store purchases.

• Invoice Descriptions: The system will list the type of payment on the invoice or receipt generated, depending on what module it came from.  You can change any of the labels used by the system.  For example, when someone fills out a form generator, our system puts the word EMAILFORM on the receipt/invoice by default, but you can change this to "FORM" or "ONLINE SUBMISSION" or anything else you like.

When finished, click Save to save your settings.