Virtual Merchant Cost Overview and Start-up Guide

Transcription

1 Virtual Merchant Cost Overview and Start-up Guide Part 1: Cost Overview Credit Card Processing The statewide epermitting system supports credit card transactions. The credit card processing function that Accela uses is Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant. PCI compliance documentation can be provided to participating cities or counties upon request. At this time, only payments via Visa or MasterCard credit cards are approved for use in the statewide epermitting system. All credit card payments are processed through the Virtual Merchant payment processor. Each participating city or county will need to set up a Virtual Merchant account. Instructions for setting up these accounts can be found below. There are some costs incurred by using this service. Below is a quick summary of the fees associated with your Virtual Merchant account. Virtual Merchant Account Fees 1. Initial Setup Costs- There is an initial $ charge for setting up a Virtual Merchant account for payment processing that includes: $200 cost for the software $95 application / set-up fee However, if the jurisdiction already utilizes Virtual Merchant for payments outside of the epermitting system Virtual Merchant will not assess software setup costs and make a note the terminal as customer owned. For example, if you already utilize Virtual Merchant for processing other city/county department billing- this does not include Basic Services/QuickPermits as they are a part of the epermitting system. (Note: Because the software is Internet-based, jurisdictions will not need to load additional software onto their systems.) 2. Monthly Fees- Monthly fees total $ They include: $10.00 software fee $7.00 monthly PCI fee $5.00 bank statement fee (Note: These fees are listed as Other Fees on your monthly bank statement.) 3. Per Transaction Fees- There are four (4) fees attached to each transaction processing using Virtual Merchant. Interchange Rates/Per Item*. Interchange fees varies from percent to percent with the type of credit card and the type of card account used. Per Item fees range from $0.00 to $0.25 (Note: As of 2011, the most common fee amount seen on the state s US Bank statement has been 2.5% per transaction.) Card Association Assessment Fees: o Discover 0.10% + $ , o MasterCard 0.11% + $0.0185, and o Visa 0.11% + $0.02 1

2 Virtual Merchant Per Item: $0.10/transaction U.S. Bank fee: 15 BPS (0.15%) EXAMPLE- US Bank charges for a transaction total of $ on a Visa credit card. ITEM COST Interchange Rate 1.43% + $0.05 $1.48 Visa Assessment Fee (0.11% + $0.02) $0.13 US Bank Fee (0.15%) $0.15 Virtual Merchant Fee ($0.10) $0.10 TOTAL charge for this transaction $1.86 From US Bank: A comparison with over-the-counter credit card payments: Jurisdictions that are currently accepting credit cards at the counter are already paying fees for those transactions. In comparing the costs of handling a transaction at the counter to the cost of handling a transaction though the epermitting system, there are minimal or no additional costs incurred with epermitting. The bonus is freeing up counter staff time. The US Bank fee of 0.15% is the rate normally offered companies doing $20.0 MM [million] in annual sales so transactions through epermitting are almost certainly at a lower rate than jurisdictions are currently paying for over the counter credit card transactions. If you have any questions about the transaction costs or fees or banking operations, please contact: Michael Hodge Regional Manger US Bank Merchant Payment Services Government & Institutional Sales [email protected] (503) Office (503) Mobile (678) Fax Part 2: Start-up Instructions **IMPORTANT NOTE: The process for establishing and setting up a new Virtual Merchant account should not begin any sooner than one month prior to a jurisdiction s anticipated Go Live date in order to avoid paying monthly fees and other charges before utilizing the system. Once an application is submitted to US Bank they can only hold onto it for a short time before processing it and moving forward. Contact the epermitting Help Desk at or [email protected] if you have questions about the timing of this process.** Getting Started: The following items need to be done in the order indicated: 1. Set up Merchant Account with US Bank by: Contacting Michael Hodge ([email protected]) to request setting up a merchant account with the bank. CC: [email protected] on this correspondence. 2

3 Once you request the set up of a merchant account with US Bank, Michael Hodge will send you an Information Checklist; it is just one page. You need to complete it and return it to him. Next you will receive the more detailed application that requires signatures. Complete and return this application as directed when you received it. Once US Bank has your application it is reviewed for accuracy and completeness. US Bank will contact you within hours if you need to supply any additional information to them. If complete, their credit underwriting approval process takes between three (3) and five (5) days. NOTE: If you prefer to use another bank you will still have to establish a US Bank Merchant Account, but US Bank can sweep the funds from your account at US Bank into your account at the other bank nightly. Contact Michael Hodge ([email protected]) to discuss this option. 2. US BANK approves your application and sends you: Your merchant ID - comes in a Getting Started Kit and in an from Michael Hodge The umbrella Account ID for epermitting Basic Services. Information about Visa/MasterCard regulation and compliance. A phone number to call to schedule an over the phone Virtual Merchant training session with Elavon. NOTE: Virtual Merchant is the accounting software that lets you manage your account transactions through US Bank. US Bank requires participants to complete a training course outlined by Elavon, which administers the Virtual Merchant web site. Training is done over the phone in about fifteen minutes. Before you schedule training with US Bank a couple of things must happen. 3. Request an ORIENTATION from DCBS where you will receive your Virtual Merchant User ID and Password. Request the orientation by sending an , including: TO: Fred Wenger, [email protected] (manages the Virtual Merchant account at DCBS/BCD) FROM: (The Person who will be trained in the use of Virtual Merchant. ) RE: Request orientation and set up of Virtual Merchant Account CC: Your Building Official (this is required); [email protected] NOTE: This formal notification is to ensure that the Building Official is aware that one or more individuals will have access to the building department financial customer transactions. MESSAGE NEEDS TO INCLUDE: The names of all those individuals who will be trained on the use of Virtual Merchant. The phone number of the lead individual to be trained in Virtual Merchant. 4. DCBS/BCD Phone Orientation Fred Wenger schedules a short phone orientation with you to review some information about the epermitting system s US Bank account the jurisdiction will be under. During this call you will receive the following: Jurisdiction s Virtual Merchant user ID Your password 3

4 5. Set up and receive a minute Virtual Merchant phone training from US Bank. You now have all of the information you need to setup Virtual Merchant training, including: Log into Call Activation to initiate Virtual Merchant WEB training - (866) ext. 2 o Be prepared to share Your Merchant ID (provided by Michael Hodge) The Virtual Merchant Account ID for the epermitting system and (513157) Your Virtual Merchant User ID (provided by Fred Wenger at DCBS during your orientation) Virtual Merchant password (also provided by Fred Wenger at DCBS during your orientation) When scheduling, be sure to request the web-training and let them know that you are part of the State of Oregon s epermitting System and will be taking online payments only. (Note: Failure to mention this may result in a longer training with an overview of services you will not use because of the epermitting set up and online nature of the system.) IMPORTANT: When you are speaking to the trainer be sure to tell them that you are using the BuildingPermits.Oregon.gov site/epermitting System and give them all of the numbers you have received: Merchant ID Virtual Merchant Account ID User Id Password (Note: The trainer does not necessarily ask for this information and if you don t supply it, you may not get the Virtual Merchant web-centric training that you need. Be aware that you will need your User ID and Password to access the site during training.) 6. Policy Statement Review You must provide a policy statement for payment and delivery and refund. The text below contains the default policy statements used of the epermitting system for payment and refunds. Please review these policies. A city or county may provide its own alternate policy statement or additional statement(s). If the policy you would like to use is on your web site please send us a link to that policy. If it is not posted on your web site, send the content of your policy statement to [email protected] and we will make it available on the epermitting web site. If you have any questions, call the epermitting Help Desk at Payment and Delivery Statement DEFAULT POLICY STATEMENTS 1. The applicant must submit a complete permit application. The application can be submitted: By fax. 4

5 Over the Internet through Basic Services-BuildingPermits.Oregon.gov 2. The permit application is reviewed for completeness. 3. When a permit cannot be issued, the applicant is notified by telephone, fax, mail, or that: Additional information is needed. A plan review is required. Incorrect fees or no fees were submitted. 4. After receipt of the fee, the permit is issued: By fax. 5. If the permit is purchased from Quick Permits, the Authorization To Begin Work allows the contractor to begin work on the project, while at the same time allowing the building department to declare the Authorization null and void if the jurisdiction finds that issuance of a permit is in conflict with a local ordinance or land use laws. The permit purchaser must contact the regulating jurisdiction to resolve the issue: Complete permit applications received in person at the counter will be processed while the customer waits. Permit applications received through the mail, fax or through the BuildingPermits.Oregon.gov epermitting Web site that are complete and have the correct payment included will be processed within 1 business day of receipt. If there are minor omissions that can be provided over the telephone by the applicant, staff will complete the form and process the application. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Refund Policy 1. The jurisdiction may authorize the refunding of: Any fee not duly authorized; The fee paid for a permit under which no work is commenced, subject to the limitation of subsection 2 of this section; and, No fee shall be refunded except on a written request by the applicant and received by the jurisdiction no later than 180 days after payment. Requests for waiver or refunding of all other permit fees shall be made to the jurisdiction. 2. The jurisdiction may retain part of the fee to cover administrative costs. 7. Notify epermitting when training, setup, and policy reviews have been completed Please us at [email protected] when you have completed your Virtual Merchant training. 5