Metacharge - Merchant Accounts & Payment Processing

Q	I’d like to accept credit card payments from my customers. How do I get started?
A	Click here to apply online. Metacharge includes an internet merchant account, a secure payment gateway and a suite of web based back office services – everything you need to perform and manage card payment processing.
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Q	How long does it take to set up?
A	We promise to review your application within 2 working days. If your application is approved, we will issue you with a test account and integration guide immediately whilst your merchant account ID’s are ordered. It then typically takes a further 3 to 5 days from receipt of all required documents before you can start processing payments. For businesses trading online please ensure your site is compliant with Visa/MasterCard guidelines listed here. Mail/telephone order businesses click here for the compliance checklist.
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Q	What goods and services can I sell?
A	You can sell physical and digital (tangible and intangible) goods and services. The only current exceptions are adult online content (pornographic imagery), multi level marketing and businesses of a legally dubious nature. High risk merchants (gaming, travel, ticketing and online pharmacies) please contact sales for a quick decision in principle and current Visa/MasterCard compliance requirements.
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Q	Do I need a merchant account?
A	The Metacharge service includes an internet merchant account from a choice of UK and European acquiring banks. After reviewing your application we can advise the most suitable bank based on your location, required trading currencies, transaction volumes, nature of business and so on.
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Q	What size of business do you deal with?
A	We process payments for small, medium and large companies. We usually require that you have monthly sales of at least £5,000 or the equivalent in your trading currency. If you are a startup we ask that you to reach the minimum sales volume within your first 6 months trading. We also ask that you pay the first 6 months service charges in advance.
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Q	My business is very small. Is a Metacharge Account suitable?
A	Our service is designed around the needs of businesses taking card payments of at least £5,000 per month from their customers. Smaller merchants, in particular those who can provide turnover predictions for this revenue within six months, will also be considered. Merchants who have been trading for less than a year will be asked to pay the first six monthly service charges in advance, in addition to any reserves or deposits required. Alternatively, our sister company SECPay offer a highly competitive gateway service. For more information please visit www.secpay.com or call 0870 190 4136.
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Q	What happens if I don’t reach or fall below your minimum monthly sales threshold?
A	There are no specific actions that we will take solely in response to low transaction volumes. The minimum monthly threshold is provided for your guidance as to the suitability of our service.
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Q	Which countries do you accept applications from?
A	Credit card scheme rules state that we can process payments for companies incorporated within the European Union. Please note that we require a company secretary or director, resident in the EU country you are incorporated in, to act as signatory on our merchant agreement. For assistance incorporating a company within the European Union we recommend Foerster Business Solutions.
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Q	What does it cost, how long does it take to incorporate in EU?
A	Our preferred partner, Foerster Business Solutions currently charge from £33 ($65). Turnaround is typically 4 hours. They can also fast track a UK bank account if required. Please contact Foerster Business Solutions or your chosen company formation specialist for further information.
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Q	Do you accept applications from non incorporated businesses (sole traders)?
A	Yes, provided your business is based within the EU. You must also reside in the same EU country as the business.
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Q	My Bank has refused my application for a merchant account. Can you help?
A	There is a good chance we can. Our clients include online gaming, pharmacies, startup, sole traders and other companies who are viewed as high risk by many banks. We work with one of the largest banks in Europe who have a flexible approach to risk management and we treat every application on it’s merits. We do not accept adult online content and businesses of a legally dubious nature. High risk merchants (gaming, travel and online pharmacies) please please contact sales for a quick decision in principle and current Visa/MasterCard compliance requirements
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Q	If my application is declined, will you refund my fees?
A	We cannot provide our services to all businesses, either for legal, reputational or risk reasons. If, after our initial assessment of your application, we decline to offer you an account then we shall refund all fees in full.
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Q	If I apply for an account then change my mind am I entitled to a refund? What is your policy on refunds?
A	Please refer to our refund policy for details.

Financial

Q	How and when do I get paid?
A	Our standard terms are weekly, 4 weeks in arrears. We settle by bank transfer to an account of your choice*. Our payment period is Monday to Sunday inclusive. For example: transactions between 2/8/04 to 8/8/04 would be settled 6/9/04. The deferred settlement period is required to offset the risk inherent in credit card payments. Alternative risk management solutions (including fixed and rolling reserves) may be offered to established merchants.
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Q	Can you settle funds to my existing bank account?
A	Yes. We can settle funds to all UK and international banks who are members of the SWIFT network. If your bank is not a member of the SWIFT network (ie they cannot provide SWIFT routing information) your settlement will take longer to reach your account and you may incur additional transit fees. If your bank account is not in the same name as your company, we will require additional documentation from you to verify legitimacy. Wherever possible, a valid IBAN (international bank account number) for your settlement account should be provided. The IBAN is a series of alphanumeric characters that uniquely identifies an account held at a bank anywhere in the world. Please contact your bank if you do not already have an IBAN. For minimum charges for settlement in Euro's to European bank accounts, a valid IBAN and SWIFT are required.
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Q	What are the costs?
A	Our service fees are listed here.
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Q	What the term of your Merchant Agreement?
A	The initial term is 12 months, automatically renewed unless terminated.
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Q	What are the minimum and maximum transaction values?
A	The minimum transaction value is £1/$1/€1. By default the maximum transaction value is £1000/$1500/€1500. Higher limits are available on request.
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* certain conditions apply

Technical

Q	What is a payment gateway?
A	A payment gateway receives, processes and relays your payment requests via the credit card scheme networks to member banks around the world. This enables the real-time online processing of credit cards. The Metacharge payment gateway responds instantly to your requests by either authorising or declining the transaction.
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Q	What is a virtual terminal?
A	A virtual terminal is an online card payment form directly integrated with our Merchant Extranet management tool, enabling you to easily take payments manually. You simply enter your customers credit card details into the form and click to make payment. The Metacharge virtual terminal supports single and repeat payments (subscriptions). It's perfect for taking payments over the telephone, fax or mail order. As Metacharge is a software-only solutions provider, think of the Virtual Terminal as an equivalent to a point-of-sale machine.
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Q	What is emailPay?
A	emailPay is an easy way to create a unique payment request including transaction value, description and currency. it?s ideal for emailing a 'one-click' instant payment link to your customers. emailPay is perfect for promotions, taking the consumer straight to a personalised payment page with a minimum of fuss and effort. An emailPay link can be sent to one customer or delivered to thousands via email-shot.
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Q	Can Metacharge handle high transaction volumes?
A	Yes. We have invested in world class infrastructure including data centres in the UK and USA. Our scaleable and redundant systems are designed for continuous 24/7 service.
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Q	Is Metacharge secure?
A	Yes. We adhere strictly to card scheme and banking industry best practice. We are also amongst the first payment companies to implement DDoS prevention technology, and one of the few to be Level 1 certified by both Visa and MasterCard for our Data Security Standards.
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Q	How do I integrate Metacharge on my site?
A	The Metacharge Card Payment Engine (MCPE) is accessed via bi-directional HTTP POST. Our merchant helpdesk team have a wealth of experience and are always on hand to assist you. Easy to follow Integration guides explaining the setup process from beginning to end, a notification test suite and sample handlers in Perl, PHP and ASP can be downloaded upon acceptance of your application. Merchants who wish to review integration prior to signup, can obtain our easy to follow guides.
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Q	How can I submit payment requests to the Metacharge payment gateway?
A	You can submit automated payment requests from your web page (click here for a list of supported shopping cart software). You can also submit payments using the Metacharge virtual terminal. You can now also submit payment requests via WAP and emailPay.
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