Discount Rate Tier Requirements
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Discount Rate Tier Requirements

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Qantanipayments

Each time a transaction is processed a percentage of the transaction amount is charged to the merchant for the ability to accept a card as payment. This is called a discount rate. Discount rates are tiered as Qualified, Mid-Qualified, and Non-Qualified. The Qualified rate is the lowest percentage charged to the merchant. Non-Qualified is the highest percentage. All credit transactions will be charged at the Qualified rate. Following are the requirements for each discount rate tier. Each requirement must be met in order to obtain the corresponding discount rate. If all listed requirements are not met for the Qualified or Mid-Qualified tiers, the transaction will downgrade to the Non-Qualified rate. Examples of why a transaction would downgrade to the Non-Qualified rate are reflected in the Non-Qualified section below

Face to Face

  • The card’s magnetic stripe must be swiped through the terminal
  • An electronic authorization for the exact sale amount* is received. Authorizations received via voice or telephone request do not qualify.
  • The authorization request and the transmission of the sale must be a single transaction. A “ticket only” transaction using a previous authorization request does not qualify.
  • The batch is closed within one (1) calendar day from the date of the authorization request.
  • The card is not a Business, Corporate, Purchase, or Foreign card
  • The card’s magnetic stripe must be swiped through the terminal OR the correct information from the card must be key-entered as prompted by the terminal or software.
  • An electronic authorization is received. Authorizations received via voice or telephone request do not qualify.
  • The batch is closed within two (2) calendar days from the date of the authorization request
  • The transaction is not authorized or the authorization is received via voice or telephone request.
  • The batch is closed three (3) or more calendar days from the date of the authorization request.
  • The card is a Business, Corporate, Purchase, or Foreign card

Mail/Telephone Order, Electronic Commerce

  • An order number must be entered into the terminal or software for the transaction.
  • An Address Verification Service (AVS) request is initiated.
  • An electronic authorization for the exact sale amount is received. Authorizations received via voice or telephone request do not qualify.
  • The batch is closed within one (1) calendar day from the date of the authorization request.
  • The Mail Order / Telephone Order indicator is turned on in the terminal or software.
  • The card is not a Business, Corporate, Purchase, or Foreign card.
  • An electronic authorization is received. Authorizations received via voice or telephone request do not qualify.
  • The batch is closed within two (2) calendar days from the date of the authorization request.
  • The card is not a Business, Corporate, Purchase, or Foreign card.
  • An Address Verification Service (AVS) request is initiated
  • The transaction is not authorized or the authorization is received via voice or telephone request.
  • The batch is closed three (3) or more calendar days from the date of the authorization request.
  • The card is a Business, Corporate, Purchase, or Foreign card.

Restaurant merchants may vary the authorization amount up to 20% to allow for tips. Hotel and car rental merchants may vary the authorization amount up to 15%. These are the only exceptions to this requirement. Additional qualification requirements also apply for hotels and car rental agencies

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BankCard USA strives to achieve and maintain a positive relationship with our customers by providing several methods of reporting as well as easy access to information and to our staff. The following information is provided to you in an effort to answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding maintaining your BankCard USA merchant account. Additional BankCard USA publications address chargebacks and retrieval requests, proper processing of transactions, discount rate qualifications and reading your monthly processing statement. All requests for changes to your merchant account must be made in writing and signed for by the account principal that signed the original merchant application and agreement. All requests must also include the business name and the BankCard USA merchant account number. Please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-589-8200 with any additional questions you may have regarding your BankCard USA merchant account. How do I change my address and/or telephone number? Complete the ADDRESS/PHONE/FAX CHANGE REQUEST FORM with all required information. You may obtain this form here. Fax the completed form to the Data Processing Department at 818-889-9562. The change will be completed upon receipt within three (3) business days. How do I change the checking account information that is linked to my BankCard USA merchant account? It is extremely important to notify BankCard USA immediately upon any change in the checking account that is linked to your BankCard USA merchant account. Failure to notify BankCard USA may result in the delayed deposit of funds to your checking account. Complete the BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER FOR ACH DEBITS/CREDITS CHANGE REQUEST FORM with all required information. You may obtain this form here. A voided check from the new account must be provided with the change request. Fax the completed form and voided check to the Data Processing Department at 818-889-9562. The original checking account should be left open with funds available during the transition to the new account. The charge for this particular service is $25.00 per bank account change request. This payment MUST be received before your account information can be changed. How do I start accepting American Express, Discover, Diners Club, or JCB cards? A merchant processing account number must first be obtained prior to contacting BankCard USA for the activation. Contact your Sales Representative for assistance or contact the associations directly at the phone numbers listed below: American Express (800) 528-5200 Discover (800) 347-6673 Diners Club (800) 525-7376 Japanese Credit Bureau (JCB) (800) 366-4522 Complete the CARD TYPE ADDITION REQUEST FORM with all required information. You may obtain this form here. Fax the completed form to the Data Processing Department at 818-889-9562. The change will be completed upon receipt within three (3) business days. You must also ensure that your processing equipment is set up to accept the additional card type(s). Most terminals will not require additional programming to be completed, as they are already capable of processing all card types. Some software programs may require you to activate the additional card type(s) under the Set-Up option. How do I change my business name and/or the description of my business appearing on my customers’ billing statements? If there is a change in the business name and/or the DBA, either the Fictitious Name filing statement or the Articles of Incorporation must be provided to BankCard USA to change the name on the merchant account. All non-face-to-face merchants automatically have the Customer Service telephone number appearing on the cardholder’s statement. This is done to prompt the customers to contact the merchant directly when questioning a transaction and avoid a chargeback. To add a Customer Service telephone number to a retail merchant account, the request must be submitted in writing with the telephone number to be added. How do I increase my processing limits? This request must be submitted in writing with the new requested average ticket amount and average monthly volume amount. The reason for the increase in processing must also be included in the request and sent to the attention of the Underwriting Department. The BankCard USA Underwriting Department will review the request and the merchant account for approval. How do I change the ownership information if I’ve recently acquired or sold the business? The new owner must complete a new application and agreement. Contact your Sales Representative for assistance. If you are unable to contact your Sales Representative, you may contact BankCard USA directly at 1-800-589-8200 and request to speak to a Marketing Representative

Maintaining Your Merchant Account

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