Q: WHAT IS A CONVENIENCE FEE AND WHEN DID IT BECOME AN OPTION?
A: To support payment volume growth in Government and Higher Education, Visa created a program that enables qualified government and higher education merchants to accept Visa cards in all payment channels and assess a variable service fee as channels and assess a variable service fee as a separate transaction transaction.
A convenience fee (service fee) is a fee that the government and educational institutions are allowed to assess for electronic transactions. A convenience fee is paid directly by the individual consumer who chooses to pay via their credit card, or with an electronic check online.
Although the Visa Tax Program has been around for many years, in November 2012, this program was renamed "The Visa Government and Higher Education Payment Program" and was expanded to include certain
government and higher education transactions.
Q: ARE THERE ANY QUALIFICATIONS THAT MUST BE MET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VISA GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM?
A: Government and Education merchants must apply through WPG for approval from Visa to participate in this program. Call us to get the application started.
Q: IS VISA THE ONLY TYPE OF CARD THAT CAN BE ASSESSED A SERVICE FEE UNDER THIS PROGRAM?
A: The ability to assess a service is also available with MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
Q: ARE THERE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS CAN ADMINISTER A SERVICE FEE?
A: Yes. The Visa Government and Higher Education Program is available to merchants in the following merchant category codes (MCC) provided they register with Visa and comply with all program rules:
• Government merchants:
– MCC 9311-Tax
– MCC 9222-Fines
– MCC 9211-Court Costs
– MCC 9399-Miscellaneous Government Services
• Tuition payments for higher education:
– MCC 8220-College Tuition
– MCC 8244-Business
– MCC 8249-Trade Schools
Q: CAN THE SERVICE FEE BE APPLIED ONSITE (FACE TO FACE, CARD PRESENT) AND ONLINE (CARD NOT PRESENT)?
A: Yes. A service fee can be applied onsite with the cardholder paying face to face, or online.
Q: IS THE PROGRAM SECURE?
A: Yes. WPG is a certified Level 1 PCI-DSS Service Provider. Wholesale Payments Group complies with all PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standards) guidelines and requirements. Wholesale Payments Group never requires any client to store or send cardholder data. Online transactions always require an additional layer of security for an added shield of protection around data.
Q: CAN WE CONTINUE TO USE OUR EXISTING ACCOUNTING OR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PROGRAM (ERP)? A: Absolutely! Wholesale Payments Group provides free integration of various accounting and ERP software solutions.
Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT A WPG GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION PROGRAM SOLUTION?
A: Depending on the account registration process with Visa, if it is new to the convenience fee model, the approval by underwriting of the account registration on our processing platform, and the integration process, the process can be as quick as 1 week or as long as 45 days, if there are delays with Visa.
A: To support payment volume growth in Government and Higher Education, Visa created a program that enables qualified government and higher education merchants to accept Visa cards in all payment channels and assess a variable service fee as channels and assess a variable service fee as a separate transaction transaction.
A convenience fee (service fee) is a fee that the government and educational institutions are allowed to assess for electronic transactions. A convenience fee is paid directly by the individual consumer who chooses to pay via their credit card, or with an electronic check online.
Although the Visa Tax Program has been around for many years, in November 2012, this program was renamed "The Visa Government and Higher Education Payment Program" and was expanded to include certain
government and higher education transactions.
Q: ARE THERE ANY QUALIFICATIONS THAT MUST BE MET TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VISA GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM?
A: Government and Education merchants must apply through WPG for approval from Visa to participate in this program. Call us to get the application started.
Q: IS VISA THE ONLY TYPE OF CARD THAT CAN BE ASSESSED A SERVICE FEE UNDER THIS PROGRAM?
A: The ability to assess a service is also available with MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
Q: ARE THERE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS CAN ADMINISTER A SERVICE FEE?
A: Yes. The Visa Government and Higher Education Program is available to merchants in the following merchant category codes (MCC) provided they register with Visa and comply with all program rules:
• Government merchants:
– MCC 9311-Tax
– MCC 9222-Fines
– MCC 9211-Court Costs
– MCC 9399-Miscellaneous Government Services
• Tuition payments for higher education:
– MCC 8220-College Tuition
– MCC 8244-Business
– MCC 8249-Trade Schools
Q: CAN THE SERVICE FEE BE APPLIED ONSITE (FACE TO FACE, CARD PRESENT) AND ONLINE (CARD NOT PRESENT)?
A: Yes. A service fee can be applied onsite with the cardholder paying face to face, or online.
Q: IS THE PROGRAM SECURE?
A: Yes. WPG is a certified Level 1 PCI-DSS Service Provider. Wholesale Payments Group complies with all PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standards) guidelines and requirements. Wholesale Payments Group never requires any client to store or send cardholder data. Online transactions always require an additional layer of security for an added shield of protection around data.
Q: CAN WE CONTINUE TO USE OUR EXISTING ACCOUNTING OR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PROGRAM (ERP)? A: Absolutely! Wholesale Payments Group provides free integration of various accounting and ERP software solutions.
Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO IMPLEMENT A WPG GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION PROGRAM SOLUTION?
A: Depending on the account registration process with Visa, if it is new to the convenience fee model, the approval by underwriting of the account registration on our processing platform, and the integration process, the process can be as quick as 1 week or as long as 45 days, if there are delays with Visa.
WPG Solutions
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208 N. 29th Street, Ste. 227
Billings, MT 59101 P: 877-662-5729 E: info@wpgusa.com |