Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find out about the Catalyst Marketing System products and services?
Documentation for all of the Catalyst products and services are available at
www.catalystrewards.com
What is a credit card merchant account?
To accept credit cards on your web site you will need to obtain an Internet Merchant
Account with an acquiring bank. This is an account designed to enable you to accept credit
cards over the Internet. Not all banks currently support Internet merchant accounts.
Contact your bank to determine if your existing account will allow you to process Internet-
based transactions.
Does your service automatically come with a Merchant Account?
No. A merchant Account is set up separately through a Merchant Bank. Catalyst has
partnered with Merchant Banks that can provide internet capable Merchant Accounts.
Contact Catalyst customer service for assistance in applying for a Merchant Account
through a Catalyst partner.
Do I need a credit card merchant account to process transactions?
A merchant account is not required to process electronic checks. However, if you would
like to process credit cards, an Internet capable merchant account is required. Catalyst is
not a credit card merchant account provider. However, we can help facilitate the process
of obtaining account if you need one through one of our merchant bank partners
How do I get a Merchant Account?
For a new merchant account, please contact us for information about our merchant
banking partners. We have partnered with banks that specialize in setting up new
merchant accounts with very competitive pricing.
If you have an existing merchant account or would like to use the bank of your choice,
Catalyst can integrate with most Internet ready merchant accounts that use one of our
compatible authorizing networks.


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What's the difference between my merchant bank, an authorizing network, and
Catalyst?
The merchant bank that issues you a Merchant Credit Card Account contracts with a
processor to handle credit card processing for it. > The Catalyst payment gateway
provides a "bridge" between the merchant's website (using a secure Internet connection
from the merchant's website to Catalyst) and the processor (using leased lines from
Catalyst to the processor).
Why do I need Catalyst if I have a merchant account?
Catalyst allows you to use your merchant account and process live, secure credit card
transactions over the Internet. Catalyst becomes your 'card swiping machine' over the
Internet allowing you to accept credit card orders 7 days a week, 24 hours a day without
the need of human intervention and with an entire back office environment to run your
business.
Can I use my existing merchant account and process my credit cards through
Catalyst.
Yes, if the bank your merchant account supports Internet transactions and uses an
authorizing network that Catalyst is integrated with.
Should I offer both Electronic Checks and Credit Card transactions as payment
methods for my customers?
Offering your customers a choice in payment method greatly increases your market
potential. Studies show that for purchases over $25, almost half of all consumers prefer
to pay by check with only 18 percent preferring credit cards. Over 90 percent of
consumers have checkbooks, and write over 30 billion checks every year. On the
commercial side, about 15 billion checks are written business-to-business with an
additional 10 billion checks written business-to-an individual.
Can I process with Catalyst if I am not a U.S. business?
You must have a US business address and a US bank account to process with Catalyst.
Is Catalyst a Bank?
No. Catalyst is a transaction processing company. Through the Catalyst Online Commerce
Suite, an Internet merchant can process both Credit card and Electronic Check (ACH)
transactions.


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Where are my transaction funds deposited?
The funds from your ACH transactions are deposited into the checking account that
Catalyst has on file, from the voided check that was submitted with your contract.
The funds from your credit card transaction are deposited into the account that is
associated with your merchant account bank.
Can I view a report of fees charged against my account by Catalyst?
Your fee invoices are available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Simply login to
Online Merchant Center and select the Invoices/Fee Report under the Accounting menu in
the left-hand frame.
How long does it take to receive funds after my transactions are submitted?
The amount of time it takes to receive credit card funds depends on your credit card
merchant bank. Typically the time is 48 hours, but you will need to ask them directly
regarding when to expect your funds.
The amount of time it takes to receive ACH (Online Check) transactions into your checking
account is 8 banking days. On the eighth banking day you should see a settlement
notification in the Online Merchant Center menu titled Online Check Settlements.
Can I sign up with Catalyst online?
Yes. Contact Catalyst or your reseller for more information.
info@catalystrewards.com | www.catalystrewards.com
How will I know when the setup of my account is complete?
Once your account has been completed, you will receive notification via email.
How do I log into the Online Merchant Center?
Go to https://merchants.Catalystpay.com/admin/login.taf
Fill in the following fields: Acct Id, User Id, and Password.
This information is sent via email during the setup process.
How long does it take to integrate the Catalyst Online Commerce Suite into my
website?


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If you have a merchant account that is Internet ready, your Catalyst account can be
activated with one to three business days. The actual time required to begin processing
transactions from your web site depends on the integration method you select and the
technical expertise of your staff.
What are Catalyst Online Checks?
Catalyst Online Checks provide your customers with the convenience of making online
purchases by debiting their personal checking accounts. A customer simply fills in a form
at your website with bank information printed at the bottom of his or her personal check.
The information is processed as an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to the customer's
account via the Automated Clearinghouse (ACH) payment system. This is the same
system used by the Federal Government to distribute pension, insurance, retirement
payments and to collect taxes.
Which credit cards will I be able to accept?
Catalyst Online Commerce Suite can process VISA, MasterCard, American Express,
Discover, Diners Club and JCB. Contact your Merchant Bank to determine which of these
cards you are approved to process.
How do I process AMEX transactions?
In order to process American Express credit cards, you need to apply with American
Express for an American Express Merchant account. Your Merchant Bank can assist you
with this process. Once the account is approved, you must provide the information to
your Merchant Bank that processes your MasterCard and VISA transactions. After this is
confirmed, the final step is to login to Online Merchant Center, open the Acct Edit/Delete
menu, and select the payment option AMEX.
How do I process Discover transactions?
In order to process Discover credit cards, you need to apply with Discover for a Discover
Merchant account. Once the account is approved, you must provide the information to
your Merchant Bank that processes your MasterCard and VISA transactions. After this is
confirmed, the final step is to login to Online Merchant Center, open the Acct Edit/Delete
menu, and select the payment option Discover.
Can I verify credit cards by telephone?
No, all transaction verifications are online. We do not offer a telephone verification
service. However, we do provide you with the ability to bill a credit card you have
verbally authorized through the Online Merchant Center Virtual Terminal.


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What is the Recurring system?
The Recurring System in the Online Commerce Suite enables you to automatically rebill
your customers' credit card or checking account on a scheduled basis (i.e. weekly,
monthly, quarterly, etc.). Recurring billing can be configured via the Online Merchant
Center Virtual Terminal, or one of the other integration methods. Refer to the Online
Documentation for information on how to submit recurring transactions.
What is the Membership system?
The Membership System in the Online Commerce Suite enables you to establish and
manage a membership site to manage password-protected web sites and recurring billing.
The Membership system requires no additional third-party software if your server runs
on a UNIX-based platform. Catalyst Technical Support remotely installs and tests the
software scripts on your Merchant e-Commerce server. During setup, Technical Support
configures the user interface, checks paths, sets up templates and sends links to you for
Sign Up pages. The membership system allows you to easily create unlimited
subscription profiles for the different price and duration combinations you intend to offer,
including free credit card signups. You can configure how many times to retry declined
recurring transactions, download your member database to your PC and even generate
retention reports. If your Web site is hosted on a Windows NT/2000 server running IIS
Web Server, you will need additional third party software to interface with the Online
Commerce Suite Membership System. For details, contact Customer Service.
What do I need to do to cancel my account?
In order to cancel your account, Catalyst requires that a 30-day written notice be
submitted via fax or US mail. On the cancellation notice please verify the purpose of the
account cancellation, along with the company name, 5 digit Account ID, signature of the
primary contact on record, and an email address to which a confirmation can be sent.
Please do not assume your account is cancelled until you receive confirmation via email.
My website will be down for a while. Do I still have to pay a monthly service fee?
You have the choice to put your account on a temporary deactivation. During this time
your account will be temporarily deactivated, you will not incur any fees. With the
temporary deactivation you have 6 (six) months to reactivate the account for the fee of
$50.00. If you choose to reactivate the account after 6 months, you would be required to
pay whatever the current setup fee for new accounts is.
What length of time can a consumer "charge back" an ACH transaction after it has
been submitted?


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In the ACH industry a "charge back" is called a "Return." ACH rules allow a consumer 60
calendar days (includes weekends and Holidays) to contest a transaction.
The 60 days start the day after the money is withdrawn from the consumer's account. This
could be up to 4 business-banking days after the original transaction.
After the 60 days, it may take up to 4 business banking days for the return to be received
by Catalyst. The merchant is informed of the return the same day Catalyst receives it. If the
bank has trouble identifying the return, it may be a couple of weeks before Catalyst
receives it and informs the merchant.
How secure is my transaction information?
The Online Merchant Center system protects consumer payment information while in
transit over the Internet. Security mechanisms use mathematical algorithms to encrypt
data before it is sent and decrypt the data as it is received. The Online Commerce Suite
uses RSA or Triple DES for secured network transactions. For more detailed information
refer to the Online Commerce Suite Integration Guide documentation.
Which Credit Card Processors is Catalyst compatible with?
Catalyst processes through the following credit card authorizing networks:
ACH Only/None
Central Coast Processing
Check21 Payment (CKSV)
Citigate
CNG Processing
Concord EFSNet
Consocio Group
Cross Check
ECHO
Edelweiss
Elavon EU
Elavon N.A. (formerly NOVA)
eNETS
EPay
Evertec
First Data Nashville Host Capture
First Data Nashville Terminal Capture
First Data North
First Data Omaha


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Global DPS
Global e Telecom
Global Payments East
GlobalPayments Central
MDBS
Network One
Payment World
Paymentech-Tampa
Payvision
Sberbank
SCCP AMEX
Secure Payment Systems
State Bank of Mauritius
TSYS/Vital
WalPay
WorldPay ISO 8583
WorldPay Lynk
What information is required to configure my authorizing network?
Mapp (Globalpayments Central):
*Merchant Account Number: This may vary in the number of digits
*TID: Will always contain a two-digit prefix, usually EA. 13 digits
*Name of the merchant account provider and phone number
Network1:
*EFT Secure M_Key: 12 digits
*EFT Secure M_ID: 12 digits
*Merchant ID: 16 digits
*Terminal ID or V Number: 8 digits
TSYS (Vital):
Merchant Name
Acquirer Bin: 6 digits


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Phone Number: The merchant's customer service phone number
Merchant Number: 12 digits
Terminal Number: 4 digits
Merchant Location: Merchant's City
Merchant State: Merchant's State
Merchant Category Code: 4 digits
Merchant Location Number: 5 digits
Agent Number: 6 digits
Chain Number: 6 digits
Store Number: 4 digits
Terminal ID Number/V Number: 8 digits
City Code: Merchant's Zip Code
Name of the merchant account provider and phone number
Digital Courier:
VID: 6 digits
Password: 8 digits
Paymentech Tampa:
Client #: 4 digits
Mid: 12 digits
Tid: 3 digits
Merchant account provider (bank name) and phone number.



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Nova:
*BIN: 6 digits
*Merchant ID: 16 digits
*Terminal ID: 16 digits
Echo:
Terminal ID: 10 digits
Name of the merchant account provider and its phone number.
FDR-7 (FirstData Omaha):
Merchant account number assigned by the issuing bank. > The number varies between
14-16 digits.
FDC Nashville:
*Merchant ID: 16 digits
*Terminal ID: 16 digits
The product ID (PID) for the Online Commerce Suite is 822700. The VID is 227.
What are the settlement times for the terminal capture (batch settlement)
Authorizing Networks?
Open batches will be closed and settled daily at the following times. All times are Pacific
time zone. Note: Open batches that exceed the transaction threshold will be closed and
settled whenever they hit the threshold. To view the status of a particular batch, login to
the Online Merchant Center and select the Settlement Report menu option.
FDC-Nashville: 3:00pm (transaction threshold of 200)
FDR-7: 3:00pm (transaction threshold of 499)
Nova: 12 Noon (transaction threshold of 200)
TSYS (Vital): 12 Noon (transaction threshold of 200)


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Mapp, Echo, Network1, Digital Courier, and Paymentech Tampa are host capture, meaning
that the authorizing network settles the transactions. For information regarding host
capture settlement times, contact the authorizing network directly.
How do I process a voice authorization?
Login to the Online Merchant Center and scroll down to the Virtual Terminal in the left-
hand frame. Select the Process Online Charge screen. Enter the transaction information
and select the Voice Auth Capture radio button. Enter the authorization code and submit
the transaction.
I don't have access any of the menus on the left-hand frame. It says I need to contact
my administrator for access.
If you're using Internet Explorer, please do the following:
Select Tools
Click on Internet Options
Under Temporary Internet Files, select Delete Files.
Next box will prompt you to select, Delete all offline content, and select OK.
You will be taken back to the Internet Options box, select OK.
If you're using Netscape Navigator, please do the following:
Click on Edit
Select Preferences
Under Category files, select Advanced
Next select on Cache
Select Clear Memory Cache
After you have cleared the Memory Cache, select Clear Disk Cache
Now select OK.
After following these instructions you should be able to access all the Menus in Online
Merchant Center.


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What is AVS?
Address Verification System (AVS) matches the known address information on file at the
cardholders issuing banks AVS database against the billing address information provided
by the consumer/merchant.
If the information does not match, the transaction is declined. Transactions declined due
to non-match of AVS are still pre-authorized (reserved/hold amount that will decrease the
consumers limit) by the credit card network, but the sale amount will not be charged to
the credit card holder's account and will not be deposited to your bank account.
Merchants have the option of selecting the level of match required for an approved
transaction. Refer to the FRISK section of the Online Documentation for more
information regarding configuring AVS options.
The service only applies to credit card transactions.
Do you provide a shopping cart?
Yes, a basic shopping cart is included in the Online Commerce Suite. A full-featured
shopping cart is also available for merchants that require more advanced shopping cart
capabilities. > Contact Customer Service for details.
How long does it take for a transaction to take place?
Transactions submitted to the Online Commerce Suite payment gateway engine are
processed in real time, and take approximately 1-3 seconds to return a response.