How to Avoid Settlement Delays when Your Business Practices Change

As times and circumstances change, so too will your business practices. One day you could be dealing primarily in face-to-face transactions, and the next day decide to open an online store or delivery service. Now you’re juggling phone orders, manually entered customer credit information, and processing interactions all at the same time. And although this is great news for your business, it could raise some internal alarms from your processor’s perspective.

Fraud and Risk teams are trained to flag unusual processing activity, like, for example, an increase in high-risk mail order/telephone order (MOTO) transactions. When this happens, it can trigger a delay in settlement. A risk assessment will then be done to determine if these new transactions are legitimate or if the business risk profile has changed. 

Here are 5 ways to help you avoid settlement delays:

1. If the way you accept payment is changing (e.g. from card present/face-to-face to MOTO/card not present), reach out to your payment processer and let them know the shift is for legitimate business reasons. 

MOTO transactions result in much higher interchange rates, and issuers may not bear liability in the event of fraud. If your business is a victim of a fraudulent MOTO transaction there’s no way to recover the lost funds. To avoid MOTO transactions, consider services like curbside pick-up, online ordering or mobile/in-app payment options.

2. If you’re experiencing a substantial rise in sale numbers – whether due to a promotion you’re holding or if your business is simply taking off – let your payment processor know so they can adjust your account profile information.
3. When shifting from card present to card-not-present, you could see increased chargebacks. Try to avoid MOTO transactions and look to add online payment solutions that offer more security.
4. Avoid large amounts of refunds or refunds without a matching purchase.
5. Forceposting should not be used for regular transactions, and should only be used during downtime.

By following these best practices, you can reduce unwanted settlement delays and other issues related to your new day-to-day business tactics.

The information in this article is provided solely for informational purposes and is not intended to be legal, business or other professional advice or an endorsement of any of the websites or services listed.