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Why am I receiving a bill from Authorize.net?

Authorize.net is the provider of the online payment gateway that is supplied to merchants by various online business entities. While most merchants receive bills for the payment gateway service from their reseller or Merchant Service Provider, there are cases where Authorize.net directly bills payment gateway accounts for service and per-transaction fees.

Your Authorize.net account, which may have been set up by an Authorize.net partner/reseller, your Merchant Service Provider (MSP), or the Authorize.net sales department, could have various fees. Generally, Authorize.net bills you directly for its payment gateway services. The fee structure is determined during the application and approval process.

Viewing and Configuring Account Billing Information

The Billing Information page in the Merchant Interface displays the details of the bank account and/or credit card set up for your Authorize.net payment gateway service billing. For data security reasons, sensitive account details are masked. The page displays your business name, payment gateway ID, and current billing method at the top.

Bank Account Information

If a bank account is set up as a billing method, the following details are displayed:

  • Name on Account
  • Account Type
  • Account Owner Type
  • ABA Routing Number
  • Account Number
  • Bank Name
  • Bank City
  • Bank State
  • Bank ZIP Code

Credit Card Information

If a credit card is set up as a billing method, the following details are displayed:

  • Credit Card Number
  • Expiration Date
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Country
  • Address
  • City
  • State
  • Zip

Changing the Billing Method to Credit Card or Bank Account

If you have both credit card and bank account information on file for your Authorize.net account, you can choose either as your regular payment method. To specify the payment method for your Authorize.net account billing:

  1. Log into the Merchant Interface.
  2. Click Billing Information under Account on the left-side menu.
  3. Click Edit in the Billing Method header.
  4. Select the desired payment method.
  5. Click I Authorize.
  6. Request and enter PIN for verification and continue the change/update.

The change will be effective immediately for the next scheduled billing.

Configuring Credit Card or Bank Account Billing Information

You can add/edit the credit card or bank account information for your payment gateway account at any time.

To configure your credit card information:

  1. Log into the Merchant Interface.
  2. Click Billing Information under Account on the left-side menu.
  3. In the Bank Account Information section, click Edit.
  4. Enter the appropriate bank account billing information.
  5. Click Submit to continue or Cancel to cancel the action. The Billing Information Confirmation and Payment Authorization page will appear.
  6. Review the Credit Card Information section to verify that the updated information is accurate. If you need to correct any information, click the 'Back' button located at the bottom of the page.
  7. Click I Authorize.
  8. Request and enter PIN for verification and to complete the update.

To configure your bank account billing information:

  1. Log into the Merchant Interface.
  2. Click Billing Information under Account on the left-side menu.
  3. In the Bank Account Information section, click Edit.
  4. Enter the appropriate bank account billing information.
  5. Click Submit to continue or Cancel to cancel the action. The Billing Information Confirmation and Payment Authorization page will appear.
  6. Review the Bank Account Information section to verify that the information entered is accurate. If you need to correct any information, click the Back button located at the bottom of the page.
  7. Click I Authorize.
  8. Request and enter PIN for verification and to complete the update.

Your bank account billing information is now set up for your payment gateway account.

How to View Your Authorize.net Payment Gateway Service Fees

  1. Log into the Merchant Interface.
  2. Select Account from the main toolbar.
  3. Click on Merchant Profile in the main left side menu.
  4. Click on Fees to the right of Payment Gateway in the Payment Methods section.

Authorize.net Payment Gateway Fees

The following are the different types of fees associated with an Authorize.net Payment Gateway account:

  • Gateway Setup Fee: This fee is charged for the creation and setup of a new gateway account.
  • Gateway Monthly Fee: This is the monthly fee for a payment gateway account.
  • Credit Card Transaction Fee: This fee is charged for each credit card transaction processed.
  • Batch Fee: This fee is assessed per settled credit card transaction batch.
  • Credit Card Discount Rate: This is a percentage of the total amount of each credit card transaction submitted.
  • Credit Card Monthly Minimum Fee: This is the minimum credit card processing service fee charged per billing cycle.
  • Returned Payment Fee: This fee is assessed if your Merchant/Business/Personal Bank returns an ACH or credit card debit attempt for Authorize.net billing.
  • Late Payment Fee: This fee is assessed for late payment of service fees.
  • Service Reactivation Fee: This fee is assessed to reactivate a closed payment gateway account.
  • Abandon Account Fee: This fee is assessed if no further communication can be made with a merchant to apply a credit to the ACH or credit card on account.

eCheck.Net Fees

The following are the different types of fees associated with eCheck.Net processing for your gateway account:

  • eCheck.Net Setup Fee: This fee is charged for the setup of eCheck.Net processing for your gateway account.
  • eCheck.Net Chargeback Fee: This fee is charged for each chargeback received for a transaction processed through your account.
  • eCheck.Net Returned Item Fee: This fee is charged for each returned eCheck.Net transaction.
  • eCheck.Net Batch Fee: This fee is assessed per eCheck.Net batch processed for the account.
  • eCheck.Net Minimum Monthly Fee: This is the minimum eCheck.Net processing service fee charged per billing cycle.
  • eCheck.Net Per-Transaction Fee: This fee is charged for each eCheck.Net transaction processed.
  • eCheck.Net Discount Rate: This is a percentage of the total amount of each eCheck.Net transaction submitted.

Understanding Billable Transactions

Authorize.net considers the following as billable transactions:

  • Approved transactions (including those that are later voided or cancelled)
  • Declined transactions
  • Transactions that encounter errors on the back end
  • Refunded transactions

If a Transaction ID is present, a transaction fee will be billed. Every instance of Authorize.net contacting your processor is considered a transaction.

Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) Fees

The following are the different types of fees associated with the ARB service for the gateway account:

  • Setup Fee: This fee is charged for the setup of the ARB service for the gateway account.
  • Monthly Fee: This is the monthly fee for merchants using the ARB service.

Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (FDS) Fees

The following is the fee associated with the AFDS service:

  • Monthly Fee: This is the monthly fee for merchants using the AFDS service.

Customer Information Manager (CIM) Fees

The following is the fee associated with the CIM service:

  • Monthly Fee: This is the monthly fee for merchants using the CIM service.

Please note that each account's fee schedule is unique and defined during the application and approval process. If you have concerns regarding your monthly gateway fees, please contact your sales representative or Merchant Service Provider (MSP).

Billing for service fees occurs on the first day of each month. Authorize.net issues a debit to the billing information on file for your payment gateway account. You can configure or update your payment gateway billing information by logging into the Authorize.net Merchant Interface and clicking Billing Information in the main left side menu.

The bank account information used for collecting transaction proceeds may be different than the information used for billing of your payment gateway account. It's important to keep your billing information in the Merchant Interface current to ensure successful monthly billing and prevent your account from being sent to collections or closed due to delinquency.

How to View and Read Your Authorize.net Billing Statement

Your Billing Statement provides a record of all payment gateway service-related billing events, including the assessment of all service fees. Billing for payment gateway services takes place on the first day of each month. You can find the billing history in the Statements section of the Merchant Interface. Here are the steps to view the statement:

  1. Log into the Merchant Interface.
  2. Click on Statements.
  3. Click on Billing.

The billing statement displays a summary of all fees associated with processing transactions through the system. The fees are listed individually with a description of the fee under Item Description. The most current charges are listed at the top of the statement.

Understanding Fees and Charges

To find the fees charged for a specific month, scroll down until you find all entries for that month, indicated by the billing date. The total amount withdrawn from your bank account or charged to your credit card will be the first line.

Key Terms on Your Billing Statement

  • Current Outstanding Balance: The amount currently owed for service and other applicable fees. This is billed monthly.
  • Date: The date of the statement entry.
  • Type: The type of action taking place for your Billing sub-account. For example, Payment.
  • Item: The specific item or action taking place. For example, Credit Card Payment.
  • Item Description: Any additional description of the Item. For example, Payment Received.
  • Amount: The amount being transferred, billed, or refunded. If this amount appears in parentheses, funds are being transferred to your merchant bank account.
  • Account Balance: The current dollar amount in your Billing sub-account. A positive balance indicates funds owed to the payment gateway. A negative balance (displayed in parentheses) indicates funds owed to you.

Tips for Reading Your Billing Statement

  • Amounts in parentheses, for example "(272.02)", indicate that funds are being transferred to your merchant bank account. The Account Balance is decreased by the same amount.
  • Amounts not enclosed in parentheses indicate charges or return payments to your Billing sub-account. The Account Balance is then increased by the same amount.

Account Past Due Warning

If your account is past due, log into the Merchant Interface immediately to pay the balance due. Once logged in, you will see a yellow bar at the top of the webpage stating that your account is past due. Click Pay My Bill Now link on the right side of the bar to verify your billing account information and make a payment.

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