Protx with HSBC (UK) reoccurring billing question

[PaulZ]

We are evaluating WHMCS – have installed the trial version and are very impressed with it so far.

 

Question on Payment Gateways. We are UK based and have a very good relationship with HSBC – it would be no problem for us to get a Merchant account with HSBC at a good rate.

 

Would you guys recommend Protx as a gateway with a HSBC merchant account? Are there any limitations with this setup? I have read somewhere that re-occurring billing with Maestro / Solo is not supported via HSBC/Protx but is with other banks.

 

Any help / experiences on this appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Paul Z

[Matt]

As of 1st July, MasterCard issued a rule that all Maestro cards (formerly Switch) must be processed using 3D Secure. This therefore means it is no longer possible to do automated recurring billing for the Maestro card type regardless of what gateway you choose to use.

 

ProtX works well with WHMCS so you shouldn't have a problem using that gateway.

 

Matt

[steph2k1uk]

Hi Matt. How does this not affect Mastercard as well ? It is unfair on Maestro cardholders who want to choose recurring billing online. I don't think Mastercard have given a seconds thought to how it will affect us Maestro cardholders. Mastercard is more unsafe than Mastercard as Mastercard is a credit card and credit card fraud is much worse than debit card fraud. It is totally unfair and I hope Mastercard are ashamed of themselves. Why only Maestro and not Mastercard as well ?

[penguin]

The difference is that Maestro is a debit card and so the card owner has very little or no protection from fraud as transactions are effectively treated internally by them as cash as opposed to a credit card where the card holder does generally have a good level of protection. I believe that this is the reason that Maestro only has this extra precaution in place.

[steph2k1uk]

How is their no protection against fraud with a Maestro card ? What about this Mastercard Secure Code thing and all the online Payment Processors have 128 bit fraud protection. It is unfair on the Maestro cardholders. Their is no need for this. I have never had any problems using my Maestro card online. Why do they not have Mastercard Debit in the UK as their is already Visa Debit ?

[penguin]

Debit cards from a banking perspective are handled very differently - if you have money taken from your account fraudulently with a debit card it's very hard, if not almost impossible to have this refunded due to debit card payments as I mentioned previously being treated as cash. If you have objections though, I'd suggest taking them up with Mastercard for a proper explanation as they are the ones who can provide you with full details and reasoning.

[steph2k1uk]

I would take it up with Maestro or Mastercard but on their websites I can not find any email address to contact them. How does this not affect Mastercard Debit as it is also a debit card and when will this be available in the UK if someone knows ? I think Maestro might revert back to allowing recurring billing if they get very bad feedback on this. I don't think they would want to upset Maestro cardholders. They might revert back also if a lot of people choose to change to a different debit brand being Visa Electron and Visa Debit because of this.

[XN-Matt]

Maestro is basically Mastercard Debit. Mastarcard aquired Switch, forming Maestro - which is why you no longer see (or are allowed to use) the Switch logo and why the Maestro logo looks like the Mastercard logo.

 

WorldPay ARE however allowed to offer recurring transactions on Maestro - because they are backed by a bank and have such security that is considered as secure. You have to use their CRAP FuturePay system.

 

However, APACS do say that recurring transactions are allowed on Maestro cards and the FIRST transaction must be authenticated using 3DS/MSC and then all further transactions on the same card, under your Recurring MID - will go through fine.

 

I've been through this with our merchant guys - and it's frustrating. PSP say no, cant do it. APACS say yes.

 

!

[XN-Matt]

How is their no protection against fraud with a Maestro card ? What about this Mastercard Secure Code thing and all the online Payment Processors have 128 bit fraud protection. It is unfair on the Maestro cardholders. Their is no need for this. I have never had any problems using my Maestro card online. Why do they not have Mastercard Debit in the UK as their is already Visa Debit ?

I think you are getting abit confused.

 

It's not Mastercards fault. YOUR bank choose what card scheme to use. For example, Halifax used to offer Switch/Solo cards.. and a few years back they completely changed over to the Visa schemes.

 

My personal account manager at HSBC also commented about this a few weeks ago. So it maybe that banks are doing something about it but that does not stop Visa doing EXACTLY the same with their debit card brand.

[steph2k1uk]

I am with the Royal Bank of Scotland and have spoke to them at my local branch and they know nothing about all this and they give out Maestro debit cards and Mastercard credit ones. I don't know why banks don't do both schemes and then we would be able to choose whether we wanted a Visa or Mastercard credit card or Maestro, Visa Electron or Visa Debit debit card. The Visa scheme seems better though.

[XN-Matt]

Not all banks will change.

 

RBS may be happy with the Maestro/Mastercard choice.

 

Personally, I prefer Maestro abroad than Visa Debit as I never had to pay a fee or surcharge to use Maestro. Since changing banks and switching over to Visa Debit, I am charged a small percentage each time. However, I prefer Visa Debit at home.

 

All card types have their pros and cons. At the end of the day, if you're not happy with the card you have got - switch banks... but there is no guarantee at the end of the day that Visa Debit will stay as it is.

 

If you dont want to change banks - why not get a rechargeable Visa Debit card. That way, you wont have an issue.

[steph2k1uk]

You have got a point about Visa Debit but what is a rechargeable Visa Debit card and if anyone knows why you can get Visa Debit and Visa Electron but not Mastercard Debit as well as Maestro in the UK ?

[Summy]

From my barclays merchant account literature it states that maestro and solo cards must not be used as re-occuring payments.

 

How does WHMCS deal with maestro and solo re-occuring payments? Does it attempt them any way? Or simply not take the automated payment for these types?

[XN-Matt]

My personal account manager at HSBC also commented about this a few weeks ago. So it maybe that banks are doing something about it but that does not stop Visa doing EXACTLY the same with their debit card brand.

 

HSBC Group will be issuing Visa Debit cards out from January 2009 when your current card expires, they are slowly phasing out Maestro/Solo card from their profile.

[vhJay]

Sorry to bump such an old thread, but i'm interested in Summy's question above. If somebody signs up for a monthly/annual billing hosting plan with a Visa card, all is well. If somebody else then signs up for the same plan but types in the details from their Maestro card...what does WHMCS do?

 

Jay

[mediademon]

Would like this clarifying too! Both Maestro, Solo etc...

 

Is there any way to filter out these choices based on whether or not the invoice is recurring?

[openmind]

It will basically try and debit the card and if it fails, lets the customer know via an unpaid invoice reminder...