Credit Card Processing Flows and Participants

 

Sportsman requires integration with a credit card processing system.   This allows patrons to swipe or use a chip reader to use their card for purchases at your center or use a credit card for a registration or reservation purchase on your ActivityReg website.  It also permits the use of the Card on File feature as well as contributing to financial reporting, reconciliation and distribution of proceeds from card charges.  

 

Card Transaction Flows

There are many participants in the flow of a credit card transaction and it is helpful to understand these participants as well as the flexibility each may have to work with other specific companies in the process.  If your community currently uses a specific Acquiring Bank for credit card transactions, they may partner with a Gateway that is supported by Sportsman or you will be required to work with your Acquiring Bank to identify and partner with a Gateway that integrates with Sportsman and a Processor that can handle the specific technology that you require (such as EMV/Tap to Pay).  (For example most Acquiring Banks can use a Gateway and Processor that will work with Sportsman, however they are likely only to recommend their preferred or in-house Gateway and Processor.)   In some cases it is necessary to identify a new Acquiring bank that works with a Gateway that Sportsman integrates with.  

 

 

Participants

Sportsman (PCI Mode):  Credit card information is never entered into your Sportsman database as the software seamlessly pulls up a card transaction window from your selected Gateway.  The full account numbers stored with Card on File feature are located in an encrypted vault separate from your database and stored with your Gateway.

 

Gateway:  This may also be referred to as a Technology Provider or the Acquiring/Merchant Bank’s Payment Software. The Gateway is the technology and account that Sportsman integrates with.  Your gateway account credentials are entered into Sportsman Site Configuration and encrypted. The role of the Gateway is to begin communication of the transaction request from Sportsman through the processing flow and to communicate is final approval or decline back to Sportsman.   The Gateway checks account numbers quickly for validity and fraud markers and then passes the information to the Acquiring Bank.  A Gateway can be associated with or in some cases can be a distinct vendor from the Acquiring Bank.  A list of gateways we integrate with are provided on our Technical Support website and include Authorize.net and Open Edge.

 

Acquiring Bank:  May also be referred to as the Merchant Bank or Processing Bank. There is a wide variety of banks that can serve as the Acquiring Bank.  Most Acquirers CAN use a variety of gateways and processors, however many of the larger banks have their own Gateways and Processors and may not offer to set up an account with other participants in the marketplace that may integrate with Sportsman.   You will need 2 merchant accounts to use with Sportsman:  a ‘card present’ account if you are accepting cards in person, and an ‘online/non card present’ account for your ActivityReg patron website. These accounts are tied to the Gateway credentials entered into Sportsman.  The Acquiring Bank receives information about the requested transaction from the Gateway and passes it on to the Processor.  Examples of Acquiring Banks include Card Connect and Global Payments.

 

Processor:  These are large companies that are also referred to as Interchanges or the Processing Platform. Examples include First Data Nashville and Global Payments.   These provide the card authorization and settlement by connecting directly to the Card Brand networks (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) and their Issuer Banks. Not all processors offer EMV technology so it is important that your Acquiring Bank is willing to partner with a Processor that can handle these.  The Processor receives transaction details from the Acquiring Bank and passes it to the Issuers/Sponsor Banks.

 

Issuer/Sponsor Bank:  These are the credit card issuing banks (Citi, Chase, Capital One, Bank of America, AmEx) who Sponsor the Credit Card Brands.  They provide the approvals or declines, put holds on credit transactions and are involved with the Processor in final settlement funding.   Approvals or declines along with the funding information is passed back to the Processor, then Acquiring Bank, then Gateway to signal to Sportsman the result of the charge request.

 

Deposit Bank:  Your community will have a bank account with a local or national bank where the proceeds from credit card transactions are ultimately deposited and potentially the credit card fees are withdrawn.  This does not need to be the same as the Acquiring Bank, but might be.

 

Credit Card Brands:  Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover

 

The Merchant: The Sportsman Client is referred to as the merchant because they are selling services and posting card charges thru Sportsman.