Frequently Asked Questions

If our FAQ doesn’t help you, please email us. We’re happy to help.

Features

Authorize.Net / Merchant Account

Using Credit Card Terminal

Hardware

Troubleshooting

About Us

Features

Can I do refunds? What about credits and voids?

Yes, on the iPhone and iPad. From the Log screen, tap on a charged transaction for the option to issue a refund.

If your device doesn’t support doing refunds directly from our app, you can use the Authorize.Net Merchant Interface.

Can I send email receipts?

Yes, on iPhone and iPad. On other platforms, consider using Authorize.Net email receipts.

Credit Card Terminal for iPhone and iPad sends PDF receipts using your email account, directly from your iPhone or iPad. The PDF is a beautifully-formatted sales receipt which includes your Merchant Name, the customer’s signature, and itemizes the tip if applicable. Tap the “Receipt” button after a transaction, or choose a transaction from the Log to view to email the receipt.

For more involved invoicing needs, consider using Credit Card Terminal with one of our partner apps.

If you’re using Authorize.Net, you can use their email receipts. They’re sent automatically as part of the transaction and come from an Authorize.Net email address. They don’t contain the signature or tip, and they’re formatted in plain text. You’ll need to collect the customer’s email address during the transaction if you want them to receive the Authorize.Net receipt.

To enable email receipts at Authorize.Net:

Log into the Merchant Interface at https://secure.authorize.net
Select Settings under Account in the main menu on the left
Click Email Receipt in the Transaction Format Settings section
Click to select the check box labeled Email transaction receipt to customer
Customize the email, if desired, by changing the Email Header and Email Footer fields.
Click Submit to save changes

To enter the email address in Credit Card Terminal:

From the main terminal screen, tap “More” to access more fields.
Tap the email field and use the on-screen keyboard to enter your customer’s email address.
Tap the back button in the upper left corner to return to the terminal.

Can I charge credit cards while I’m on a call?

Yes on Wi-Fi or AT&T 3G, but if you’re on a different data network (e.g. AT&T EDGE or Verizon 3G), you cannot use the internet while you’re on a call.

Can I use my PayPal account?

Yes, on the iPhone or iPad, but only with PayPal Website Payments Pro, an additional for-pay service not normally included in your PayPal, PayPal Pro, or PayPal Business account.

We do not recommend using PayPal Website Payments Pro unless you are already a happy customer of that service. Compared to our Authorize.Net account, transactions are slower, fees are higher, swiped rates are not available, full customer billing address is required with each transaction, customer support is more difficult to contact, initial setup is more difficult, etc.

If you do choose to use PayPal Website Payments Pro, you’ll want to look at PayPal’s step-by-step instructions for getting your API Username, API Password, and API Signature.

Entering the API values manually can be a frustrating process. Instead, we recommend using Copy/Paste to configure Credit Card Terminal. If not using Copy/Paste, be sure to key in correct upper or lower case letters, and beware of confusion between similar characters like 0/O/o or 1/I/l.

Be sure to use the Test Your Account button to confirm that your account is set up properly. PayPal Website Payments Pro does not provide a Test Mode like Authorize.Net, so there’s no way for you to try the interface without running real transactions.

How long does each transaction take?

2–3 seconds on a fast connection or up to 10–15 seconds on a slow one, depending on the type (Wi-Fi/3G/Edge) and strength (“bars”) of your data connection. Authorize.Net is fastest in our tests.

Can I use more than one merchant account with the same app?

No. Credit Card Terminal can only be configured for a single merchant account.

Can I collect signatures on my iPhone? Do I need to collect signatures?

Yes, on iPhone and iPad you can collect signatures.

Customers may sign with their finger or you may optionally purchase a Pogo Stylus for a more familiar experience.

Signatures are not usually required by your merchant agreement, but they can be useful in the case you need to fight a chargeback. We recommend collecting signatures for transactions over $50.

You may wish to collect signatures simply because customers are familiar with signing when using their cards.

Can I manage recurring payments?

No, Credit Card Terminal does not support recurring payments. However, ARB-enabled Authorize.Net accounts can be used with Credit Card Terminal for one-time payments.

How does Credit Card Terminal secure transactions?

Credit Card Terminal transmits credit card information directly to the payment gateway you’ve configured. Sensitive credit card information is not communicated to our servers.

All transactions are protected with SSL encryption. Credit Card Terminal does not store credit card numbers after the transmission is complete.

On iOS and OS X, your gateway’s login information is stored using the Apple Keychain, which provides encryption and application isolation. We strongly recommend that you secure your iPhone by enabling Passcode Lock and Auto-Lock to prevent fraudulent transactions.

Authorize.Net / Merchant Account

What is a Payment Gateway?

A payment gateway is a server on the internet that processes credit card transactions. Authorize.Net is one such gateway.

To understand how the payment gateway fits in to the overall credit card transaction, have a look at Authorize.Net’s How it Works diagram, which gives a step by step illustration of the credit card transaction process and the parties involved.

Your Authorize.Net account has an API Login ID and Transaction Key that identifies you. By entering these values into Credit Card Terminal — or any other software that supports Authorize.Net — the credit card processing can happen on your behalf.

You will typically pay both a monthly fee and a per-transaction fee for the payment gateway.

What is a Merchant Account?

A merchant account is a special arrangement with a bank required for processing credit cards. You will typically pay both a monthly fee and a per-transaction fee for the merchant account.

Merchant accounts also usually have a Minimum Processing Fee or Minimum Discount Fee, which requires the merchant to pay a penalty if a certain quota is not met for the month. Our merchant account has no monthly minimums.

In addition, you pay a per-transaction percentage associated with the type of credit card. For Visa and MasterCard, this is called the discount rate. Most merchant accounts, including ours, use a tiered system for discount rates, where the best tier is called “qualified”.

What are the rates and fees for the Authorize.Net and Merchant Accounts?

Refer to our detailed pricing information.

How else can I use my Authorize.Net account?

You can use your Authorize.Net account to accept payment on your PC or Mac with no additional software. For example, you can accept payment for telephone orders. To access the Virtual Terminal web site:

Log into the Merchant Interface at https://secure.authorize.net
Click on Virtual Terminal

If you have a Card Not Present Authorize.Net account, you can also accept payment on your web site by using one of the many e-commerce solutions that support Authorize.Net. If you have our Swiped (Card Present) account, you can add Card Not Present support for a small additional monthly fee.

Should I sign up directly through Authorize.Net?

No, you should sign up through our website. Our partner Merchant Focus is an Authorize.Net Preferred Reseller. You’ll get better rates on your merchant account, and you can qualify for our special offer.

If I already have an Authorize.Net account, are there additional fees?

No, there are no additional fees for using Credit Card Terminal. You can simply purchase Credit Card Terminal from the iTunes App Store and start using it right away.

However, if you’re planning to use the Credit Card Reader accessory, you may want to sign up for a Swiped account with us to qualify for better rates.

What are “qualified,” “mid-qualified,” and “non-qualified” transactions?

“Qualified,” “mid-qualified,” and “non-qualified” are pricing tiers on the discount rate of credit and debit card transactions.

Our swipe/retail account has three tiers, with only swiped transactions eligible for the lowest rate. Our keyed/e-commerce account is two-tiered, since swiping and therefore the super-low rate is not available.

With our swipe/retail merchant account, US consumer credit and debit cards typically receive the qualified (lowest) rate when they are swiped. Those cards would typically receive the mid-qualified (middle) rate when they are keyed in, provided you collect the zip code for AVS verification.

For our keyed/e-commerce merchant account, US consumer credit and debit cards typically receive the qualified (lower) rate as long as you collect the zip code for AVS verification. That’s why we include the zip code on the main Credit Card Terminal screen.

Not all cards can qualify for the qualified or mid-qualified rate. For example, international, government, and corporate cards typically run at the non-qualified (highest) rate.

If you have a different merchant account, pricing tiers and how to qualify for them will vary according to your merchant agreement. Read carefully, as some merchant agreements run all keyed transactions at the highest rate.

Please note that while Credit Card Terminal always accepts card swipes as a faster and more reliable alternative to keyed entry, only Authorize.Net CP Accounts can accept the magnetic stripe data so that your transactions qualify as swiped for billing purposes.

What are “Credit Card Assessment Fees”?

Assessment fees are a very small flat rate percentage that applies to the total monthly volume on a specific type of card. With our merchant account, these fees are called out separately on your billing statement. Currently, assessment fees are:

Visa 0.11%
Mastercard < $1000 monthly volume: 0.11%
Mastercard >= $1000 monthly volume: 0.13%
Discover 0.10%

What is a “settled” transaction? When are transactions settled?

Although authorization is performed at the time you charge the card, Authorize.Net only submits your charges once per day for “settlement,” which starts the process of getting the money into your bank account. Once a transaction is settled, it can no longer be voided. Settlement happens automatically each day at a time called the “Transaction Cut-Off Time”, which you can configure at the Authorize.Net website. Here’s how:

Browse to https://account.authorize.net/
Log in using your Authorize.Net username and password
Click on Account on the right
Click on Transaction Cut-Off Time
Enter a new time for settlement
Click Submit

Does my seasonal business have to pay monthly fees during the off-season?

We’re happy to accommodate Credit Card Terminal customers with seasonal businesses. Just give Merchant Focus a call at 1-888-922-8277.

Can I process cards if I’m outside the USA?

In addition to the USA, we support Canada with transactions in $CAD.

If you’re a U.S. merchant traveling abroad, the main thing to worry about is access to Wi-Fi or cellular data roaming charges. You should be able to accept most Visa/MasterCard cards from abroad, but some cards are regional and will not be accepted. Your charges will be in USD, and currency conversion will be performed by the customer’s bank. It’s quite similar to if your foreign customers had visited the United States and used their credit card while visiting.

What if I already have an merchant account but not Authorize.Net?

If you’re happy with your existing merchant account, you may be able to save on fees by attaching an Authorize.Net “Gateway Only”. To do this, your existing account must be compatible with one of these processors:

Chase Paymentech — Tampa Platform
First Data Merchant Services (FDMS) — Nashville Platform
First Data Merchant Services (FDMS) — Omaha Platform
Global Payments — East Platform
Elavon (formerly Nova)
TSYS Acquiring Solutions (formerly Vital)

The costs for our gateway-only sign-up include a $49 non-refundable setup fee, $15/month, and $0.10/transaction. You’ll need to fill out and fax in the Gateway-Only Sign-Up PDF.

However, if you’re planning to use the Credit Card Reader accessory, you may want to sign up for a Swiped account with us to qualify for better rates.

How soon will funds be deposited into my bank account?

2 business days for our merchant account. Sales on a Monday will be deposited on a Wednesday. Thursday sales will be a Monday deposit.

What is a chargeback?

A chargeback occurs when the cardholder disputes a charge that was made through your merchant account.

If this happens, you will receive a chargeback notification from your merchant account provider (Merchant Focus if you signed up through us). It is extremely important to respond to the notification as soon as possible, as the default judgement is in favor of the cardholder if the merchant does not respond.

The card issuing bank is responsible for the chargeback investigation, and they will decide whether or not to reverse the charge based on the claims of the cardholder and the merchant’s response.

You are responsible for the chargeback fee regardless of the outcome of the dispute.

How do I order Visa/MasterCard stickers, signage, promotional material, etc.?

You can order Visa and MasterCard materials from the following websites:

Visa - Order Materials (or call 1-800-847-2311)
MasterCard - Brand Center

Using Credit Card Terminal

How do I explain my iPhone Credit Card Terminal to my customers?

Taking a credit card with Credit Card Terminal is a lot like paying with your credit card on Amazon.com. In both cases, the credit card information is entered into a computer (in this case your iPhone), and a secure connection is used to transmit the information. No sensitive credit card information is stored on your iPhone.

If you’re performing a face-to-face transaction with a customer, it’s a great opportunity to be completely open and straightforward about what you’re doing. You can build a level of trust that is otherwise impossible; for example, many credit card transactions are performed by servers in restaurants well out of sight of the cardholder.

In short, using Credit Card Terminal is just like any other credit card transaction. Customers will trust you based on your customer service, products, and services, not which technology you use for bookkeeping or payment. And just like with any other credit card transaction, consumers are well-protected from fraudulent credit card transactions by their credit card companies and the law.

Which fields do I need to fill in?

You’ll always need to either swipe the card or key in the card number and expiration date. In addition, you’ll need to key in the amount of the charge.

For Authorize.Net, no other fields are required unless you’ve turned on required fields. Other gateways often require you to key in the customer’s entire billing address.

If you’re using a Card Not Present account, consider collecting the zip code for AVS verification. This may help you qualify for a better “qualified” discount rate.

If you want to send a receipt, don’t forget to get your customer’s email address.

How can I speed up entering customer information?

Credit Card Reader eliminates the need to manually key in the card number and expiration date. Usually the customer’s name can be read from the magnetic stripe as well.

If you like to have full customer details with each transaction, you can use the Contact icon in the upper-right of the More Fields screen to fill information from your Address Book.

For more complete invoicing needs, consider using one of our integrated partner apps.

Hardware

Can I use my Authorize.Net account with more than one device?

Your Authorize.Net account is not tied to a specific instance of Credit Card Terminal. You can use it with any number of iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, Android handsets, etc. You can also use it in other ways not involving Credit Card Terminal.

When you purchase a Credit Card Terminal app, you use a particular iTunes account username. You can freely install that app to as many devices as you like that use the same iTunes account. Please note that our iPhone and iPad apps are different, but it is possible to use the iPhone app on the iPad if you don’t wish to pay for the iPad app separately.

If you want to use a Credit Card Terminal app on a device that doesn’t use the same iTunes account, the new account will need to purchase its own copy of the app. This one-time cost through iTunes won’t affect your monthly Authorize.Net or merchant account bills.

Do I need any special hardware?

No, none of our offerings require anything beyond a basic device. Our iPhone app requires iOS 3.0 or later. Our Android app requires Android 1.5 “Cupcake” or later. Our Mac app requires Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” or later.

Although it’s not required, we’re excited to be offering Credit Card Reader for iPhone, an Apple-authorized iPhone accessory for swiping cards.

Can I use a magnetic card reader for “swiped” transactions?

Yes, Credit Card Reader for iPhone, is available for iPhone and iPod touch.

Will the card reader work with the iPhone 4S?

We’ve now had an opportunity to test the iPhone 4S with our iPhone 4 reader, and it’s good to go. If you’re upgrading your iPhone, you can find the iPad / iPhone 4 / iPhone 4S Credit Card Reader in our store.

Troubleshooting

Why do partial refunds sometimes fail?

Partial refunds may only be performed against settled transactions. So if you just make a mistake ringing up an order, or someone returns something on the same day they bought it, you’ll need to perform a full refund (which actually voids the original transaction). Then do a new charge for the correct amount.

Why do my transactions fail with “Ship To Address is required” or similar?

“Ship To Address” is just an example; it could be any field. This error indicates that you’ve configured your Authorize.Net account to require fields. If it’s a field that Credit Card Terminal supports, like Invoice Number, you can simply take care to enter that field. If it’s one of the unsupported fields like the shipping address, sales tax, or line items, you’ll need to disable the requirement on the Authorize.Net web site. Here’s how:

Log into the Merchant Interface at https://secure.authorize.net
Select Settings under Account in the main menu on the left
Click Payment Form in the Transaction Settings section
Click Form Fields
Uncheck any required fields that are not desired

If you have an e-commerce site and want to require the field in question for website transactions, there should be a way to require the field in the shopping cart itself, instead of requiring it globally for your whole Authorize.Net account. Please let us know if you need help figuring it out.

About Us

Who is Inner Fence?

We are Inner Fence, the creators of Credit Card Terminal for iPhone and Mac. We’ve partnered with Authorize.Net and Merchant Focus to provide merchant services for you.

We are active and enthusiastic partners with Merchant Focus, and we stand behind our relationship with them 100%. They’ve got great customer service and have distinguished themselves from other players in the merchant industry by being fair, honest, and up-front about their fees and charges.

In order to provide you with the best possible customer service, we’re working with the best in the industry to become experts in merchant services. You should feel free to contact us with any problems or questions about our software or about your merchant account.

Who is Authorize.Net?

Authorize.Net^® has been providing payment gateway services since 1996, and they are the #1 provider in the US. We’ve chosen them as the payment gateway for Credit Card Terminal because of their long-standing reputation. They’re also the gateway that you’re most likely to already have an account with if you have an e-commerce website.

Who is Merchant Focus?

We’ve partnered with Merchant Focus to help customers set up new merchant accounts. Their leadership has 30 years of combined experience in e-commerce merchant services, and they’ve helped us by offering great rates for credit card processing and excellent customer service. Merchant Focus is an Authorize.Net Preferred Reseller.