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Getting Started | Automatic Card Updater

Updated

Table of Contents

Overview

Automatic Card Updater is a service you can offer to your merchants who want to update their customer's credit cards saved in Recurring subscriptions as well as in the Customer Vault. It ensures that they always have up-to-date details for credit and debit cards on file by periodically checking them for updates with the card networks. It happens completely behind the scenes, works for any card/processor combination and provides merchants with a detailed report for every batch update. 

Supported Platforms - Automatic Card Updater is completely processor agnostic. Works with all credit card processors and does not require any processor configuration. 

Supported Card Types - Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.

Not Supported Card Types - American Express.

Supported in the Merchant Boarding API 

Merchant Configuration - once this service is activated, the merchants configuration page is located in the Merchant Portal under Settings → Transaction Options → Automatic Card Updater.

What will my Merchant be Charged for?

Merchants will be charged for the following:
  • Automatic Card Updater Monthly Fee
  • Per Update Fee: 
    • Card Automatically Updated  - includes both updated Credit Cards or Expiration Dates
    • Card Automatically Updated - Contact Customer
    • Card Automatically Updated - Closed Account
Merchants with an active Customer Vault - updates received for this service will be reflected in the Customer Vault records with a transaction fee for each update (this includes the merchant storing a card multiple times, they will be charged multiple times). They will not be charged the vault Per Transaction Fee when a record is updated through ACU. 

Automatic Card Updater Configurations Page

Merchants that have this Value-Added Service enabled will have the Automatic Card Updater Settings page available to them. In the Automatic Card Updater settings page merchants are able to configure how often the gateway should check for updates, what cards should qualify for updates per service (Customer Vault and Recurring Subscriptions, if applicable), and view the status of their updates.  

Updater Statuses and What they Mean

Card Automatically Updated → card was updated and will be valid going forward. Includes both updated Credit Cards or Expiration Dates Only

Card Automatically Updated - Contact Customer → there is an update on the card, but Automatic Card Updater cannot access the updated information. This is most often because the customer has requested the updated information to be blocked from access by merchants.

Card Automatically Updated - Closed Account → This card was closed by the cardholder, and there is no updated information to be pulled.

Will my Merchant be Notified about Card Updates?

Your merchant will be notified with a detailed report for every update. When the request is submitted for updates, it may take up to 5 business days (sometimes longer depending on the day and the number of requests included in the file) to receive them and be reflected in the Merchant Portal.

When the updates are received and processed, an email will be sent to the users who have the 'Receive Automatic Card Updater Notifications' flag set under their users notification section. A copy will be sent to you, the Partner, if you have the 'Receive Automatic Card Updater notifications' flag set under your users notification section. This flag, for both merchant and partner users, can be found in Settings → Users → select the Username → under Notifications. 

Depending on what service(s) (Customer Vault and/or Recurring Subscriptions) the merchant has active with ACU, the email will include:

  • The total number of records submitted for updates (per service).
  • A list of each update received and a total for each type of update (per service).
  • An attached PDF list of updates (one for each service).
    • Note:​ If an exceptionally large number of customer records were updated, then a short form email will be sent along with the attached file.

You will also receive a email notification in the event where the Automatic Card Updater service has run successfully, however no updates were received for any of the credit cards that were submitted for updates. 

Additionally, Automatic Card Updater events have been added to Webhooks, which offer developers and integrators a way to “subscribe” to the relevant events as soon as they happen.

How to Activate or Offer ACU to Merchants (Modern UI)

Log in to your Partner Portal and head over to List Accounts → scroll to the Merchants name from the list or search their name in the search box → click on their name → scroll down to Value-added Services → click on the Update Services button on the right → select the Status as Active, Offered (this will allow the merchant to sign up for the service themselves in their Merchant Portal), or Not Offered → click Submit. 

How to Enable ACU for Sub-Affiliates (Modern UI)

Log in to your Partner Portal and head over to List Accounts → under Sub-Affiliate Accounts scroll to their name from the list or search their name in the search box → under Available Services / NMI Services check the box for Automatic Card Updater → scroll down and click on the Update Services button. 

Legacy UI Set Up Details

Note - the below information applies to partners who are on the legacy UI. 

In the legacy UI, there is an Automatic Card Updater discovery page. Accessible from the left side panel in your Partner Portal, the page introduces the service and allows you to set your commissions and offer the service to all your merchants and sub-affiliates with a click of a button.

Offering ACU to your Merchants

First, setup your merchants fees. Next, click on the ‘​Offer ACU for my Merchant​s’ button. Automatic Card Updater will be offered to all your merchants. Once completed, you will be given a list of your merchants and fees along with a description indicating if the action was successful or if we were unable to update them.

mceclip1.png

MERCHANT​ ​UPDATE​ ​STATUS

     ● Success: Service is now offered
     ● Cannot Update - Merchant has Automatic Card Updater already

F​EES​ ​UPDATE​ ​STATUS

All fee schedules, including all custom plans, that do not already have ACU fees will be updated with the Commission amounts selected.

     ● Success - Automatic Card Updater fees added to plan
     ● Cannot Update - Fee Plan has Automatic Card Updater prices already

Fee plans example
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Note: All custom plans may not actually be assigned to a merchant, they may have been abandoned. You can find which of your merchants are assigned custom plans in your Service Prices → Fee Schedule Manager → Assign Merchant Fee Schedules.

Offering ACU to your Sub-Affiliates

There is a separate section to enable ACU for your sub-affiliates. You can set your commission, and when you click the ‘​Enable ACU for My Sub-Affiliates​’ button, the service will be enabled for all of your sub-affiliates and their fee schedules will be updated to the amount specified.

mceclip2.png

After clicking the ‘Enable ACU for My Sub-Affiliates’ button, ACU will be added to all sub-affiliates that do not already have the service. You will be given a list of your sub-affiliates and fees along with a description indicating if the action was successful or if we were unable to update them.

SUB-AFFILIATES UPDATE STATUS 

     ● Success: Sub-affiliate can now offer Automatic Card Updater
     ● Cannot Update - Sub-affiliate can offer Automatic Card Updater already

Sub-affiliate Updated

mceclip4.png

F​EES​ ​UPDATE​ ​STATUS

All fee schedules, including all custom plans, that do not already have ACU fees will be updated with the Commission amounts selected.
     ● Success - Automatic Card Updater fees added to plan
     ● Cannot Update - Fee Plan has Automatic Card Updater prices already
     ● Cannot Update - Sub-Affiliate {name] followed by the reason

Video Tutorial