Overview of WordStock Credit Card Authorization


WordStock's Electronic Credit Card Authorization & Funds Transfer [CCA] program is an integrated extension of WordStock's point-of-sale program. Authorizations for transactions are processed through Bank of America Merchant Services [BAMS]. Authorizations are obtained as sales occur: at the POS prompt Enter a method of payment the clerk "swipes" the customer's card through a mag-stripe reader. The credit card information is captured automatically; there's no keying in of account numbers or the amount of the sale.


How Credit Card Authorization Works

Word Stock sends a request for authorization to BAMS over a modem line, receives the reply, and automatically prints the credit card account number, expiration date, and the authorization number on the customer's receipt. WordStock prints two receipts: one for the customer to sign, which you retain, and one for the customer to keep.

At the end of the day, you send a summary of all sales to BAMS, via modem. The sales are processed and BAMS transfers the funds for MC/Visa transactions to your bank account, no later than the third business day. AMEX and Discover use their own standard terms to settle, with your bank. Please note that the settlement is with your existing bank: you don't need to change your bank account(s)!


Obtaining Authorizations

A dial-up modem is used to obtain authorizations, with dialing initiated automatically by the POS program. A transaction typically takes 20-25 seconds, including time spent waiting for authorization. In order to use this program, you'll need to install a dedicated phone line.

Please note that you can't use the same modem line that you use for electronic ordering - you must have a second dedicated phone line.

However, because WordStock's software "queues" the transactions from all registers, you'll need only one phone line, not a separate line for each register.

NOTE: The wall jack for this new dedicated phone line should be near your system's computer, not near the POS terminals.



Processing Charges

The processing rate for MasterCard and Visa is determined by the dollar amount of your average credit card transaction, and may be reviewed and adjusted periodically. For Discover Card and American Express transactions, there's a small processing fee, in addition to your standard charges, that's based on the dollar amount of your average Discover or AMEX sale.

When you initiate the CCA program, your rate from Discover should be reduced by an amount corresponding to the processing fee, as BAMS will be handling your Discover authorizations. Contact your Discover rep to have your rate adjusted.

Your standard AMEX charges should also be reduced when you implement the CCA program, but the amount of the adjustment will vary from store to store.

Contact your AMEX rep to determine what your adjusted rate will be, based on authorization and data capture by a 3rd party processor.

Authorizations and ACH settlement for MasterCard and Visa will be available as soon as you set up your account with BAMS.

Availability of Service

American Express authorizations will be available as soon as you set up your BAMS account, but having BAMS handle data capture for AMEX requires that you notify AMEX that you've selected BAMS as your processor. It ordinarily takes AMEX 6 weeks to process the paperwork, but it can take up to 8 weeks. You'll use AMEX's paper and carbon forms until AMEX certifies that BAMS will handle data capture for your store.



Required Hardware

Electronic Credit Card Authorization & Funds Transfer requires specific hardware because it connects to nationwide authorization networks. The two key components are a Symbol brand OmniLink controller and a Symbol Mag-stripe Reader. You need one OmniLink and one mag-stripe reader for each register at which you want to be able to authorize credit card authorizations.

You'll also need at least one bar code scanner because the OmniLink is programmed by scanning bar coded information into its memory. Since the OmniLink can also be used to control a bar code scanner, most WordStock users add one scanner for each POS station in their system. Credit card processing hardware (including bar code scanners) may be leased from WordStock at considerable savings over the cost of purchase.