Frecuently Asked Questions

1. How is my money protected?

First Data Independent Sales is equipped to address the key protection issues of both traditional and Internet merchants, including fraud, loss prevention and chargebacks. The company uses state-of-the-art security technology, and the Global Gateway uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology - designed to protect all merchants and payment information.

2. What should I do if I need help with my account?

If you have questions regarding your rates / fees, statements or a specific transaction, please contact our corporate offie at 877-274-7915 or log into you My Merchant Office account. If you have questions regarding anything else, please contact our office at 888-333-5450 (x854 for customer support, x852 for sales).

3. How do I add an Entitlement such as American Express® to my account?

Please contact our customer service department at 888-333-5450 x854. They will put together and send you an Entitlement addendum which shows all of the rates and fees associated with that Entitlement. Once the signed addendum is received back, it will be forwarded to the corporate office for processing and approval.

4. What are non-qualified fees, and and why am I billed for them?

The fees on your account are based upon the qualification of your transactions for certain reduced interchange fee as set by the applicable card association. If a transaction fails to qualify for the reduced interchange fee, the transaction is processed at the higher applicable interchange rate.

You can receive non-qualified fees for various reasons. Some include hand-keying transactions into the terminal in a face-to-face environment, not entering address information and card verification codes for keyed transactions, settling transactions more than 24 hours from the time the card was authorized, and accepting a corporate/business card. These fees are billed through MasterCard and Visa, and they can be avoided. For further information regarding specific charges, please contact our corporate office at 877-274-7915.

5. My terminal displayed a decline message. What does this mean?

The cardholder's issuing bank is declining the transaction. You will need to ask for another form of payment and advise the cardholder to contact the issuing bank with any questions.

6. How long does it take to receive funding for my transaction deposits?

Funding for most card types usually occurs within 24 - 48 hours. This may depend on your banking account, and the day in which the transaction is completed (i.e. holidays, weekends, etc.)

7. How can I verify deposit or chargeback information?

You can obtain this information by calling our corporate office (877-274-7915) or by logging into your My Merchant Office account.

8. My terminal is prompting for an address and zip code. What does this mean?

The terminal will rpompt for this information if your transaction is being manually or key entered. You will need to enter the first five digits of the number portion of the customer's address and zip code. Address Verification Service (AVS) is used as a security precaution primarily for mail and telephone orders. AVS does not guarantee a transaction.

9. My terminal is prompting for a V code. What does this mean?

The Card Verification Code (CVV or CVC) is the 3 digit code that appears at the end of a credit card number on the back of most cards. For American Express® cards, the CVV is a four digit number which is located on the front of the card above the card number. This code is designed to reduce fraud losses primarily on mail or telephone transactions.

10. My terminal is prompting for the tax amount. What does this mean?

The terminal is prompting for this information because the card that is being used is a corporate or purchasing card transaction. If the tax amount is unknown, you will need to enter "0" and press "enter" on your terminal. If the tax amount is known, enter that amount and press "enter". The terminal will ask if the transaction is tax exempt. You will need to answer accordingly.

11. My terminal has no power lights. What should I do?

Check the power connections. Is the power pack plugged into an electrical outlet and the equipment? Test the outlet by plugging in a lamp or other electrical device that you know is operable. Contact our customer service (877-274-7915) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or our office during normal for further assistance.

12. My terminal shows Call Center/Code R. What does this mean?

This indicates that a condition exists with the cardholder (i.e. suspicion of a possible stolen card) that requires special handling and/or an authorization is not available through the terminal. You will need to contact the appropriate Authorization Center for a verbal authorization. Once you have obtained that authorization, you will need to enter the transaction into the terminal using the force, offline, post-auth or ticket only procedure, depending on the type of terminal that you have. Authorization Center phone numbers include:

MasterCard®/Visa®: 800-228-1122
American Express®: 800-528-2121
Discover: 800-347-1111
JCB: 800-522-9345
Diner's Club®/Carte Blanche®: 800-525-9040

13. I am suspicious of a transaction or a cardholder. What do I do?

If for any reason you're suspicious about a transaction or a cardholder, call your authorization center and ask for a Code 10. Keep in mind, that as a general rule, you cannot request additional identification as a condition of sale. When you call for a Code 10, hold the card. An operator will ask you a series of yes/no questions and then instruct you how to process the transaction.

14. What do I need to do to update my checking account infromation?

To update your checking account information, please fax a copy of a voided check, a copy of your driver's license and a brief signed letter asking for the update to our office. If there are multiple signers on the merchant account, the request letter MUST be signed by all of them, and copies of driver's licenses for all signers MUST be faxed over for the change to be completed.

15. I sold my business. What do I do?

A change of ownership can be obtained by contacting our office directly at 888-333-5450. The change is quick and painless provided that you are within your contractual obligations. Usually, any cancellation fees may be waived if the new owner is opening an account with FDIS through us.

16. I have a referral. What's in it for me?

Please have either the prospective merchant or yourself contact us at 888-333-5450. For any referral that turns into a new account, we will send you a check for $50!* More importantly, you'll get a great big THANK YOU!

17. How can I add a piece of equipment to my existing merchant account?

Contact our office at 888-333-5450 to do so. There are multiple pricing and leasing options available to our merchants who wish to purchase additional equipment. Please do not purchase machines on eBay. These machines may have problems or may be obsolete.

18. I received a call from FDIS regarding equipment purchase. What do I do?

These calls are generated from an outbound call center, by individuals who may or may not have any information on your business type or particitular situation. Please contact us immediately at 888-333-5450 so we may disucess the best options for your business.

19. I need to obtain supplies for my terminal. Who do I contact?

You can contact Customer Service (877-274-7915) to obtain supplies. If you are in a bind, please contact us and we will try to assist you.

20. I've received a notice that my terminal will soon be obsolete. What do I do?

As per Visa©/MasterCard© regulations/mandates, some terminals will be retired in the near future due to compliance issues regarding Credit Card truncation on customer's receipts. Address verification, Visa©'s card verification value 2(CVV2), Derived unique key per transaction (dukpt) for pin-based transactions such as ATM/Debit. Quite simply, these non-compliant machines may not have enough memory or a fast enough modem to support such regulations. If you receive a call/contact from our corporate office regarding such an issue, please contact us (888-33-5450) before making any purchases.

21. I received a call from a competitor offering lower rates/fees. What do I do?

As with any industry, there is always competition. Some competitors may come across as having better programs. However, as with any industry, there can also be several untruths, hidden fees/non-disclosures, long contracts, etc. Please contact us at 888-333-5450 if you are approached by a competitive company as we may have a few options for your business (i.e. Rate Review) After 6 months of processing with FDIS, a full analysis may be requested. We pride ourselves on being extremely competitive and accomidating. We want what is best for your business!