Payments
- Perry Tew
- Tyler Johnson
- Loyd James (Unlicensed)
- 1 Overview
- 2 Credit and Debit Cards
- 2.2 Credit and Debit Card Settings
- 2.3 Amazon Payments
- 2.4 Sezzle
- 2.5 Advanced Payment Methods
- 2.5.1 Deprecated API
- 2.6 Payment Restrictions
- 2.7 Transaction Gateways
- 2.7.1 Purpose
- 2.7.2 View of Gateways Configuration page
- 2.7.3 Supported Gateways
- 2.7.4 Unsupported Gateways
- 2.7.5 Test Gateway
- 2.7.6 Test Gateway is for Testing only!
- 2.8 Rotating Transaction Gateways
- 3 Frequently Asked Questions
- 3.1 Q: When are Credit Cards Charged?
- 3.2 Q: In cases where the customers order was captured for review, they believe the order was successfully processed, how can we make it more transparent to them?
- 3.3 Q: We are thinking about adding a gateway that offers e-check processing along with the credit card processing. Which payment types are recommended?
- 4 Related Documents
Overview
UltraCart offers a wide range of payment processing options, giving you the flexibility to set up the right combination that works best for your business and customers.
If you’re just getting started and want to offer the broadest variety of payment methods (credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, PayPal Credit, PayPal Fastlane, and more), we recommend connecting PayPal. PayPal supports multiple payment types and integrates seamlessly into your checkout process, making transactions quick and easy for your customers.
If you already have a preferred payment gateway or processor (e.g., Stripe, Authorize.net, QuickBooks Payments), you can configure them in the Credit and Debit Cards section.
If you’ve already connected your PayPal account and enabled credit and debit card payments in PayPal settings, you’re all set! Customers can enter their card details directly at checkout without logging into PayPal.
The following screen shows the Payment Methods Configuration Screen with no payment method configured. Recommended and popular payment methods are listed at the top of the screen and more advanced options are listed below. Toggling each option to the on position (using the toggle switch) will expose additional options and configuration requirements.
This screen allows the merchant to enable and configure the payment options available to their customers.
There are five main sections to this page:
Section | Description |
|---|---|
PayPal | This is the section for configuring PayPal as a wholistic payment solution. Enable PayPal to allow your customers to checkout using:
|
Credit and Debit Cards | This section is where you will configure your payment gateway (Stripe, Authorize.net, Quickbooks, etc.) to accept credit/debit cards. |
Amazon Payments | This is the section for configuring Amazon Payments as a payment option for your customers |
Sezzle | Connect and enable Sezzle to offer Buy now, pay later to your customers. |
Advanced Payments | This section contains additional payment types that you may provide to your customers. This section includes the following payment types:
Info: Coinbase (Bitcoin) has been depricated because Coinbase no longer offers this API |
Question: How do I place and process orders using a test credit card?
PCI Compliance Considerations
Importance of having CC gateway integration
PCI compliance is an important part of your online store, and requires that you and your vendors, such as UltraCart and your payment gateway, work together to make sure that each step in the payment process is performed with the appropriate controls and safeguards. To this end, your merchant account provider/gateway may require you to submit proof of PCI Compliance. As part of our regular and ongoing compliance with the safeguards related to PCI regulations, the ultracart user interface has been changed to prohibit access to the complete credit card number. This change eliminates liability related to unintended exposure of sensitive credit card details that could lead to misuse and abuse of your customers credit card information.
A credit card processing gateway is required in order to process the credit card payments for the placed orders:
Credit Card Processing Transaction Gateway Integration list
Question: What if I don't have a gateway?
Credit and Debit Cards
| Description |
|---|---|
Settings | Click the box to the left of the payment method that you wish to configure. |
Connect Single (Gateway) | Here you will configure your specific credit card gateway with its configuration credentials. |
Connect Multiple (Rotating) | This is an advanced configuration option which allows you to configure multiple credit card gateways. |
Selecting Card Types To Appear in Checkout
After you have configure the gateway credentials and card types you are setup to process through the gateway, you'll then toggle those card types to display in the checkout by clicking the logo images that appear in the Credit and Debit card section pf the payments page. For example in the screenshot image above, the Diners Club and JCB card types are greyed out, because they are not active card types for the checkout. If greyed out, the card types will not appear as an option to the customer during checkout.
Credit and Debit Card Settings
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Surcharge Transaction Fee | If configured, will apply the configured surcharge fee to the customers' order. |
Surcharge Transaction Percentage | If configured, will apply the configured surcharge percentage to the customers' order. |
Restrictions | You can configure restrictions based on:
|
Payment Method QuickBooks Code | This is a configuration field for QuickBooks integration. |
Payment Method QuickBooks Deposit To Account | This is a configuration field for QuickBooks integration. |
Surcharge QuickBooks Code | This is a configuration field for QuickBooks integration. |
General Credit Card Transaction Information
Field | Description |
|---|---|
Charge Appears on Statement as _____ | This should be configured with the way your charges will be displayed on the customers' credit card statement. Consult your Payment Gateway and credit card merchant account to verify how it appears, then configure this field accordingly. |
Charge During Checkout | Default and recommended setting is 'YES'. |
Collect Card Verification Number | If selected (Default setting), the customer will be required to enter the CVV number of their credit card during purchase. |
After Failed attempt ___ at processing the payment collect the order information and store in accounts receivable. | The default setting is 3 attempts. Upon the third declined transaction, the order is completed and stored in A/R for merchant review and follow up. |
Email customer to update billing (sent when order goes to the Accounts Receivable due to too many failed attempts) at processing the payment during customer checkout. | When selected, the customer is sent email notification that their placed order payment has not been processed, the email provides a link for the customer to update their billing details for their order. |
Test Credit Card Configuration
UltraCart allows you to configure payment information that can be used for placing test orders. This is very useful when a store is live,
but orders need to be placed to test new functionality. By using test credit card numbers it removes the hassle of voiding charges on real credit cards.
For more, see the following knowledge base article: Test Credit Card or Electronic Check Payments
Paay.co 3DS/PSD2 (Alpha)
EMV 3DS is a global payment security standard. You can think of it like the chip & pin on your physical credit card, but for card-not-present (CNP) purchases.
3-D Secure is a protocol that enables card issuers to authenticate consumers, secure purchases, and prevent CNP fraud.
Also referred to as 3DS2, EMV 3DS allows card issuers to authenticate consumers without adding friction to the payment process. Everything happens behind the scenes using risk-based-authentication.
Provides issuers with access to over 150 additional data parameters resulting in a 95% authentication rate
Is optimized for web, mobile, and in-app purchases
Enables Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) so merchants are able to comply with PSD2
The Payment Services Directive 2 is a banking regulation issued in the European Economic Area (EEA) by the European Banking Authority (EBA). PSD2 is an open banking initiative that seeks to improve consumer protection, boost competition, and innovation. The legislation states that merchants must use Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) on e-commerce transactions when the acquirer and the issuer are both in the EEA.
Unlike the frictionless authentication, SCA doesn’t happen behind the scenes. Instead, it requires consumers to verify their identity using two of three elements:
Something they are (biometric)
Something they have (phone)
Something the know (password)
This is known as two-factor authentication.
PAAY supports SCA by enabling the use of two-factor authentication. Its flexibility allows issuers to set authentication preferences using their preferred risk and regulatory factors. In other words, issuers decide how the customer will be authenticated by using a one-time-passcode, knowledge-based questions, or biometrics.
to learn more about Paay.co, please see FAQ, Case Studies, & contact us
Amazon Payments
Accept Pay with Amazon Payments on your site to allow hundreds of millions of Amazon customers to easily buy on your site.
Learn more about the Amazon Payments integration.
Sezzle
Sezzle is a payment method that allows the customer to split their purchase into four equal payments over a period of several weeks. Sezzle assumes all credit risk associated with offering the customer this purchase option.
Learn more about the Sezzle integration.
Advanced Payment Methods
The advanced payment methods are considered "advanced" because they are used in a more limited fashion. This is in part due to the fact that many of these payment options are not based on a real-time validation process like the "Common" Methods. These methods may not be appropriate for many storefronts.
To configure an Advanced Method simply click on the Slider to make it green.
Once you've made your selection and configured any additional details, click the Save button on the bottom of the screen. You will be returned to the "Configuration" screen. (In most cases you'll configure more than one Payment Method.)
The following are brief descriptions of the Advance Methods:
Method | Notes |
|---|---|
Affirm | Provides installment payment options, including a 4-payment plan and monthly installments. |
Cash | Allows cash payments; not recommended for most merchants due to operational challenges. |
C.O.D | Enables "Cash on Delivery" payments; typically not recommended for most merchants. |
Coinbase (Deprecated) | Previously supported Bitcoin wallet and exchange service. No longer available due to deprecated API. Deprecated APICoinbase eliminated the Payment API. |
Electronic Checks | Supports payments via electronic checks; recommended only with a properly configured gateway. |
Insurance | Specialty payment solution designed for medical industry applications. |
LoanHero | Custom payment plan tailored for medical financing needs. |
Money Orders | Adds a money order payment option; not generally recommended for most merchants. |
Paper Checks | Allows payment via paper checks with configurable "payable to" details. |
Purchase Orders | Adds a purchase order payment method. Typically for business-to-business transactions. |
Quotes Requests | Lets customers request a quote instead of completing payment immediately. Quotes Tutorial |
Wire Transfer | Supports direct bank transfers; not typically recommended for most merchants. |
Payment Restrictions
This feature allows you to place payment restrictions on any particular payment method configured on your account. Learn more about Payment Restrictions.
Transaction Gateways
Purpose
Transaction gateways provide Internet based interfaces into the major credit card processing networks like FDC, NDC, Nova, and many more. Transaction gateways are analogous to a retail merchant's point-of-sale terminal.
Integrated Gateways
Reasons to Signup with a Gateway
Even if a merchant has a retail point of sale terminal already, they will still require a transaction gateway, due to PCI regulations that prohibit the exposure of the full credit card number. Since the full credit card number is obfuscated, having an credit card gateway configured with the account is integral to the payment processing of the placed orders. Additional benefit of having an integrated gateway include reduced data entry by keeping merchants from having to reenter order information to process the order. This reduces the time to process orders and removes potential errors from having to retype the order details into another system. In addition, UltraCart also has the ability to process orders in batch in a parallel fashion, which means authorizing even hundreds of orders can be accomplished in a matter of seconds. The Accounts Receivable chapter will cover processing orders with the transaction gateway in more detail.
Credit Card processing Gateway Credentials
The credentials will be provided to you by the gateway, or you will log into the account to generate the configuration credentials that you'll configure in Ultracart.
View of Gateways Configuration page
To set up and configure your transaction gateway, click the Connect Single button in the Credit and Debit Cards block. This will direct you to a page displaying the available payment gateways along with their configuration requirements.
Transaction Gateway Authorization Model
The "Authorization Model" refers to how the credit card authorization transaction are handled.
There are three "Authorization Model" options:
Authorization Model | Description |
|---|---|
Auth and Capture | means that both authorization and flagging for settlement occur in one transaction, in real-time. This is the default setting and the appropriate authorization model for most merchants. |
Auth then Capture | means an AUTH transaction (real time) followed by a delayed CAPTURE transaction for settlement, which will occur when the order is marked as shipping in the shipping department. non shippable items will be processed in Auth and Capture mode. |
Auth Only | means the transactions simply are authorizing for checking the validity of the card and available credit for the payment transaction. These transactions are NOT flagged for capture of payment. This model is not recommended fro the vast majority of merchants. |
Supported Gateways
Currently UltraCart supports over 35 of the top transaction gateways. The transaction gateway a merchant selects is dependent on the ones that their merchant credit card processing bank will support. Contact the bank account representative to determine available options, pricing information, and setup information. After establishing an account with one of the transaction gateways, complete UltraCart's gateway configuration section for your gateway by selecting the checkbox for it from the list of gateways.
Limitations of Support
UltraCart has some limitations with regards to transaction gateway integration. UltraCart only supports charging the customer's credit card. The transaction gateway's web site provides the remaining functionality such as issuing credits, transaction activity inquiry, etc.
You can review the integration details for the integrated payment gateways here: Credit Card Processing Transaction Gateway Integration list
PCI regulations that prohibit the exposure of the full credit card number. Since the full credit card number is obfuscated, having an credit card gateway configured with the account is integral to the payment processing of the placed orders and wel as for processing refund, when needed.
Due to PCI requirements to protect the integrity of the stored CC details (the CC number is obfuscated through out the order lifecycle) when looking for a new gatewway, UltraCart strongly recommends selecting one of the gateways listed as supporting ***refund*** transaction.
Unsupported Gateways
There are literally hundreds of different transaction gateways available. UltraCart supports some of the most popular transaction gateways on the market today. If a merchant credit card processing bank does not offer one of UltraCart's supported transaction gateways, please contact support@ultracart.com. Typically, a short amount of time is required to add support for additional gateways.
Requirements for integration of new gateway
UltraCart requires the gateway to have an API integration rather than a web site handoff. This is due to the inherent lack of robustness to the website handoff approach.
Test Gateway
Only certain gateways allow for a "test" mode, which means you can only use a valid credit card, and real funds are processed. So, to help with initial account setup and testing, UltraCart has created a test transaction gateway, selectable from the Transaction Gateways tab on the Payments Configuration screen.
After selecting the test gateway, enter your Ultracart MerchantID and select the card types, then scroll to bottom of the page and click the save button to save the changes.
This gateway behaves like a "real" gateway, allowing you to completely test the system's functionality.
While it does not actually capture payments, it does allow you to perform a complete checkout to a receipt
so that you can add orders without actual transaction charges being accrued against a real credit card.
Test Gateway is for Testing only!
The UltraCart Test Gateway is for initially testing only, so make sure to configure your real credit card gateway after initial testing against the test gateway is completed.
To use the gateway, simply select it from the Transaction Gateways screen, and enter your Merchant ID. Select the payment types you want the gateway to handle, and press "Save".
Rotating Transaction Gateways
Rotating transaction gateways allow a merchant to spread credit card transactions across multiple gateways. While available to all UltraCart merchants, it is primarily intended for merchants with substantial transaction volume. Merchants should thoroughly test their configuration before going live with this feature.
For more regarding Rotating Transaction Gateways, navigate here: Rotating Transaction Gateway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When are Credit Cards Charged?
Answer: The answer depends are various details, please visit the following document for the details: When are Credit Cards Charged
Q: In cases where the customers order was captured for review, they believe the order was successfully processed, how can we make it more transparent to them?
Answer: If the order is captured after the specified number of failed authorization attempts, the customer receives their receipt for the placed order. While the receipt does not directly make reference to the the final transaction authorization attempt, the receipt itself may be interpreted by the customer as being proof of an successful payment. You can alter the default settings in regard to the emailed receipt and also to the test displayed in the receipt provided in the customers web browser to make things more transparent. See the following for more details: Tutorial - Transparent payment processing status of placed orders
Q: We are thinking about adding a gateway that offers e-check processing along with the credit card processing. Which payment types are recommended?
Answer: There are a number of gateways that offer e-check processing, for example Authorize.Net offers e-check support, but to be brutally honest customers rarely use e-check payments when it's offered to them. E-check transactions amount to fractions of a percent for most merchants because most people/businesses that want to draft money out of their account will already have a PayPal account w/ their checking account linked (or want to send a paper check.) Our advise regarding payment processing is this:
* Visa/MC is a given
* AMEX is a good idea as a long of business customers have AMEX.
* PayPal - always a good idea. Some merchants have seen a 30% boost in transactions by supporting PayPal
* Amazon Payments - new, but coming on strong with customers.