Getting Started
Fraud prevention and security
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
General
Getting Started
How do I set up an e-commerce website
First, you need to buy a domain name and some web space to house your website.
Many large companies host the website themselves so they have complete control over it, but this requires investment and a certain amount of technical knowledge. The alternative, popular with small to medium sized companies is to use a third party hosting service, like EROL Hosting. This is usually the best solution, since it allows you to concentrate on your business without having to worry about maintaining your servers.
Next, you need to decide how you would like your website to look. You may wish to employ a web designer to create the site for you. Alternatively, you might prefer to use a piece of software, called a shopping cart like EROL, which will enable you to create the site yourself. Shopping carts are generally very easy to use and will allow you to do everything from designing the look and feel of your website, to handling stock and shopping transactions.
Getting set up with EROL PAY
First, complete our contact form. We will then email you an application form which you need to complete and fax back to us.
If you haven’t already got one, you need to open an internet merchant account. We can help with this and could even refer you to one of our preferred acquiring banks which may speed up the application process. Please indicate on the form if you would like further information about this.
Whilst this is being processed, we will send you the integration guide and a set of templates which you can, if you wish, customise.
When you have finished the EROL PAY integration guide, you are ready to test – if all’s well you can go live.
Merchant accounts
To process transactions from your website you need to set up an internet merchant account with an acquiring bank.
A merchant account is an agreement with a merchant bank that allows you to accept payment by credit and debit card. This is a separate account from your business account and you can have an internet merchant account at a different bank from the one where your business account is located.
There are several types of merchant account available depending on how you want to accept card payments. To accept transactions over the Internet using EROL PAY, you will need an Internet Merchant Account (IMA). To accept transactions via mail order or over the phone using the EROL PAY Virtual Terminal, you will need a Cardholder Not Present (CNP) merchant account (this is sometimes called a Mail Order Telephone Order or MOTO merchant account).
Merchant account costs
All the banks have different requirements and fees. The rates they charge depend on factors such as how long your business has been established, what type of goods or services you sell and your turnover. These fees are set by the bank and are independent of EROL PAY charges.
The bank will usually charge a merchant account set up fee, a percentage rate for credit card transactions and a flat ’per transaction’ fee for debit card transactions. As your online business grows it may be possible to negotiate a reduction in these charges.
Some banks offer improved rates if 3-D Secure is used (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode).
Supported merchant acquirers
EROL PAY currently supports the following merchant acquirers:
Fraud prevention and security
Overview
Internet payment fraud has attracted a great deal of publicity and is something you should guard against.
EROL PAY allows you to accept e-commerce transactions, and incorporates advanced security features to ensure that your customer’s details remain secure throughout the process.
However, this does not mean that the person attempting to order from your site is the genuine cardholder. It is advisable to carry out several checks to ensure that the transaction is not fraudulent. This can also help reduce bank charges. Whilst EROL PAY cannot guarantee you will be immune from fraud, we provide you with some sophisticated tools to minimise your potential exposure to it.
The following features are available within EROL PAY:
-Address Verification System (AVS).
This checks the cardholder address entered on to your website to that registered with the card issuer. If there is a mismatch, the transaction will be declined or flagged as suspicious.
-Card Security Code (variously known as CVV2, CVC2 or CID).
This is the three-digit code printed on the signature strip of MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards, and a four-digit code on the front of American Express cards.
-3-D Secure (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode).
This is a system where as part of the payment process, an online connection is made with the issuing bank and the cardholder is required to enter a previously agreed PIN code or password*.
* Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode are available as an option in EROL PAY. As they are cardholder-activated services, they are not applicable to EROL PAY Virtual Terminal.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
Certification
CreditCall Communications Ltd, the company operating the EROL PAY payment gateway service is certified as a Level 1 compliant provider under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). This is the highest level of compliance.
CreditCall is independently audited annually by a Visa Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and is subject to rigorous security vulnerability scanning every three months.
What is PCI DSS?
The current PCI DSS is the harmonisation of standards originally written by Visa and MasterCard International in order to establish a standard set of requirements throughout the payment card industry. The standard is applicable to all merchants and payment gateways that store, process or transmit cardholder data.
General
What support is provided?
There is a 99.9% Service Level Agreement for availability on the EROL PAY servers. If you require support integrating your EROL store with EROL PAY please contact EROL Support on the normal support channels.
What is a payment gateway?
A Payment Gateway, also called a Payment Service Provider (PSP), provides the secure link between your website and your merchant bank to ensure that your customers' card details are kept secure throughout the transaction process.
What is an Acquiring Bank (Merchant Account)?
An acquiring bank is another term used to describe a merchant bank. You need to set up an account with one of these banks in order to use the EROL PAY service. We can help you setup a merchant account with one of the banks listed below:
What are the costs when obtaining a merchant account?
The costs associated with obtaining a merchant account will vary from bank to bank. The rates you will be charged depend upon a number of factors such as the length of time your business has been established, what type of industry you are in and your turnover. Consequently, it is difficult for us to estimate how much this will cost you.
However, you will usually be charged a set up fee, a percentage rate for credit card transactions and a flat rate for debit card transactions. Over time, as you build a relationship and business history with your bank, you can usually re-negotiate your rates.
How do I get a Merchant Account?
If you do not have an Internet Merchant Account (IMA) or a standard Merchant Account we can help you set everything up - it normally takes 2-3 weeks (subject to the banks 'risk procedures').
If you already have a standard Merchant Account and only need an IMA it will take about 1 week.
If you already have both an IMA and a standard Merchant Account you can be up and running with EROL PAY in 24 hours.
Do I need a Merchant Account before I apply for my EROL PAY account?
No, we can help you set this up.
How long does it take from Application to taking Payments?
It can take from 24 hours, if you already have an Internet Merchant Account, but up to 3 weeks if you do not have a Merchant Account setup.
When will I get my money?
The money will usually be paid into your Merchant Account within 48 hours of the transaction taking place. CreditCall will appear on your Bank statement.
When will I get billed?
You will be billed automatically by direct debit each month, you can select the day. CreditCall will appear on your Bank Statement. You will be billed to the previous months transactions.
Which cards can I accept through EROL PAY?
Visa, Visa debit, American Express, Maestro, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Solo
Laser for Ireland and Discover for USA can be made available on request.
What is AVS?
The Address Verification System (AVS) checks the cardholder address entered on your website to that of the registered card issuer.
What is CVV2?
This is the three-digit Card Security Code printed on the signature strip of MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards, and the four-digit code on the front of American Express cards.
What is 3-D Secure?
3-D Secure (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode). This is a system where as part of the payment process, an online connection is made with the issuing bank and the cardholder is required to enter a previously agreed PIN code or password.*
* Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode are available in the EROL PAY. As they are cardholder-activated services, they are not applicable to EROL PAY Virtual Terminal.
What currencies are accepted by EROL PAY?
Your EROL PAY account can accept GBP, EUR and USD. The following currencies can be made available on request:
CAD Canada, Dollar
JPY Japan, Yen
DKK Denmark, Krone
CHF Switzerland, Franc
SEK Sweden, Krona
Note: You will need to check that your Internet Merchant Account accepts the currency you would like to offer.
Does EROL PAY have AUTH, PreAUTH and Deferred options?
According to PCI regulations we are unable to offer 'true' PreAUTH and Deferred payment options for online transactions. EROL PAY offers you the following options:
AUTH
Authorisation-Committed (AUTH) means that the customers’ credit card has been authorised and the card has been debited - you just need to ship the goods. If, however, you are unable to ship the goods you will need to Void/Refund the card. Authorisation process works as follows:
- A Shopper makes a purchase from your site, their card details are checked and purchase transaction is authorised - the transaction is automatically set to 'Committed'.
- The money will be debited during the batch process of card which happens at 9am the following morning.
AUTHUNCOMMITTED
Authorisation-Uncommitted (AUTHUNCOMMITTED) gives you additional control over the completion of credit and debit card transactions. The authorisation-uncommitted process works as follows:
- A Shopper makes a purchase from your site, their card details are checked and the purchase transaction is authorised as normal but the transaction is set to a 'Uncommitted' status.
- Although funds are reserved against the Shopper's card, the money is not debited at this point.
- Instead of requesting the card issuer to debit the funds from the card immediately, auth-uncommitted allows you between 2-5 days* to:
- check a Shopper's credentials/creditworthiness before providing the goods or services.
- identify duplicate transactions before they are sent through to the banks for processing.
- restock any goods that are not readily available.
- Once you are satisfied and ready to ship the goods, you must complete or "commit" the transaction within 2-5 days* to ensure that the funds are debited from the shopper and remitted to you.
*The amount of time allow depends on the card type and the acquiring bank you are using. For example, if your acquiring bank is Barclays the following table applies:
| Mastercard |
POS – 3 Business days from transaction date |
| Visa/Delta |
POS - 3 Business days from transaction date |
| Electron |
POS - 2 Business days from transaction date |
| UK Maestro/Solo |
POS ( Non Fallback) next banking day.
POS ( Fallback ) no later than banking day 2.
(Has to be key entered by acquirer and with issuer by banking day 5)
(Banking day 1 is defined as the transaction date). |
| International Maestro |
Transactions must be submitted into clearing within seven (7) calendar days of the Transaction date. |
Can I split transactions between AUTH and AUTHUNCOMMITTED?
No, all orders through you store will be taken in either AUTH or AUTHUNCOMMITTED mode.
Can I refund orders?
Yes, an order can be VOID (which means the attempted transaction will not be submitted to the card issuer) if it has not been submitted to the card company - a batch process runs at 9am every morning. If the order has already been submitted you can then REFUND the order. There is a charge for making a refund, this charge will be the same price as the transaction. For example, if you are on our 10p per transaction plan, a refund will cost you a further 10p.
Can I perform 'part refunds' on orders?
Yes.
Can I customised the Secure Pages (Secure Form, Confirmation & Failure Pages) for EROL PAY?
Yes, you can customise the Secure Pages to suit the style of your existing website
Can I use EROL SSL and EROL PAY at the same time?
Yes, you can use EROL SSL and/or EROL PAY along side each other, or any of the other Payment Gateways EROL currently integrates with.
Does EROL PAY send an automatic email confirmation to my customer?
Yes, both you the store owner and your customer will receive an email confirmation.
I have a query with my monthly bill, who should I contact?
Call CreditCall on +44 (0) 117 930 4455 quoting your account number who will be happy to answer any billing questions.
