Problems with Card Swipe – Multiple Authorizations

Monday, June 13th, 2011 | FAQ, General, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

There may be two scenarios when multiple authorizations of a single card may occur:

First:
Typically the swipe and the command to send the transaction for processing are two different things. The card is swiped through the reader so the card number is be captured and appear in the correct payment field on the screen. Then, once you know you have gotten the track data off the card, you press the button to send the transaction.

Some cards are hard to read. The mag strip is warped, dirty, etc. So you may have to swipe multiple times before you get a card number to register. Other times the reader might manage to read the card info, but a problem happened causing it to not parse and appear on the screen properly.

If, on the other hand, the scripting is setup to do this all in one step, i.e. the action of swiping the card initiates the capture of the card number as well as the next step of attempting to send the transaction, it might result in multiple authorizations.

This is not recommended because it would send a transaction attempt to the gateway for every single swipe of the card. No regard would be taken into whether or not the swipe was successful and this could potentially cause multiple authorizations from multiple swipes of the card.

Second:
The card is swiped, the info goes into the right fields to show that card as the form of payment, the card is sent for authorization and it looks like no response comes back. The user then goes back to another blank payment screen, re-swipes the card and repeat the steps. In the end, two transactions appear as processed.

This scenario usually has to do with the internet connection. You have to remember that the plug-in sends the request to the gateway and then waits for the reply. The plugin is waiting for a response for as long as 30 seconds (default timeout). If you don’t get a reply, that means one of two things. First, that the transaction never made it to the gateway. Or second, that the transaction made it to the gateway but you didn’t get the reply because of some issue with the network between you and the gateway.

In the second scenario it’s possible that you can have a transaction go through and you don’t see the response on your screen and don’t know it processed.

A connectivity issue can sometimes be indicated by a long wait before the timeout. And there is little that our plugin can do to combat a loss in network connectivity once the transaction attempt is underway. If the plugin can’t see the network at all and can’t reach the gateway it will usually error quite quickly, but you will still see a plugin generated response message “Error – no result obtained.

Can you submit a batch of transactions using eAuthorize?

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 | FAQ, General, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

This is a yes and no type answer. eAuthorize does not support a batch upload of a single file containing multiple transaction requests for the gateway to process. Receiving reporting back on the success or failure of the transaction is part of the problem when doing a batch upload. There is no way built into the plugin to make this possible.

However, if you have a group of transactions in your database that you wish to run, you could consider using a looping script in FileMaker to execute the transactions one after another. This way, each transaction would be handled individually by the plugin, the results would be brought back into your FM database, and the “batch” would be processed after the loop completed going through each transaction.

We do know of a number of clients that are using such a looping method with success. It also has the advantage of allowing the logic in your database to execute for each transaction based on the result. If the transaction is successful, you can proceed with order fulfillment and so forth. If the transaction is denied, you can flag the account for follow up.

Using eAuthorize with Terminal Server

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 | FAQ, General, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

Several of our clients have reported that they are running the eAuthorize plugin in a terminal server environment. Our plugin runs inside of FileMaker, so if FileMaker is supported in this configuration, then our plugin should be as well.

If the terminal server is where the FileMaker Pro is installed, where the plugin is installed, and where the eauthorize license is being read from, then you may have another problem to contend with. Every user that loads FileMaker will also be loading and registering the plugin every time they open FileMaker Pro. A single user license in this configuration will not know how to work only for the one user that requires it.

There is a solution, however, that will allow you to use a single user license code. I would recommend that your developer look into the documentation that is included with our plugin download. The documentation folder has a ‘how to register’ text file and it explains a method of registration where the registration code is passed to the plugin by using a function call to the plugin itself. This way a script can be run that calls the plugin to register it. Then limit this script so that it is run on the login for any users that are allowed to run credit card authorizations. Anyone else that logs in to your database will not try registering the plugin that way. This would allow you to have a single user license and make sure it’s only being used by the individual that needs it.

Authorize.net New MasterCard and Discover Processing Requirements – Update

Thursday, May 20th, 2010 | FAQ, General, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

Recently, users of Authorize.net where notified of changes to the gateway prompted by MasterCard and Discover modifying their rules concerning the processing of debit, prepaid and gift cards.

We have been researching the impact of these changes on the eAuthorize plug-in and have determined that a modification will be required to keep the plug-in compliant. We have begun the process of updating the plug-in and expect release of eAuthorize 5.2 in September. Pricing for this upgrade has yet to be determined.

There are a few important things to note regarding these changes:

1- Simply installing the updated version of the eAuthorize plug-in will not automatically make your FileMaker database solution compliant with these changes. Some modification to the scripting in your database will be required to support the Balance Response, Partial Authorization and Authorization Reversal transactions outlined by Authorize.net

2- There is a danger that older versions of the eAuthorize plug-in will not continue to work after Authorize.net enforces these changes on June 30, 2011. To avoid this you should update to the latest version of the plug-in prior to that date.

3- If you are currently using eAuthorize 3.x or 4.x on Mac, you must be running FileMaker version 7 or later to upgrade to the 5.x version of eAuthorize. If you are still running FileMaker 6 or earlier on Mac, you will need to migrate your database to a later version of FileMaker to continue using the plug-in.

4- For more information on these changes please see the FAQ at Authorize.net

Check this space periodically for updates. New information will be posted when it becomes available.

eAuthorize 5.1 compatible with FileMaker 11

Monday, April 12th, 2010 | FAQ, General, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

WorqSmart is pleased to announce that we have tested eAuthorize 5.1 and can confirm that it is compatible with FileMaker 11.

Phishing Email Scam Authorize.Net

Saturday, February 6th, 2010 | General, eAuthorize 3.5, eAuthorize 4.0, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

We been alerted to a phishing email that many of Authroize.net merchants have been receiving. It appears to come from Authorize.Net and wants you to click a link to reactivate your account. Please don’t do this! If you receive any email that raises concerns with you, please contact Authroize.net immediately!

Here is what the email looks like:

Dear Authorize Customer,

We are sorry to inform you that your online services are expired, and must be renewed immediately, if you intend to use these services in the future, and prevent any similarly situations you must take action at once!

Sign in to begin the verification process.

THIS IS NOT FROM AUTHORIZE.NET

WorqSmart Announces the Release of eAuthorize 5.1

Saturday, October 31st, 2009 | General | Comments Off

It is with great pleasure (a little bit of relief) that WorqSmart announces the release of eAuthorize 5.1. This product update is in response to the changes made to the PayPal/Payflow Pro payment gateway. The changes make the gateway even more secure than it had been in the past.

Who Needs eAuthorize 5.1?
If you currently use eAuthorize with the PayPal/Payflow Pro gateway or if you are planning to use this gateway to authorize credit cards transactions from your FileMaker database, you will require eAuthorize 5.1. After January 1st, other versions of the eAuthorize plug-in used in conjunction with PayPay/Payflow Pro will not be compatible and transactions will fail.

If you are currently using the Authorize.net, Sage or PayPoint.net/SecPay gateways successfully with your current plug-in, there is no reason to upgrade at this time.

Pricing
There is no charge for this upgrade IF you have purchased eAuthorize 5.0 within 60 days of 10/31/09 release date. If you have not already, you will be receiving an email from us shortly.

If you have purchased eAuthorize 5.0 and it has been greater than 60 days from the release date, the upgrade price will be $29.95 per user. Please contact us at info@worqsmart.com to upgrade.

If you are upgrading from any other versions of eAuthorize, the upgrade price is $100.00 per user. Please contact us at info@worqsmart.com to upgrade.

Requirements
eAuthorize 5.1 supports Windows and Mac and is compatible with the following versions of FileMaker:

For Windows, all releases of FileMaker Pro between versions 5 and 10 are supported. 


For Mac, FileMaker Pro 7, 8, 8.5, 9 and 10 are supported.

eAuthorize 5.1 Status Update

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 | General | Comments Off

We believe the stubborn bug, which was such a challenge to track down, has finally been resolved. Final testing is taking place now and we are hopeful to release Authorize 5.1 in the very near future. We will use this space to announce the release, so stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone for your patience as we work through the final testing process on the plug-in. We really appreciate it.

eAuthorize 5.1 release targeted for September 1

Thursday, August 6th, 2009 | General, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

eAuthorize 5.1, which will be compatible with the update to the Payflow gateway service, is in the testing phase and all indicators point to a September 1, 2009 release date.

According to our source at PayPal, “The official target date for the update [to the gateway] is September 1. Paypal will, of course make allowances for merchants who cannot meet this date. For this reason I would expect the old system to at least be up until the end of the year.”

eAuthorize 5 supports Windows and Mac and is compatible with the following versions of FileMaker:
For Windows, all releases of FileMaker Pro between versions 5 and 10 are supported.
For Mac, FileMaker Pro 7, 8, 8.5, 9 and 10 are supported.

There is no charge for this upgrade IF you have purchased eAuthorize 5 within thirty days of the release. If you have purchased eAuthorize 5 and it has been longer than thirty days from the release date, the upgrade price will be $29.95 per user. If you are upgrading from other versions of eAuthorize, the upgrade price is $100.00 per user.

COMING SOON – eAuthorize 5 with upgraded Versign/PayPal compatibility

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | General, eAuthorize 3.5, eAuthorize 5.0 | Comments Off

As many of you know, Verisign/PayPal has announced changes to their gateway this year. These changes are scheduled to take place in September. We are currently working to make sure that our eAuthorize 5.0 plug-in is compliant with the changes being made with Verisign/Paypal, and are in the testing phase of the new release. Please note that we will NOT be upgrading eAuthorize 3.5

eAuthorize 5 supports Windows and Mac and is compatible with the following versions of FileMaker:
For Windows, all releases of FileMaker Pro between versions 5 and 10 are supported.
For Mac, FileMaker Pro 7, 8, 8.5, 9 and 10 are supported.

There is no charge for this upgrade if you purchased eAuthorize 5 within thirty days of the release. If you have purchased eAuthorize 5 and it has been longer than thirty days from the date of the release, there will be a nominal fee.