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Posted: 11/1/2024 6:06:40 PM EDT
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Thanks to crappy Terms of Service from places like PayPal, Venmo, Square, etc. (fuck those guys anyways...), I'm forced to use "traditional" payment processors. For a long time I used Clearent, then switched to Blue Dog (which became Fortis at some point.) Because I'm a part time operation, I was looking for the lowest "fixed" cost option, which means my "per transaction" percentages are really quite bad. I also fell for Blue Dog's "analysis" showing I'd save money on processing over Clearent. And while my "qualified" rate with Fortis is actually better than it was from Clearent, next to nothing is "qualified", and most stuff is "Mid-qual". What does that mean? The few folks that pay with a non-rewards credit card get me the "qual" rate, while everything is "mid" or "non-qual", so higher fees..... Anyway, that is not the subject of this rant. The subject is about the damn "PCI" compliance testing that has to be done. And I think I've found a sneaky new way they are using to try and boost their fees. I'll explain. I'm on the "C Questionnaire" (annual) for the PCI compliance, and I have to do a quarterly scan. The service that Fortis contracts with is "PCI Apply", so I have my account there, and have the quarterly scans set to run automatically each quarter. The process goes like this: Scan is coming up, so the system emails me and says "a scan is coming up." Great, it's scheduled to run, but I log in and double check anyway. Yep, scheduled to run. Once the scan completes, the system is supposed to email me the results and say "Yep, scan complete, all good, SUBMIT YOUR ASV certification." This time however, I only got the "scan is scheduled" email, I never got the "scan is COMPLETE" email, so I missed the next step, submitting the ASV certification. The day the current PCI compliance ran out (10/26) based on the scan, I get an email from PCI saying "you are not in compliance as of 10/26." What the hell?? I check my junk folder, trash, everything to see if I missed the "scan result" email. No, I did not. I log into my account, find the scan results and see it was completed on 10/16. Ok, whatever, I'll submit it now since the scan ran on 10/16, and the date I submitted the certification was 10/26, so in theory things should be good. Of course, they say "it can take up to 2 days for US to approve your certification", which they finally did on 10/28. What is the day they enter into the system as being compliant? 10/16, the day the scan was done? Nope. 10/26, the day I certified the scan results? Nope. They entered 10/28 as the day I was "compliant", meaning I was "non-compliant" for 2 days according to them. And that resulted in a $54.95 "non-compliance fee" on my October billing, which I got today.  So I got every email from them, except the one that said the scan was complete and ready to submit. Seems suspicious to me that the ONLY email I didn't get was that one, which turned into a $55 extra charge. I did call the customer service line, and she said she would submit the REQUEST to have the fee waived as a "one time good faith" effort. So hopefully I get my money back, but it is not guaranteed.... So, a few things for you guys: 1.) Don't forget to double/triple check your credit card processing PCI compliance. I'm now putting in calendar reminders, as I don't trust their notifications to get to me when they actually matter. 2.) Fuck Fortis/Blue Dog, I do not recommend them. If you need processing for your FFL business look elsewhere. 3.) Who is "elsewhere?" genuinely looking for new processor recommdendations now.... |
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You probably don't want to hear this, but just drop the credit cards. Once your regular customers get used to this being how you do business, it should have little impact on your sales. As the "cashback" incentives rise, so do the costs to the merchants. This is just like how Green Stamps used to be, until people finally wised up. Cashbacks (and the underlying merchant charges) are now so high an ever-increasing number of merchants are forced to make a surcharge for people using cards. Stand up to them and fire them. Cash & checks. |
“As long as none of us gets hurt, we’re making memories.” - one GA trooper to another after shooting HOSTAGE 9 times
Their SHAME has become their PRIDE
Their SHAME has become their PRIDE
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Originally Posted By Scollins: 3.) Who is "elsewhere?" genuinely looking for new processor recommdendations now.... [email protected] |
Heller II - Challenging DC's bans on semi-automatic rifles, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and its onerous and expensive handgun registration process. http://www.HellerFoundation.org/
No, my name has nothing to do with enemas.
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AK building addict in recovery. Fell off the wagon.
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