iCheckGateway.com News Updates

Transparent redirect enables your company to process credit card information on your own website without passing the sensitive information through your server, allowing you to easily remain in compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) regulations.

The PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) was created in 2004 to help eliminate credit card fraud. The PCI DSS applies to all organizations that store, process or transmit cardholder data. If you are a merchant that accepts credit cards, you are required to be compliant with the PCI DSS to ensure sensitive information is handled safely.

The 12 security requirements mandated by the PCI are as follows:
1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters
3. Protect stored cardholder data
4. Encrypt transmission of cardholder data and sensitive information across open, public networks
5. Use and regularly update anti-virus software
6. Develop and maintain secure systems and applications
7. Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
8. Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
9. Restrict physical access to cardholder data
10. Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
11. Regularly test security systems and processes
12. Maintain a policy that addresses information security

When transparent redirect has been implemented, your organization does not have to worry about meeting the above PCI security requirements. Merchants who integrate transparent redirect only appear to host their own payment pages, but in reality, the credit card details never enter their systems.

An HTML form integrated into your website will seamlessly submit all vital payment data to iCheckGateway.com over a secure network. The appearance of your website will remain the same, but the payment data is posted directly to iCheckGateway.com in order to process the payment securely.

Through transparent redirect, absolutely no cardholder data is transmitted through your server, but is redirected through the secure server at iCheckGateway.com, which helps you avoid many of the liabilities that come along with storing credit card data.  After a transaction has been processed, the user is redirected back to a URL of your specification along with PCI safe transaction response data.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service allows you to process credit card or electronic check (ACH) transactions using any standard touchtone phone or cell phone. With IVR, customers are allowed to pay their bills without having to speak with a live representative. Payments can be submitted over any touchtone phone easily, instantly and securely. The system is currently available in both English and Spanish.

Benefits to Implementing IVR
No Internet required
IVR does not require any type of Internet connection. All transactions take place strictly through touchtone phones, whether they are cell phones or landlines. It is a great way to accept payments when access to an Internet browser is not available.

Real-time responses
Credit card or electronic check (ACH) transactions are processed in real time using your existing iCheckgateway.com account. Often times when a credit card number is processed the long way, it will be a while before the merchant knows the credit card has been declined. With IVR, the merchant instantly knows whether the payment has been accepted or declined.

Customizable
This valuable service can be customized to meet your business needs. Once your personalized IVR system has been created, a free toll free phone number will be provided for you to review. This toll free phone number can either be given directly to your customers or you can redirect to the number from a menu option in your existing phone system.

Quick and Easy
Your customers will be able to pay over the phone with either a check or a credit card in just a matter of minutes. The easy-to-use IVR system is very straightforward and involves only a minimal amount of data entry.

Credit card transactions require you to key in a customer number, transaction amount, credit card number and three-digit or four-digit card verification code (CVC).

Electronic check transactions require you to key in a customer number, transaction amount, routing number and account number.

No live representatives needed
Everything is automated with the IVR system which eliminates the need for a live representative to process payments. This allows companies to improve their customer service so that live agents are free to deal with more demanding needs. Additionally, when small companies use an IVR system, it often makes their business appear larger and can drastically reduce costs.

You can now process ACH and credit card transactions on your mobile phone.  iCheckGateway.com has developed a web application that makes it easy for you to collect ACH payments on the go. 

The app is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and Android, and makes mobile ACH processing very simple.  You just login and process your payments in the field.  The application allows access to real-time payment data and increases productivity. 

Since the app is web-based, there is nothing to download or install and it will never require updates.  All users have instant access to new features because all updates are managed on the servers. 

Mobile payment processing helps you eliminate the expense of paper invoices and carbon copies, conserve your resources, and get your money faster. 

Try it free today!

Benefits to Using Electronic Check Recovery

Electronic check recovery (RCK) converts non-sufficient funds and uncollected checks into electronic items and sends them through the Automatic Clearing House (ACH) Network for collection.  The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) approved the rule that allowed returned checks to be collected through the ACH Network in 1998.  By using this system, it becomes easier to electronically re-present the check directly into the check writer’s account. 

In the third quarter of 2010, the amount of RCK transactions on the ACH Network increased 2.46% from the previous quarter, according to NACHA.  It is easy to see why this increase took place because there are many benefits to using an electronic check recovery system. 

Costs Are Reduced
Costs associated with representing an NSF check are drastically reduced when done electronically.  These lower costs also help make the collection of checks for smaller amounts more economical. 

Check Recovery Process is Faster
The whole check recovery process is expedited when it is done electronically.  Rather than having to send returned checks that are to be “re-presented” through the check clearing system physically, when the re-presentment takes place over the ACH Network, the funds can be collected sooner.  In addition, electronic items are typically given priority over paper checks in the re-presentment process. 

Consumers Benefit
The consumer benefits from electronic check recovery as well.  Many merchants use check verification databases to screen out bad check writers.  By using electronic check re-presentment, the removal of negative information from check verification databases occurs more quickly and consumers who have been labeled as “bad check writers” are able to have their check-writing privileges restored sooner.

Using a check verification service can save merchants lots of money that is normally lost on returned checks.  Check verification services help businesses protect themselves from financial loss by giving them the ability to identify potential fraudulent transactions before they are accepted as payment. 

 At the point-of-sale, merchants can scan the customer’s check in a reader that lets them know immediately if the customer has a negative check-writing history.   

The check verification system allows businesses to access large national databases, known as “negative databases,” to screen the check writer’s history.  The information on the check is compared to the records of millions of negative check-writers.  If no match is found, the check is approved and able to be accepted as the customer’s form of payment.  However, if the customer has a history of writing bad checks, the transaction will be declined. 

There are numerous reasons a check could be declined.  Some potential decline codes include an invalid routing number, invalid account number, invalid check number, fraud or stolen checks reported, ACH items only, recent stop payments, account closed, or no account found. 

While check verification services do not completely eliminate bad checks, they certainly help reduce the number of fraudulent transactions your business receives.

ACH transactions are growing more and more popular as time goes on.  During the second quarter of 2010, approximately 3.89 billion ACH transactions were performed.  This was a 1.5 percent increase compared to the same quarter of 2009, according to NACHA statistics.  The worth of these transactions totaled more than $8 trillion.  Of the 3.89 billion transactions, 2.30 billion were debits and 1.59 billion were credits.  During the second quarter, nearly 2.5 million more ACH transactions were conducted than during the first quarter of 2010.