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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC08-418 Merchant App for Visa/Mastercard ProcessingCHANT APPLICATION MERCHANT COPY
Each of the undersigned Owner/Officer(s) certifies that he/she has the authority, as described below, to represent the Merchant
named below and, on behalf of the Merchant, (1) represents that the information provided below is true and correct, (2) agrees to use
the Acquirer's bankcard processing services under terms of the Acquirer's Merchant Regulations, as amended from time to time, for
the Agreement Term selected below, (3) agrees to pay the Set Up Fee selected below, and (4) authorizes the Acquirer, or its agent, to
obtain information concerning the Merchant's financial condition from any credit reporting agency, creditor or financial institution.
Facsimile signatures on this Application shall be binding in the same manner as original signatures.
, ,,,y,....y ....,.. ~ ..... ...~ n
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Dated this: ~ ~ +~-'1 Day of Year 2008
Print Name ha
Peter Runyon, Chairman, Eagle County
Commissioners ~
Print Name of Owner/Officer #1 Signatu of wn r/Officer #
Print Name of Owner/Officer #2 Signature of Owner/Officer #2
225 North 5~h Street, Suite 1000, Grand Junction, CO 81501
Acquirer's Address
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORITY
^ Corporate Resolution (Corporations and LLC Only):
The above signed certifies that (1) he/she is duly elected and qualified official of the corporation whose full legal name appears on the Merchant
Application, (2) he/she is duly authorized on behalf of the corporation to contract with the Acquirer and to act on behalf of the corporation in all
matters relating to the Merchant Regulations, (3) Acquirer may rely upon this authorization Merchant provides written notice of any change.
^ Partnership Certificate (Partnerships and LLP Only): The above signed certifies that (1) he/she is the General Partner or other official of the
partnership authorized, for and on behalf of this partnership, to enter into this agreement with Acquirer, and to take such other action relating to
said agreement, as he/she may from time to time deem appropriate in connection with the participation by this partnership in bank card
interchange systems known as the Visa, MasterCard, Discover Network Systems, and/or ATM Debit Networks, (2) the partners, employees,
and agents of this partnership are authorized, for and on behalf of this partnership, to make and deliver sales slips, credit memoranda,
electronic transaction records and other instruments to Acquirer, in connection with this partnership's participation in the above system, And (3)
his/her authority will continue in full force and effect until Acquirer, shall receive official notice in writing from this partnership of the revocation
hereof by such organization.
^ Non-profit Organization Authorization (Non-Profit Organizations Only):
The above signed certifies that (1) he/she is authorized, for and on behalf of the Board of Trustees or governing authority, to enter into an
agreement or agreements, with Acquirer, and to take such other action relating to said agreement or agreements, as he/she may from time to
time deem appropriate in connection with the participation by this organization in bank card interchange systems known as the Visa,
MasterCard, Discover Network Systems, and/or ATM Debit Networks, (2) the partners, employees, and agents of this organization are
authorized, for and on behalf of this organization, to make and deliver sales slips, credit memoranda, electronic transaction records and other
instruments to Acquirer, in connection with this organization's participation in the above systems, and (3) the authority conferred is in addition to
the authority conferred by any other resolution delivered to Acquirer, and will continue in full force until Acquirer, shall receive official notice in
writing from this organization of the revocation hereof by a resolution duly adopted by the governing authority of this organization.
Alpin¢ Bank
J_nR AI(1 TFR~A
. ~/ , `~ ~ i
MERCHANT REGULATIONS
RETAIN THIS COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS.
In these Regulations, "we", "us," and "our" means Alpine Bank Corporation for the applicable Card Association Network Card
Transactions, and Alpine Bank for all other Card Transactions. "You" and "your" means any merchant for whom we provide card
transaction processing services. "Cards" means cards participating in a Card Association that is set forth in your Merchant Application.
This Agreement establishes the terms and conditions on which you may accept Cards in payment for goods and services and we will
provide transaction processing and settlement services. If we approve your Merchant Application, you will be provided Operating
Regulations, which contain the Operating Regulations, instructions and other directives relating to Card transactions. We may amend or
supplement the Operating Regulations at any time. You agree that if you process Card transactions, you will comply with the Operating
Regulations for all transactions you process.
1. Card Transactions
1.1 You are responsible to ensure that the Cardholder understands that you
are responsible for the transaction, including the goods or services that are the
subject of the transaction, dispute resolution, and performance of the terms
and conditions. You must honor all Cards presented for payment except as
otherwise provided under these Regulations. The following requirements apply
to all Card transactions: (a) you cannot establish minimum or maximum
amounts as a condition for accepting a Card; (b) you cannot impose a
surcharge or fee for accepting a Card, provided that you may impose a
surcharge or fee for all like transactions and you may provide a discount to
customers for cash payments; (c) you cannot establish any special conditions
for accepting a Card; (d) you cannot discourage, favor or discriminate against
the use of the Card vis-a-vis other credit cards or debit cards, except with
respect to your own proprietary private label, loyalty, or gift cards; however,
you may choose not to accept either U.S. issued debit Cards or U.S. issued
credit Cards under the terms described in Section 1.3; (d) you cannot
discourage, favor or discriminate against the use of a Card issued by any
particular Card issuer vis-a-vis a Card issued by any other Card issuer; (f) you
cannot require the Cardholder to supply any personal information (e.g., home
or business phone number; home or business address; or driver's license
number) unless instructed by us, except for a mail order/telephone order or
delivery required transaction, and ZIP code for aCard-present key-entered
transaction in order to obtain an Address Verification (AVS); (g) Any tax
required to be collected must be included in the total transaction amount and
not collected in cash; (h) you cannot submit any transaction representing the
refinance or transfer of an existing Cardholder obligation deemed uncollectible;
(i) you cannot submit a transaction or sale that has been previously charged
back; Q) you must deliver at least one copy of the Sales Draft or credit draft to
the Cardholder; (k) you cannot submit a transaction or sale to cover a
dishonored check. Failure to comply with any of the applicable Card
Association Rules may result in fines or penalties.
1.2 Prohibited Transactions. You may not accept Cards in payment for any
transaction that is illegal, not authorized by the Cardholder, fraudulent, or that
may damage the goodwill of us or any Card Association. "Factoring" is
expressly prohibited. Factoring is the submission of Authorization Requests
and/or Sales Data by a Merchant for Card Sales or Cash Advances transacted
by another business. Factoring is considered Merchant fraud. If you submit
Sales Data on behalf of another Person you will suffer any losses associated
with any Dispute of the Card Sales. Also, if any fraud is involved, you could
face criminal prosecution. You are prohibited from depositing transactions
originating from Cards of owners, partners, officers or employees of your
business establishment except for transactions that are routine in type, size
and frequency for your business and that represent actual sales of goods or
services. Submission of sales transactions on Cards in order to obtain a cash
advance is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate cancellation of your
account. Cash disbursements to Cardholders are also prohibited. You must not
accept any direct payments from Cardholders for charges of merchandise or
services which have been included on a Sales Draft; it is the exclusive right of
the Card issuer to receive such payments. You may not make any cash
disbursements to a Cardholder as part of a Card transaction except to the
extent expressly authorized by this Agreement or the applicable Card
Association Rules. You may not accept Cards at Terminals that dispense
scrip.
CID in all or a certain portion of your Authorization Requests. Your failure to
include the CID/CW/CVC in an Authorization request where required by us, as
described above, may result in a negative Authorization response and may
increase the Interchange or Fees you are obligated to pay. If you do not submit
CID/CW/CVC with an Authorization Request for a Card Not Present Card
Sale, even where not required above, you may lose a Dispute of the Card Sale
(and, in the case of an Automatic Payment Plan where the first installment is a
Card Not Present Card Sale, all installments under the plan may be subject to
Dispute if you fail to submit CID/CW/CVC with the Authorization Request for
the first installment). You are strictly prohibited from retaining, archiving or
otherwise storing the CID/CW/CVC in any form or format for any reason,
including the recording of the CID/CW/CVC on Transaction Documentation or
the making of photocopies of the front or back of Cards. Records
demonstrating that the CID/CWICVC was included in an Authorization
Request will be maintained only by the applicable Card Association.
1.5 Transaction Documentation. You must prepare Transaction
Documentation for each Card Transaction and provide a copy of the
Transaction Documentation to the Card presenter at the time of completion of
the Card Transaction, in each case in accordance with the Operating
Regulations. The form and format of the Transaction Documentation you
prepare must be acceptable to us. You shall ensure that the Transaction
Documentation for each Card Transaction, whether electronically generated or
manually printed on paper, is legible and contains all of the information
required under this Agreement and the Operating Regulations. You may not
require a Cardholder to sign Transaction Documentation until the fnal
Transaction amount is entered on the Transaction Documentation.
1.6 Cardholder Signature. Except in Card Not Present Card Sales and other
special circumstances described in the Agreement or the Operating
Regulations, Transaction Documentation must be signed by the Card
presenter in the presence of your authorized representative or employee at the
time of the Card Sale. The signature on the Transaction Documentation must
reasonably match the signature appearing on the signature panel of the Card
(unless the valid Card does not have a signature panel on the back of the
Card) and the Cardholder's name as embossed on the front of the Card
(except where the valid Card does not bear a Cardholder name on the front of
the Card).
1.7 Verification of Signature on Card. In Card Present Card Sales involving
valid Cards bearing a signature panel on the back of the Card, you must verify
that there is a signature on the signature panel on the back of the Card and
verify that the name on the back of the Card is reasonably similar to the name
embossed on the front of the Card (except where the valid Card does not bear
a Cardholder name on the front of the Card). If the Card includes a photograph
of the Cardholder, you must verify that the Cardholder resembles the
photograph.
1.8 Unsigned Cards. If a Card bearing an unsigned signature panel is
presented to you, you must request two pieces of identification, one of which
must be government-issued picture identification. When you have confirmed
that the person presenting the Card is the Cardholder, you must require the
Cardholder to sign the back of the Card. If you are unable to positively identify
the Card presenter as the Cardholder, or if you have reason to suspect fraud,
you must call us.
1.3 Card Acceptance Requirements. You must check or obtain the "valid from"
and expiration date on the Card and confirm that the Card is valid and not
expired prior to completing a Card sale. The Card is valid through the last day
of the month embossed on the Card, if present. If the Card has expired, you
cannot accept it for a Card sale. If you are suspicious that the Card presenter
is not an authorized user of the Card, you should call us at the telephone
number we provide for such purpose. You have the right to limit card
acceptance to credit or debit cards with the appropriately executed contract
addendum in place.
1.4 CID/CW/CVC Requirements and Limitations. You must submit
CID/CW/CVC to us under the following circumstances: (a) the first installment
of an Automatic Payment Plan, where the first installment is a Card Not
Present Card Sale; and (b) where we notify you that we require you to submit
2-08 NO TERM
1.9 Your Submission of Sales Data. You may submit Sales Data only for valid
transactions between you and a bona fide Cardholder. You must submit Sales
Data to us no later than three (3) business days after the date of the
transaction except that (i) Sales Data may not be presented until goods are
shipped, (ii) if you have received Authorization for delayed presentment; (iii) if
you are required by law to retain the Transaction Documentation or return it to
the Cardholder upon timely cancellation, in which case you must present the
Sales Data within ten (10) days of the transaction date, and (iv) when you have
multiple locations and use a central facility to accumulate and present Sales
Data to us, in which case we must receive the related Sales Data within thirty
(30) calendar days of the Card Transaction date. For Card Sales and Credits,
the Card Transaction date is the date that you conduct the Card Sale or
promise the Credit to the Cardholder. Except for Cardholder deposits for
purchases, you may not send Sales Data for goods or services ordered by a
Cardholder in a Card Sale until the goods or services have been delivered or
furnished to the Cardholder. Sales Data for Card Sales submitted for
Settlement more than thirty (30) calendar days after the Card Transaction date
may be rejected, subject to higher Interchange and/or other Fees or subject to
Dispute. The applicable Card Association may withhold Settlement and/or
assess higher Interchange and other Fees for any Sales Data sent to us that
does not include all of the information required to be included.
1.10 Preparation and Transmission of Sales Data. You must prepare Sales
Data for all Card Transactions as described in this Section 1.10, and transmit
the Sales Data to us as described in this Section 1.10 and the Operating
Regulations. Additional requirements for the preparation and transmission of
Sales Data apply for Card Not Present transactions and you must comply with
these requirements. You must include all goods and/or services purchased or
returned/refunded at one time and at one cash register on one Transaction
Receipt or Transaction Slip, or in a single transmission of electronic Card
Transaction data, and you must transmit the Sales Data relating to goods
and/or services purchased or returned/refunded at one time and at a single
cash register in a single electronic transmission of Sales Data unless otherwise
approved by us in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may use
separate Transaction Receipts or Transaction Slips or use multiple
transmissions to submit electronic Card Transaction data, and you may submit
Sales Data in multiple transmissions, for bona fide deposits, partial payments
and Automatic Payment Plans that comply with any applicable requirements.
1.11 Unusable Sales Data. We will notify you if all or a portion of the Sales
Data submitted by you cannot be processed due to invalid, missing or
unreadable data. In the event that all or a portion of the Sales Data you submit
is invalid, missing or unreadable, you are responsible for: (i) Retrieving and
resubmitting valid, readable Sales Data in proper form immediately; and (ii)
The risk of any loss with respect to the Card Transactions described in the
Sales Data, including for damage to or destruction of Sales Data, whether or
not held by the applicable Card Association, until complete, usable Sales Data
is successfully received by the applicable Card Association.
1.12 Submitting Electronic Sales Data. You are required to transmit Sales
Data by electronic means in the form and format specified by us from time to
time in the Operating Regulations and to the location that we specify. All Sales
Data transmitted by you must conform to this Agreement and the Operating
Regulations.
1.13 Record Retention. You must keep original copies of all mail/telephone
order forms and other documentation relating to Card Transactions (including
copies of Transaction Documentation) for the later to occur of (i) 365 calendar
days following the Card Transaction date or (ii) the resolution of any pending or
threatened Disputes, claims, disagreements or litigation involving or relating to
the Card Transaction. You must keep a microfilm or other copy of Sales Data
for no less than three (3) years from the date of the Card Transaction. You
must provide us with a copy of any Transaction Documentation, Sales Data or
any other documentation retained by you within 15 calendar days of our
request for such information. In addition, you are responsible for retaining
copies of documentation for a period sufficient to enable you to respond to any
Disputes that may be initiated with respect to Card Transactions. If you do not
provide on your own behalf a copy of any Transaction Documentation, Sales
Data or other documentation requested by us, the Card Transaction may be
subject to Dispute, including Chargeback, or other Fees.
1.14 Special Rules for Particular Transactions. Additional terms, conditions,
and requirements apply with respect to Card Not Present Transactions,
telecommunication Card Sales, Cash Over Transactions, Mail-Order and
Telephone Order Sales, Automatic Payment Plans, delayed delivery sales,
Automobile Rental Transactions, Airline and Cruise Line transactions, Hotel
and Lodging Industry Transactions, Cash Advance Transactions, Card Sales ii
connection with store closings or liquidations, Electronic Commerce
transactions, and other special categories. You are responsible to obtain from
us the special rules pertaining to these transactions and any special rules that
apply to other Card Sales that are not in-person Card Present Transactions in
full payment for same day delivery of retail goods and/or services. By
submitting Sales Data in connection with any such Card Transactions, you
agree that you have received and agree to the special terms, conditions, and
requirements relating to these transactions.
1.15 Returns. If you provide proper disclosure to a Cardholder at the time of
the Card Transaction, you may establish a return policy under which you will:
a) not accept merchandise in return or exchange and issue no refunds; or b)
only accept merchandise in immediate exchange for similar merchandise of a
price equal to the amount of the original transaction; or c) accept merchandise
in return for in-store credit only; or d) stipulate special circumstances agreed to
by the Cardholder. Proper disclosure shall be deemed to have been given if
the words "NO REFUND", "EXCHANGE ONLY" or "IN STORE CREDIT ONLY"
appear on all copies of the Transaction Documentation in letters approximately
Y< inch high and in close proximity to the space provided for the Cardholder's
signature.
2 Authorization
2.1 You must obtain an Authorization for all Card sales that you submit to us.
You must request Authorization of the entire amount of the Transaction before
completing the Transaction. The Authorization code must be displayed on
the transaction receipt or noted in the appropriate place on the Sales Draft.
You may pay higher Interchange if you complete a Card sale without receiving
a positive Authorization, if you submit Sales Data to us regarding Card sales
for which you did not receive a positive Authorization or if the Authorization
Code is not properly designated in the Sales Data. In addition, the Card sale
may be subject to Dispute and/or you may lose a Dispute of the Card sale, as
described in the Dispute Rules.
2.2 An Authorization only indicates the availability of credit on an account at
the time the Authorization is requested. It does not warrant that the person
presenting the Card is the rightful Cardholder, nor is it a promise or guarantee
that you will not be subject to a Chargeback. If you fail to obtain an
Authorization or if you submit a Card transaction after receiving a decline (even
if a subsequent Authorization attempt provides an approval), your transaction
may be assessed fines or fees by the applicable Card Association for which
you will be responsible.
2.3 If you receive a Referral Code in response to an Authorization Request,
you should contact us for additional information. A Referral Code is not a
positive Authorization. If you subsequently complete a Card sale where you
received a Referral Code without subsequently receiving a positive
Authorization and corresponding Authorization Code, you may be obligated to
pay higher Interchange for failure to receive a positive Authorization Response.
The Card Sale may be subject to Dispute and/or you may lose a Dispute of the
Card Sale, as described in the Dispute Rules.
2.4 You may not attempt to obtain multiple Authorizations for a single
transaction. If a sale is declined, do not take alternative measures with the
same Card to obtain an approval of the sale from other Authorization sources.
Instead, request another form of payment. If you accept and process a
transaction that was declined, or attempt to submit multiple transactions and/or
multiple Authorizations, you are subject to a Chargeback, fines and/or
cancellation of this Merchant Agreement.
2.5 If you conduct a Card sale using a POS Device to electronically capture
data from the Card, the Authorization request you send to us must include all
of the data specified in our Operating Regulations, including the unaltered
contents of track 1 or track 2 of the track data contained on the Card (which
includes the Card Verification Value (CW) Data). In addition, the POS Device
you use to conduct the Card sale must be capable of receiving the full,
unaltered Authorization response when sent. If a Card sale is conducted using
a POS Device but the Card cannot be read electronically, you must manually
input the required Card transaction information into the POS Device prior to
submitting the Authorization request to us. In addition, you must imprint the
Card on the transaction receipt. If your POS Device is unable to receive an
electronic Authorization response, or if the online Authorization system is
down, you should call the number we provide you to submit a voice
Authorization request. When a positive voice Authorization response is
granted, we will provide you with an Authorization Code. You must manually
enter this Authorization Code in the POS Device in such a manner that the
Authorization Code is printed on the transaction receipt. If the Card sale is not
conducted using a POS Device, you shall to record the Authorization Code in
the appropriate box on the Sales Draft. We will notify you of any negative (or
declined) Authorization response provided to us. In the event of a negative
Authorization response, you may not comment to the Card presenter on the
reason for the decline of the Authorization request. If the Card presenter
requests information about the reason for the decline of the Authorization
request, you should inform the Card presenter to contact the Card issuer.
2.6 Occasionally in response to an Authorization request, we may, on behalf of
an Issuer, direct you obtain certain information from the Card presenter to
verify the Card presenter's identity. Also, in response to an Authorization
request, we may, on behalf of an Issuer, occasionally direct you to take and
retain a Card from the Card presenter. In each such case, you will use
reasonable and lawful attempts to comply with our request.
2-08 NO TERM
2.7 If a Card Sale is cancelled or the amount of the Card Sale changes
follo~iing your receipt of Authorization for the Card Sale, you must cancel the
Authorization by (i) processing a return using your POS Device (if the
Authorization was obtained using a POS Device), or (ii) call us to request a
cancellation of the Authorization (if the Authorization was a voice
Authorization). An Authorization may be cancelled at any time within fifteen
(15) calendar days of your receipt of the Authorization but must be cancelled
before Sales Data relating to the Card Sale has been submitted to us. Once
Sales Data relating to the Card Sale has been submitted to us, the
Authorization cannot be changed. You may not contact the applicable Card
Association in an attempt to cancel an Authorization. You must contact us to
cancel an Authorization, and we will contact the applicable Card Association.
2.8 You must submit all Authorization requests in U.S. dollars.
3 Settlement of Card Transactions
3.1 Subject to your compliance with all the terms and provisions of this
Agreement and the Operating Regulations, we will accept valid transaction
records from you during the term of this Agreement and to promptly pay you
the total amount represented by the transaction records. At our sole discretion,
we may credit your account for the total amount of Card Sales less any
applicable fees or, in a separate transaction, subsequently debit you or your
account for applicable fees. The payments by us to you shall be deposited in
the account designated in your Merchant Application or as you subsequently
designate in writing,.
3.2 In addition to any other remedies available to us under this Merchant
Agreement, we may, without prior notice, suspend payment of any funds if we
have reason to believe that you are in default of any obligation under this
Agreement or there is any fraudulent activity related to the transactions that
you submit to us.
3.3 To the extent the Automated Clearing House (ACH) settlement process is
used to debit or credit your Settlement Account, you agree to be bound by the
terms of the operating rules of the National Automated Clearing House
Association (NACHA). You hereby authorize us to initiate credit and debit
entries and adjustments to your account through the ACH settlement process
and/or through direct instructions to (or such other arrangements as we deem
appropriate) the financial institution where your Settlement Account is
maintained for amounts due under this Merchant Agreement and under any
agreements with us or our affiliates for any related services, as well as for any
credit entries in error. You hereby authorize the financial institution where your
Settlement Account is maintained to make all such debits and credits to your
account. This authority will remain in full force and effect until all monies due
under this Merchant Agreement and under any other agreements with us or
our affiliates for any related services have been paid in full.
3.4 After you submit sales and credit drafts, you will receive settlement funds
through ACH credit. We will initiate a transfer of such applicable settlement
funds through ACH to your Settlement Account. Settlement by ACH credit
generally will take place the second banking day after we process the
applicable Card transactions.
3.5 If you believe any adjustments should be made with respect to your
Settlement Account, you must notify us in writing within sixty (60) days after
any debit or credit is or should have been affected.
3.6 If after your Settlement Account has terminated, you fail to instruct us as to
where to transmit funds that we are holding and that are due to you, we may
deduct from those funds our reasonable costs associated with the
maintenance of such funds on a monthly basis.
3.7 The following is a partial list of reasons for other debits to your Settlement
Account. We may add to this list as required: (a) the applicable Card
Association fees, charges and fines assessed as a result of your transactions;
(b) currency conversion errors; (c) fees and Chargebacks not previously
charged; and (d) deposits posted in error. For additional reasons, refer to your
Operating Regulations.
4 Chargebacks
4.1 You are responsible for reimbursing us for any transaction that is charged
back by the Issuer and/or the Cardholder and for related fees, for any reason,
whether or not you have the right to contest the Chargeback under applicable
Card Association rules.
4.2 Reasons that a transaction may be charged back include, but are not
limited to:
(a) A Cardholder disputes the validity of a transaction;
(b) A Cardholder disputes the quality or receipt of goods or services; (c) A
copy of the Sales Draft was not provided when requested, or the copy provided
was improperly completed or illegible in whole or in part; (d) A credit was not
provided to the Cardholder; (e) The transaction was not authorized by the
Issuing Bank at the time of sale, or efforts were made to avoid a decline of the
Authorization (such as, but not limited to, attempts to obtain an Authorization
after receiving either a decline or a referral to a call center or splitting a sale
across multiple transactions of the same Card); (f) The Sales Draft was not
imprinted using an imprinting machine (an electronic swipe of the magnetic
stripe on the Card may only substitute for a manual imprint if the transaction is
electronically authorized by the terminal after the swipe. In situations where the
account number is keyed into the terminal or where the terminal provides a
referral response, a physical imprint of the Card on the Sales Draft is
mandatory); and (g) All mail order/telephone order and Internet sales are at
your risk and are subject to Chargeback.
4.3 You must maintain sufficient funds in your designated Settlement Account
to cover all Chargebacks and related fees. For each transaction processed by
you, we have a contingent and unmatured claim against you for any amount
we must pay as a result of your processing of transactions, including, but not
limited to, any Chargebacks, fees, discounts, customer credits and
adjustments, charges, fines, assessments and penalties. All settlements or
credits given or payment made by us to you in connection with your
transactions are provisional, and subject to revocation, Chargeback or refund,
subject to the terms and conditions of this Merchant Agreement, and the
applicable Card Association Rules. Your right to receive any amounts due from
us is expressly subject and subordinate to our Chargeback, set-off, lien and
security interest rights without regard to whether such Chargeback, set-off, lien
and security interest rights are applied to claims that are liquidated,
unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured or unmatured. WE MAY, WITHOUT
FURTHER NOTICE, ELECTRONICALLY DEBIT YOUR SETTLEMENT
ACCOUNT TO COVER ALL SUMS OWING TO US PURSUANT TO THIS
AGREEMENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, AMOUNTS OWING FOR
CHARGEBACKS, RELATED FEES AND FINES IMPOSED BY THE
APPLICABLE CARD ASSOCIATION.
5. Operation of Business.
5.1 Change in Business. You must notify us immediately of any change to the
information included in your Merchant Application, including if you engage in,
or in the future elects to engage in, any new lines or types of business activities
not disclosed in your Merchant Application or if you change your business
activities in any of the following ways: (i) Change of ownership; (ii) Change in
type or kind of business; (iii) Change in identity, including corporate/legal name
or address; (iv) Closing or liquidating business entirely or any locations; (v)
Change in processing method (i.e., Transaction Slips to POS Device); (vi)
Voluntary or involuntary party in a bankruptcy case; (vii) Entry into a loan or
other agreement with a third party that seeks to affect the Merchant
Agreement; (viii) Change to any entity that is a party to or guarantor of the
Merchant Agreement, including by merger or acquisition; and (ix) Change to or
from a business that conducts exclusively retail sales to one that accepts Card
Sales by mail, telephone order or Internet transactions.
You agree to notify us of any changes specified above, including any changes
to the information in your Merchant Application. We may terminate Card
Acceptance by you and your sublicense to use the Program Marks if you fail to
notify us of any such change. In addition, Card Sales by you relating to a new
business activity of which we have not been notified may be rejected or subject
to reversal or Chargeback, at our discretion.
5.2 Compliance with Laws. You are responsible for operating your business
and performing your obligations hereunder in compliance with all
Requirements of Law.
5.3 Audits. We may, at our discretion, conduct or engage a third party to
conduct examinations and audits of such your compliance with the applicable
provisions of this Agreement or the Operating Regulations. All such
examinations and audits will be at your sole cost and expense. We may report
the results of each such examination and audit to the applicable Card
Association. In addition to the foregoing, you agree that the applicable Card
Association shall have the right to visit you and review your retail locations,
corporate offices and websites to verify your compliance with the terms of this
Agreement and the Operating Regulations, including the License, the display
of the Program Marks, adherence to point-of-sale procedures and compliance
with the Security Requirements. If an audit identifies a regular or repeated
failure by you to comply with the obligations applicable to you, you agree to
promptly notify us of your plan to cure such deficiency along with the
implementation date of such cure.
6. Card Account Information. You may not request or use Card account
information for any purpose that you know or should have known to be
fraudulent or in violation of Card Association Rules or these Regulations. You
must not ask a Cardholder to record a Card account number or other account
information on the exterior of any order form or other similar device designed to
be mailed. You may not disclose Card Transaction information except to us or
our agent for the purpose of processing a Transaction or Chargeback, or to
your loyalty program or fraud control service provider, or as required by
Requirements of Law.
7. Exclusivity. During the term of this Merchant Agreement, you shall use us
as your exclusive provider of all Services unless we have otherwise specifically
agreed in writing.
2-08 NO TERM
8. Program Marks.
8.1 ti ou are prohibited from using the Program Marks, as defined below, other
than as expressly authorized in writing by us or as provided in this Section 8.
Additionally, you shall not use the Program Marks other than to display decals,
signage, advertising and other forms depicting the Program Marks that are
provided to you by us pursuant to the Merchant Program or otherwise
approved in advance in writing by Acquirer. You may use the Program Marks
only to promote the services covered by the Program Marks by using them on
decals, indoor and outdoor signs, websites, advertising materials and
marketing materials; provided that all such uses must be approved in advance
by us in writing. You shall not use the Program Marks in such a way that
customers could believe that the products or services offered by you are
sponsored or guaranteed by the owners of the Program Marks. You recognize
that you have no ownership rights in the Program Marks. You shall not assign
to any third party any of the rights to use the Program Marks.
8.2 You must prominently display the Program Marks at the point of interaction
to indicate that the merchant accept the applicable Card Association's cards. I1
you are a remote services merchant, you must display the Program Marks
wherever payment options are presented. We will provide you with the
appropriate artwork in a format authorized by the applicable Card Association.
The Program Marks must be clearly visible to the public. The preferred location
to post the Program Marks at a physical point of interaction is the entrance,
nearby window or door of your business location, and on the first screen of an
electronic point of interaction. Where it is not possible to post signage at the
entrance of your location, posting the Program Marks so that they can easily
and readily be seen within the location will satisfy the above requirement.
Where it is not possible to post the Program Marks on the first screen of an
electronic point of interaction, posting the Program Marks on the payment
screen will satisfy this requirement. You must display each. Program Mark in
such manner and with such frequency as accorded any other Card
Association's Program Market. You must limit your use or display of the
Program Marks in accordance with the terms of the license granted under
Section 8.1 and this Agreement or in accordance with any other specifications
provided by us. We will provide you with signage displaying representations of
the Program Marks that are consistent with the applicable Card Association
standards. We will provide approved displays to you for your use to inform the
public that credit and debit cards are accepted. You shall prominently display
the Program Marks that we provide. You may not indicate that any Card
Association endorses any of your products or services.
8.3 Your license to use the Program Marks shall terminate upon the earlier of
(i) the termination of this Agreement, or (ii) delivery of notice by us to you of the
termination of the license.
9. Confidentiality.
9.1 Confidential Information. We, the applicable Card Association, or the
applicable Card Association's or our agents on behalf of the applicable Card
Association, ourselves, the applicable Card Association's and our Affiliates and
prospective and current Issuers, including the applicable Card Association
Network Issuers, and each of their and our respective officers, directors,
subcontractors and employees, agents and Affiliates (in each case, a
"Disclosing Party") may disclose or communicate, directly or indirectly, to you
or your agents ("Receiving Party") information and data that the Disclosing
Party deems as confidential or proprietary ("Confidential Information"). The
term "Confidential Information" includes all information and materials pertaining
to technology, trade secrets, know-how, products, facilities, processes,
operations, suppliers, current and prospective customers, marketing objectives
and plans, pricing and other information pertaining to the Disclosing Party's
business affairs, and includes all information pertaining to us and the
applicable Card Association, our and their respective marketing and other
business plans, profitability, market share and position, Card Transaction
volumes, BINS, prospective and current Issuers, other acquirers of Card
Transactions and/or Merchants, and any information disclosed by a Disclosing
Party to a Receiving Party prior to the execution of the Agreement in
contemplation or anticipation of the entry into the Agreement, regardless of
whether such disclosure was protected by a confidentiality agreement. The
term "Confidential Information" also includes the terms of this Agreement and
the Operating Regulations, including documents incorporated by reference,
each of the schedules, exhibits, appendices and amendments thereto and any
material that is distributed or disclosed by the Disclosing Party in connection
with the Program, regardless of whether such information is marked as
"Confidential." The term "Confidential Information" includes information or data
that is in oral, written or other visual form, or recorded on tape, electronic or
other media. The terms of this Section 9 shall supersede any oral or written
agreements between you and us governing confidentiality entered into prior to
the execution of this Agreement and the terms of this Section 9 shall apply
retroactively to the date of the first disclosure by the Disclosing Party of
Confidential Information in contemplation of the entry into this Agreement. In
the event of a conflict between the terms of this Section 9 and the terms of any
confidentiality agreement between you and us entered into prior to entry into
this Agreement, the terms of this Section 9 shall govern. The term "Confidential
Information" will exclude (i) information in the public domain or information that
becomes available to the general public without restriction through no wrongful
act or omission of the Receiving Party; (ii) information that is independently
developed by the Receiving Party without reference to Confidential Information
of the other party; or (iii) information that is known by the Receiving Party prior
to disclosure by the Disclosing Party.
9.2 Limited Use
You agree that Confidential Information will be used by you for the sole and
exclusive purpose of performing the obligations and exercising the rights as
granted or permitted under this Agreement. You must ensure that Confidential
Information is kept confidential and is not disclosed, directly or indirectly, to any
third party unless the Disclosing Party consents in writing to such disclosure,
and then only upon the prior execution of a confidentiality agreement
containing terms substantially similar to those in this Section 9 by the third
party to whom the Receiving Party desires to disclose such information.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Receiving Party may disclose strictly limited
and necessary types of Confidential Information to its Affiliates and/or agents
that require access to such Confidential Information in order for the Receiving
Party to perform its obligations under this Agreement, subject to the terms of
Section 9.2 and provided that such Persons are bound to confidentiality terms
substantially similar to those in this Section 9.
9.3 Permitted Disclosures
Notwithstanding the above restrictions, the Receiving Party may disclose
Confidential Information in response to a subpoena or order of a court or an
agency or government authority of competent jurisdiction that is binding on the
Receiving Party, and which compels the disclosure of Confidential Information,
provided that the Receiving Party will, to the extent permitted by Requirements
of Law, immediately notify the Disclosing Party of the receipt of a subpoena or
order so as to permit the Disclosing Party to contest any such subpoena or
order or to seek an appropriate protective order at the Disclosing Party's
expense. To the extent required by specific circumstances, you may disclose
certain limited and necessary terms of this Agreement and the Operating
Regulations, to (i) your regulators, examiners, auditors and counsel, or (ii) to
proposed investors and financing sources and their advisors in connection with
a merger or acquisition or proposed merger or acquisition or the Tike, provided
such proposed recipients agree in writing to be bound by the obligations of
confidentiality required by these Operating Regulations and provided that you
provide prompt written notice to the applicable Card Association Network in
advance of such disclosure.
9.4 Return or Destruction of Confidential Information
Upon the termination or expiration of this Agreement, all Receiving Parties will
comply with the Disclosing Party's reasonable instructions regarding the
disposition of Confidential Information, which may include the return or
destruction of any and all Confidential Information (including any electronic or
paper copies, reproductions, extracts or summaries thereof); provided that the
Receiving Parties may retain a reasonable number of copies of any tangible
property containing Confidential Information, subject to the terms of these
Operating Regulations, which may be used solely for regulatory and record-
keeping purposes and may not be used for any other purpose.
10. Advertising and Publicity
Except as otherwise explicitly permitted by the terms of this Agreement, you
may not use the registered trademarks, service marks, logos or any proprietary
information of the applicable Card Association, us or the applicable Card
Association's or our Affiliates without the prior written consent of the owner of
such intellectual property and the prior review, by such owner, of the materials
in which such marks, logos or proprietary information is proposed to be used,
including in any press release. In your case, such materials shall include the
types of media referred to in Section 7.2 in which the Program Marks or logos
are displayed. Such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
Neither party shall make any public statement or press release regarding the
Program or this Agreement, without the prior written approval of the other
party.
11. Fees; Adjustments. You agree to pay charges and fees in the amount and
in the frequency specified from time to time by us. You also agree to pay any
fines imposed on us by the applicable Card Association resulting from
Chargebacks and any other fees or fines imposed by the applicable Card
Association with respect to your acts or omissions. We have the right to revise
our fees and charges upon written notice to you and you shall pay such revised
charges and fees. You agree that any objections to any such charges or fees
that are not made and timely received by us as provided herein, shall be
deemed waived by you.
12 Representations; Warranties
12.1 For each Card transaction submitted to us, you warrant the following: (a) it
is a lawful sale/rental not previously submitted and is only for the items sold or
rented (including taxes, but without any surcharge); (b) it represents an
obligation of the Cardholder for the transaction amount; (c) it is not an amount
charged subject to any dispute, set-off or counterclaim; (d) it is for merchandise
or service actually delivered or performed at the same time you accepted and
submitted the Card for processing (except for any delayed delivery or advance
deposit transactions expressly authorized by this Agreement); (e) it is not the
10 2-08 NO TERM
refinancing of an existing obligation of the Cardholder or arising from the
dishonor of a personal check; (f) that you have no knowledge or notice that the
transaction is improper, fraudulent or unauthorized; (g) that the transaction is
between you and the Cardholder; and (h) the transaction is made in
accordance with this Merchant Agreement, the Operating Regulations and the
applicable Card Association Rules.
12.2 THIS IS A SERVICE AGREEMENT. WE DISCLAIM ALL
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE REGARDING QUALITY,
SUITABILITY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE OR OTHERWISE OR ANY SERVICES OR ANY GOODS
PROVIDED INCIDENTAL TO THE SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER THIS
AGREEMENT.
13. TERMINATION Merchant's agreement to participate in Acquirer's bank
card processing program shall continue for the Initial Term indicated on
Merchant's Application and shall automatically renew for additional terms of
one (1) year each unless the Merchant provides Acquirer written notice at
least 90 days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any renewal term.
Merchant may also terminate this agreement prior to expiration of any term
upon providing thirty (30) days notice prior to the first of any month and paying
a termination fee equal to the average gross sales volume of the Merchant
during the three months prior to the date of the notice multiplied by a factor of
0.50%, multiplied by the number of months remaining in the term. Acquirer
may offset the termination fee against the amounts of any transactions
processed for Merchant. Any partial month of processing is considered post
termination and will be included in the number of months remaining in the term
for purposes of determining the termination fee. Acquirer may terminate
Merchant's participation at any time by giving written or telephonic notice to
Merchant. Written notice shall be deemed given on the date mailed by certified
mail, return receipt requested. Telephonic notice shall be deemed given on the
date the call is completed. In no event shall Merchant be required to deposit,
or Acquirer to accept for deposit, any charge forms or credit forms after the
Termination Date.
All obligations incurred or existing under these Regulations as of the date of
termination shall survive such termination. Merchant expressly acknowledges
that VISA and MasterCard maintain records containing information on
Merchants terminated for one or more reasons specified in VISA or
MasterCard Operating Rules and Regulations. Such reasons generally
include, but are not limited to: fraud, counterfeit paper, unauthorized
transactions, breach of contract, excessive chargebacks or highly suspect
activity. Merchant acknowledges that Acquirer is required to report the
Merchant business name and the name of its principals to VISA and
MasterCard when Merchant is terminated due to one or more of the foregoing
reasons. Merchant expressly agrees and consents to such reporting by
Acquirer in the event of the termination of these Regulations due to one or
more of such reasons.
14. Security Interest. You hereby grant us a security interest and lien on any
deposit account that you now or hereafter have with any financial institution, in
all funds in any such account, all writings evidencing any such account, and all
proceeds of the foregoing, to secure your existing and future obligations to us
under this Agreement. You agree to take such actions as may be required,
from time to time, to establish and maintain such security interest as a
perfected first lien security interest. For purposes of this provision, any failure
by you to pay us, upon demand, the amount of any transaction that we have
charged back to you or any other amount owed by you to us under this
Agreement shall constitute a default by you. Upon any such default, we shall
have all rights and remedies provided by law, including the right to enforce
our security interest by applying all funds in any account held by us to any
and all of your indebtedness to us.
15. Limitation of Liability. Our liability to you with respect to any Card
transaction shall not exceed the amount represented by the transaction record
in connection with that transaction less any applicable discount, provided that
our total, aggregate liability for all claims shall not exceed the amount of fees
paid by you during the three (3) months prior to the most recent claim. IN NO
EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER.
16. Entire Agreement; Compliance. The parties intend that the Merchant
Application, the Merchant Agreement, the Schedule to these Merchant
Regulations, the applicable Card Association Rules, and our schedule of fees
and charges for the services provided hereunder, shall constitute the entire
agreement of the parties and may not be contradicted by evidence of any prior
or contemporaneous agreement. You shall comply with all laws applicable to
you and any Card Transaction, including, without limitation, all state and
federal consumer credit and consumer protection statutes and regulations. You
shall also comply with all operating instructions, rules and regulations as we or
the applicable Card Association may issue or amend from time to time. You
shall pay, or reimburse us for our payments of, any fines or assessments
imposed by the applicable Card Association that arise out of your credit card
activities. The applicable Card Association Rules are incorporated herein by
reference and you agree to be bound by and comply with the same.
17. Waiver. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right,
remedy, or power under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor
shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, or power hereunder
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right,
remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity. The waiver by any
party of the time for performance of any act or condition hereunder does not
constitute a waiver of the act or condition itself.
18. Severability, Amendment, and Construction. If any provision of this
Agreement is declared illegal or void, it shall not affect the validity or
enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement. This Agreement may be
amended at any time by us upon written notice to you. Your continued use of
our services hereunder subsequent to any such change constitutes your
acceptance of the change. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted
in accordance with the laws of the state of Wisconsin and applicable federal
law. All headings are for convenience only and do not control substantive
provisions of this Agreement.
19. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto, their successors, and assigns. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, you may not assign, sell, transfer, delegate or otherwise dispose
of, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, or by other operation of law, any right or
obligation under this Agreement without our written consent. Any purported
assignment, transfer, or delegation in violation of this Section shall be null and
void. We may subcontract or delegate our obligations hereunder to
subcontractors or third parties at our sole discretion.
20. Fines or Assessments. If we are fined or assessed any sum by the
applicable Card Association, for your violations of the applicable Card
Association Rules, the applicable Card Association by-laws or regulations or
operating guidelines, you will immediately reimburse us for said amounts.
21. Lawsuits, Venue, and Attorneys' Fee. You and we agree to and hereby
waive the right to trial by jury in any lawsuit arising out of this Agreement and
the documents referenced in this Agreement, whether such claims are based
on contract, unjust enrichment, tort or any other theory of law. Each party
represents to the other that this waiver is knowingly, willingly and voluntarily
given. The parties further agree that all such lawsuits shall only be venued in
the county in which our principal place of business is located. You will
reimburse us for reasonable attorney's fees and other costs and expenses
incurred by us in enforcing any rights Acquirer may have with regard to this
Agreement and the documents referenced herein.
22 Reserve Account. In our sole discretion, we may require you to establish a
Reserve Account to protect our interests based upon our estimate of the
amount necessary to cover anticipated chargebacks, fees and other liabilities
you owe us. To establish the Reserve Account, you authorize us to deduct
funds from amounts due you by us, or charge any deposit account of yours
with any other financial institution by Automated Clearing House or otherwise
and place such funds in a deposit account in a depository selected by us (the
"Reserve Account"). You hereby grant us a security interest in the funds in the
Reserve Account as security for any existing or future obligation we owe you.
The funds in the Reserve Account shall not be subject to the claims of any
other party. You may not grant any lien or security interest in the Reserve
Account. We may deduct a portion from each credit transaction deposited or
transmitted by you to us or any other financial institution and place such funds
into the Reserve Account. The Reserve Account shall be maintained for as
long as we, in our sole discretion, deem necessary. You hereby expressly
authorize any financial institution at which you maintain an account to transfer
funds from such account to us upon our request to maintain funds in the
Reserve Account of a level deemed appropriate by us. In our sole discretion,
we may withdraw funds from the Reserve Account to satisfy your obligations to
us. If your funds in the Reserve Account are not sufficient to cover the
chargebacks, adjustments, fees and other charges due from you, or if the
funds in the Reserve Account have been released, you agree to promptly pay
us such sums upon request. You shall not receive any accrued interest on
any funds held by us as a result of your processing of transactions, including,
but not limited to, funds held by us in a Reserve Account. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, we shall be entitled to accrued interest on any such held funds.
23 Financial and Other Information
23.1 Upon our request, you shall furnish to us copies of your financial
statements, and /or such other financial information and reports reasonably
requested by us. You authorize us to obtain, from time to time, credit,
financial, and other information regarding you from other persons or entities,
such as credit reporting agencies. You also authorize us to respond to
requests from others for information regarding you. We have the right at any
reasonable time to verify all sales and to audit your books, accounts, records,
and other papers relative to credit transactions tendered to us hereunder.
11 2-08 NO TERM
23.2 From time to time, we may determine that an inspection of your business
locatton is necessary. In such event, you shall pay the costs incurred by us for
such inspection, including, but not limited to, costs incurred for airfare and hotel
accommodations. Prior to the imposition of such costs, we shall notify you in
writing of our intention to impose such costs and provide you with an estimate
as to the amount of such costs. Your written consent to pay such costs shall
not be unreasonably withheld.
24 Indemnification: You agree to indemnify and hold us, our vendors and
affiliates, as well as the applicable Card Association and any Issuer, harmless
from and against all losses, liabilities, damages and expenses (including
reasonable attorneys' fees) resulting from your actions, including, but not
limited to, any breach of any warranty, covenant or agreement or any
misrepresentation by you under this Merchant Agreement, or arising out of you
or your employees' actions, including as a result of your processing of
transactions or use of any Services obtained.
25 Processing Related Equipment
25.1 YOU WARRANT THAT ANY PROCESSING EQUIPMENT AND/OR
SOFTWARE YOU OBTAIN IS FOR A COMMERCIAL PURPOSE AND IS NOT
FOR PERSONAL USE. Unless otherwise provided for in a separate sales
agreement, the sale of all processing equipment is between you and third
parties, including, but not limited to, our independent sales agents and
representatives.
25.2 YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ANY EQUIPMENT AND/OR SOFTWARE
YOU OBTAIN MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH ANOTHER PROCESSOR'S
SYSTEMS. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO MAKE SUCH
EQUIPMENT AND/OR SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE WITH ANY OTHER
PROCESSING SYSTEMS. IN THE EVENT THAT YOU ELECT TO USE
ANOTHER PROCESSING SERVICE PROVIDER UPON THE TERMINATION
OF THIS MERCHANT AGREEMENT, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE EQUIPMENT AND/OR SOFTWARE THAT
YOU HAVE OBTAINED.
25.3 We may upgrade or otherwise modify our computer system at any time
without prior notice. You agree to provide us access to your processing
equipment in the event that we deem it necessary as part of our upgrade or
system modification.
26 Other Provisions
26.1 No party shall be liable for any default or delay in the performance of its
obligations under this Merchant Agreement if and to the extent such default or
delay is caused, directly or indirectly, by (i) fire, flood, earthquake, elements of
nature or other acts of God; (ii) any terrorist attacks or outbreak or escalation of
hostilities, war, riots or civil disorders in any country; (iii) any act or omission of
the other party or any government authority; (iv) any labor disputes (whether or
not employees' demands are reasonable or within the party's power to satisfy);
or (v) the nonperformance by a third party for any similar cause beyond the
reasonable control of such party, including, without limitation, failures or
fluctuations in telecommunications or other equipment. In any such event, the
nonperforming party shall be excused from any further performance and
observance of the obligations so affected only for as long as such
circumstances prevail and such party continues to use commercially
reasonable efforts to recommence performance or observance as soon as
practicable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this paragraph, your
failure to receive payment or funds from a third party shall not excuse the
performance of your obligations to us under this Merchant Agreement.
26.2 The headings contained in this Merchant Agreement are for convenience
of reference only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or construction of
any provision of this Merchant Agreement.
26.3 If there are any inconsistencies between the Merchant Application and
Agreement and the Operating Regulations, the Merchant Application and
Agreement will govern. If any part of the Merchant Agreement is not
enforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain valid and enforceable.
26.4 This Merchant Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
parties with respect to the subject matter thereof, supersedes any previous
agreements and understandings and, except as expressly provided in this
Merchant Agreement, can be changed only by a written agreement signed by
all parties. A party's waiver of a breach of any term or condition of this
Merchant Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach
of the same or another term or condition.
26.5 The parties acknowledge that the applicable Card Association Rules give
the applicable Card Association certain rights to require termination or
modification of this Merchant Agreement with respect to transactions involving
Cards and the Card Association systems and to investigate you. The parties
also acknowledge that issuers of other Cards, for which we perform services
on your behalf, may have similar rights under their applicable the applicable
Card Association Rules with respect to this Merchant Agreement's applicability
to transactions involving such other Cards.
26.6. You may designate a third party as your agent for the purpose of
delivering credit card transactions data-captured at Point-Of-Sale Terminals by
such agent for clearing and settlement. In such event, you agree that: a) you
must provide satisfactory notice to us if exercising use of third-party agent; b)
you understand and agree that the obligation of us to you to reimburse you for
credit card transactions is limited to the amount (less fees) delivered by that
agent to us; c) you is responsible for any failure by your agent to comply with
your responsibilities under this Agreement and the Operating Regulations
including but not limited to any violation which results in a chargeback.
27. Merchant Chargeback Notification: As a merchant participating in the Card
Association system, you must be aware of the credit cardholder's right to
charge back a transaction. A chargeback occurs when a cardholder disputes
purchase for any number of reasons. Please be aware of the following:
A chargeback is initiated by the cardholder's bank, not the Acquirer
The chargeback process is one which ordinarily favors the cardholder rather
than the merchant.
• A chargeback does not mean that you, as a merchant, are without recourse.
What it may mean, however, is that you will have to pursue a private
collection action against your customer.
• A cardholder's right to charge back is very broad. The cardholder simply
has to file a written dispute with his/her bank. The bank must then charge
the item back.
• An authorization does not guarantee your sale, should the cardholder
dispute the sale.
• A cardholder has significant rights to return merchandise. Please note
paragraph 12 of the Merchant Regulations. Should the cardholder claim
he/she was not made aware of the disclosure (the merchant's return policy),
a chargeback will likely be initiated.
• The Acquirer is simply the messenger when a chargeback is initiated by a
cardholder. The Acquirer must process the chargeback to the merchant's
account per the Applicable Card Association rules and regulations.
28. Definitions. As used in this Merchant Agreement, the terms below will have
the following meanings:
Authorization. Approval by, or on behalf of, the Issuer to validate a transaction.
An Authorization indicates only the availability of the Cardholder's credit limit at
the time the Authorization is requested.
Automatic Payment Plan. An obligation, either of a fixed or variable amount,
that is paid by a Cardholder with a series of charges to a Card account over a
period time pursuant to an agreement between the Cardholder and the
merchant.
Card Not Present. A Card Sale or Credit that occurs when neither the Card nor
the Cardholder is present at the point-of-sale to conduct the Card Sale or
Credit, including Internet, mail-order and telephone-order Card Sales and
Credits.
Card Present. A Card Sale, Cash Advance or Credit that occurs where the
Card and the Cardholder are present at the point-of-sale and the Card is used
to conduct the Card
Sale, Cash Advance or Credit, as evidenced by our receipt of Track Data in the
Authorization Request (except with respect to Biometric Card Transactions,
which constitute Card Present Card Sales but will not include CW with the
Authorization Request).
Card Sale. A sale of goods or services to a Cardholder by a Merchant, either in
a Card Present environment or as a
Card Not Present transaction, either of which is conducted pursuant to a
Merchant Agreement where the amount of such sale is applied to a Card
Account and considered an obligation of the Cardholder.
Card Transaction. A transaction involving a Card, including any Card Sale,
Cash Advance, Credit, Chargeback, Reversal or Correction.
Cardholder. The individual whose name is embossed on a Card (or Debit Card,
as applicable) and any authorized user of such Card.
Chargeback. The procedure by which a Sales Draft or other indicator of a Card
transaction (or disputed portion thereof) is returned to Bank or the Issuing
Bank, the liability for which is the Merchant's responsibility.
Chargeback Fee. A fee incurred each time a transaction is charged back to
you.
CID or Card Identification Data. The three digit number that follows the
complete or truncated Card Number in the signature panel or in a separate box
directly to the right of the signature panel on the back of each Card.
12 2-08 NO TERM
Cretrit. A refund or price adjustment given for a previous purchase transaction
CVV or Card Verification Value. The three digit number that follows the
complete or truncated Card Number in the signature panel or in a separate box
directly to the the right of the signature panel on the back of each Card.
CVC or Card Verification Code. The three digit number that follows the
complete or truncated Card Number in the signature panel or in a separate box
directly to the the right of the signature panel on the back of each Card.
Dial-Up Terminal. An Authorization device which, like a telephone, dials an
Authorization center for validation of transactions.
the applicable Card Association Rules. The rules, regulations, releases,
interpretations and other requirements (whether contractual or otherwise)
imposed or adopted by the applicable Card Association.
Discount Rate. An amount charged for processing credit Card transactions or
signature debit Card Sales. Discount Rates are charged on all sales and
refunds.
Dispute. A ticket retrieval request, request for a Chargeback, Chargeback,
request for representment of a Card Transaction, or representment of a Card
Transaction, as the context may require, by an Issuer, us or the applicable
Card Association, including supporting information and documentation
provided by the Issuer or us in connection with any of the foregoing, and the
applicable Card Association's process of resolving or effecting any of the
foregoing, including Dispute arbitration, as more fully described in the Dispute
Rules.
Dispute Rules. The document that contains instructions and requirements
relating to the resolution of Disputes relating to Card Transactions, including
Chargebacks, Credits and corrections, as such document may be amended
from time to time by the applicable Card Association.
Fees. The fees and charges we or the applicable Card Association assess for
or related to the Services.
Interchange. A charge assessed by the applicable Card Association and paid
to the Issuer.
Imprinter . A manual or electric machine used to physically imprint the
merchant's name and ID number as well as the Cardholder's name and Card
number on a Sales Draft.
Issuer. The bank or other party that has issued a Card.
Magnetic Stripe . A stripe of magnetic information affixed to the back of a
plastic credit or Debit Card. The magnetic stripe contains essential Cardholder
and account information.
POS Device. An electronic point-of-sale device, cash register, or terminal and
any necessary software, including a CAT and aself-service terminal, located at
the physical premises of a merchant that is capable of electronically capturing
data from Cards and receiving electronic evidence of Authorization responses
and which may also be capable of transmitting electronic evidence of Sales
Data.
Program Marks. Any and all trademarks and service marks of a Card
Association which are provided to you or approved by us for your use in
connection with the Services.
Referral Code. The message received from an Issuing Bank when an attempt
for Authorization requires a call to the Voice Authorization Center or Voice
Response Unit (VRU).
Requirements of Law. Any law, ordinance, statute, treaty, rule, judgment,
decree, regulation, official directive, consent, approval, authorization, order or
other determination or finding of any governmental authority applicable to or
binding upon you or to which you are subject, whether federal, state, county,
local, foreign or otherwise, including state usury laws, the Truth-In-Lending Act,
the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Federal Equal Credit Opportunity
Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act as amended by the Fair and Accurate Credit
Transactions Act, the National Bank Act, the Bank Secrecy Act as amended by
the USA PATRIOT Act together with implementing federal regulations, the
Trading With the Enemy Act, the International Emergency Economic Powers
Act and the United Nations Participation Act and related Executive Orders and
implementing U.S. Department of the Treasury regulations, the Electronic
Funds Transfer Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Gramm-
Leach-Bliley Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Anti-Boycott provisions
of the Export Administration Act and implementing U.S. Department of
Commerce regulations, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act and implementing federal regulations, and Regulations B, E, P and
Z of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Reserve Account. A fund established and managed by us to protect against
actual or contingent liability arising from Chargebacks, adjustments, fees and
other charges.
Retrieval Request/Transaction Documentation Request: A request for
documentation related to a Card transaction such as a copy of a Sales Draft or
other transaction source documents.
Sales Data. Evidence of Card Sales and Credits in electronic format that is
captured, prepared and/or transmitted by you for a Card Sale or Credit.
Sales Draft .Evidence of a purchase of goods or services by a Cardholder
from Merchant using a Card, regardless of whether the form of such evidence
is in paper, electronic or otherwise, all of which must conform to the applicable
Card Association Rules.
Security Requirements. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard
located at www.pcisecuritystandards.org (as the same may be amended and
supplemented from time to time), which is incorporated herein by reference
and all related compliance requirements and (ii) any additional security
requirements and all related compliance requirements promulgated by the
applicable Card Association from time to time.
Services .The activities undertaken by Processor and Bank to authorize,
process and settle all United States Dollar-denominated Card transactions
undertaken by Cardholders at Merchant's location(s) in the United States, and
all other activities necessary for Processor and Bank to perform the functions
required by your Merchant Agreement for all other Cards covered by your
Merchant Agreement.
Settlement Account . An account at a financial institution designated by
Merchant as the account to be debited and Credited by Processor or Bank for
Card transactions, fees, Chargebacks and other amounts due under the
Merchant Agreement or in connection with the Merchant Agreement.
Signature Debit Transaction . A transaction in which a Debit Card is used at a
Merchant location bearing a Card Association logo, but where the Cardholder
does not enter a PIN.
Transaction Documentation. Collectively, Transaction Receipts and
Transaction Slips.
Transaction Receipt. A paper or electronic copy of Card Transaction data
generated at the point -of -sale when the Card Transaction is conducted using
a POS Device, a copy of which is provided to the Cardholder.
Transaction Slip. A form used by you to capture Card Transaction data in
transactions where a POS Device is not used, one copy of which is provided to
the Cardholder and one copy of which is provided to us for settlement of the
Card Transaction, including a Sales Slip or a Credit Slip, as applicable or
appropriate under the circumstances.
13 2-08 NO TERM
aCHEDULE TO MERCHANT REGULATIONS
CENTRAL RESERVATION SERVICE MERCHANT. In the event the Merchant is a Central Reservation Service Merchant, the provisions contained in Section 5.4.1 of VISA
U.S.A., Inc. Operating Regulations shall be incorporated into the Merchant Regulations by reference as if the same were fully set forth herein. Merchant shall request a copy
of said regulations and Acquirer shall provide the same within five business days of such a request. Merchant agrees that it shall be bound by the terms and provisions of
such regulations, whether or not it asks for copies of the same or not.
INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES. If Merchant is an International Airlines, Section 4.2.B.10.a, b and c of VISA U.S.A., Inc. Operating Regulations are incorporated into the
Merchant Regulations as if they were fully set forth herein and such Merchant shall be bound by the terms and provisions. Merchant shall request copies of such sections
and, upon such request, Acquirer shall provide them to Merchant within five business days. Merchant agrees that it shall be bound by the terms and provisions of such
regulations, whether or not it asks for copies of the same or not.
VISAPHONE TRANSACTIONS. For VISAPhone Transactions, a Carrier must attempt to obtain authorization for such transactions no more than five times within 30 calendar
days of the VISAPhone Transaction as specified in the VISAPhone implementation manuals available from VISA U.S.A., Inc. and authorization is valid if the Carrier received
no more than four negative or referral responses within the 30-calendar-day period after the Transaction Date and obtained an approval response within the 30-calendar-day
period.
AUTOMATED FUEL DISPENSER MERCHANT. An Automated Fuel Dispenser Merchant must obtain an authorization for the exact amount of the transaction or use the
Status Check Procedure. Merchant may use the Status Check Procedure if the floor limit is zero and the transaction amount is no more than $50.00. Merchant must not use
an arbitrary amount estimate to obtain authorization.
The following terms and provisions shall be applicable to all Merchants:
1) AFFILIATED MERCHANT. An Affiliated Merchant shall not offer preferential treatment to the VISA and Electron Cardholders of that Member. An Affiliated Merchant shall
comply with federal bank anti-tying laws, including the prohibition on varying of consideration on the condition that the customer obtain a product or service from an affiliate of
the Member. No discount may be provided to an Affinity Cardholder unless the discount (such as a rebate) is provided subsequent to the time of the transaction or
Cardholder presents a coupon or voucher with the Affinity card. Merchant shall not promote the availability of discounts with Affinity cards for purchases made at the point of
sale.
2) VISANET COPY REQUEST AND FULFILLMENT SERVICE EQUIPMENT. If VISANet Copy Request and Fulfillment Service Equipment is installed at a Merchant Outlet,
Section 1.10 through 1.10.M.3 of the VISA U.S.A., Inc. Operating Regulations incorporated herein by reference and made a part of the Merchant Regulations. Merchant may
obtain copies of the foregoing operating regulations by requesting the same from Acquirer.
3) ADVANCE PAYMENT SERVICE MERCHANT. An Advance Payment Service Merchant may deposit a transaction receipt representing a partial or complete advance
payment as specified in the following Section 5.4.L of VISA U.S.A., Inc. Operating Regulations:
4) AFFINITY CARD PROGRAM. VISA Owned Marks must be at least equal in size and prominence to Affinity Partner identification and any other payment system marks.
Merchant shall not display a reproduction of an Affinity card as part of a decal at the Point-of-Transaction. VISA U.S.A., Inc. may require modification of any display if the
display adversely affects the VISA brand. An Affiliated Merchant must display the VISA-Owned Mark independently from any identification of the Affinity Partner.
5) IDENTIFICATION VALIDATION. Merchant must validate the Cardholder's identity in a face-to-face environment as specified in the following Table 5.2 which is part of
VISA U.S.A., Inc. Operating Regulations found at Section 5.2.G:
Description Retail Manual-Cash Quasi-Cash T&E Cash
Review positive identification (such as an unexpired passport or driver's license) to validate the XX XX XX
Cardholder's identit .
Indicate the positive identification on the Transaction Receipt, including:
• Description of identification, including any serial number and expiration date, and XX XX XX
• Cardholder name if different from the embossed name and address.
Verify both of the following:
• Signature on the Visa or Electron Card matches the signature on the Transaction Receipt and
identification presented. This signature may be different from the name embossed or printed on XX XX XX XX
the Card.
• Cardholder resembles the person described, or depicted in any photograph intended for
identification on the Visa or Electron Card.
Compare the frst 4 digits of the embossed Account Number to the 4 digits printed above or below the
Account Number. X XX XX
Record the printed 4 digits on the Transaction Receipt as follows:
• Write the digits in the space provided on the Transaction Receipt or
• Key enter and electronically print the digits on the Cash Disbursement Transaction Record in the XX XX
designated space, ifusing aPoint-of-Transaction Terminal capable of printing key-entered
numbers.
If the numbers do not match, attempt to recover the Visa or Electron Card, as specified in Section 5.2.J
XX XX
1. This re uirement does not a I to Ex ress Pa ment Service Transactions.
6) TRANSACTION RECEIPT COMPLETION. Pursuant to Visa U.S.A., Inc. Operating Regulations Section 5.2.x.5, the Merchant must write the following letters or words on
the signature line of the transaction receipt as specified in the following table:
Transaction T e Si nature Line Printin
Tele hone Order TO
Mail Order MO
No Show NO SHOW
T&E Advance De osit ADVANCE DEPOSIT
Priorit Check-Out PRIORITY CHECK-OUT
Recurrin RECURRING TRANSACTION
Advance Pa ment Service ADVANCE PAYMENT
14 2-08 NO TERM