Update - We are continuing to investigate this issue.
Dec 23, 2022 - 13:28 MST
Investigating - The safety of your merchant accounts is our highest priority. As a temporary security measure, we find it necessary to disable the Flash Funds feature on all accounts. We sincerely apologize for the loss of this feature and hope to restore it as soon as possible.

This has no effect on the ability of account owners to perform normal bank transfers.

In the interim, if any of your customers want to utilize Flash Funds, they may call our Customer Service line to speak with an agent and perform a higher level of manual verification, after which we will temporarily enable it on the individual account to permit the transfer.

Dec 23, 2022 - 12:19 MST

About This Site

ProPay's home for current solution status, incidents, planned maintenance and solution release events.

Regular Maintenance Windows (Mountain Time)
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Database: Every 2nd to last Thursday of the month, 03:00-3:30 (am)
Infrastructure: Every Thursday, 01:00-3:00 (am)
xfer.propay.com: last Thursday of each month, 13:00-15:00
TEST environment: Every Tuesday, 15:00-17:00

Production Processing Solutions Operational
Credit Card and ACH Processing Operational
Websites, Mobile, and Card Readers Operational
Production Supporting Solutions Operational
xfer.propay.com - SFTP Reports Operational
Batch File Processing & Commissions Operational
Bank Transfers Operational
Phones ? Operational
Testing Environments Operational
Integration TEST Environment Operational
Integrated Gateways Operational
Chase Paymentech - Orbital Gateway Operational
Network Merchants Operational
Web Collect Operational
Meritus Operational
CyberSource Operational
Other 3rd Party Gateways Operational
Operational
Degraded Performance
Partial Outage
Major Outage
Maintenance
Scheduled Maintenance
Card Brand Rule Reminders and Violation Updates

Due to the increase of non-compliance violations, confusion around various card brand rules, and a few recent changes from Visa, Global Payments would like to remind merchants of their obligation to follow and maintain compliance with card brand rules and regulations. This obligation is contained in your merchant agreement and compliance violations could result in penalties and assessments from the card brands.

If we receive a violation for your business, Compliance will contact you at the business location via U.S. mail and/or the email we have on file. The letter will contain a brief description of the violation as well as details around the applicable card brand rule(s). Once received, you must complete the letter and return it to us within 7 calendar days acknowledging.

NOTE: Please ensure that Global Payments has the correct information on file for your business.

Effective April 14, 2023, Visa will implement a $1,000 non-compliance assessment for a first time violation offense. It is imperative to ensure compliance in order to mitigate the risk of receiving a non-compliance assessment from Visa. If the non-compliance issue is not addressed and/or found to continue, non-compliance assessments for subsequent violations could start at $25,000 depending upon the type of violation. Continued non-compliance could result in increased penalties and lead to termination of your merchant agreement.

To assist with the mitigation of non-compliance assessments, we would like to outline the rules that tend to cause the most confusion and the most violation notices. This list is not exhaustive, but rather highlights some of the commonly offended rules, including:
● Minimum/Maximum Transaction Amounts
● Cash Discounting
● Surcharging
● Convenience Fees
● Service Fees

Minimum/Maximum Transaction Limits

In order to minimize processing fees on lower dollar transactions, the card brands allow a Minimum Transaction Limit amount to be implemented for credit card transactions. The rules for implementing are as follows:
● Minimum Transaction Limit
● A merchant may impose a Minimum Transaction Limit on credit cards, however it MUST NOT be imposed on a debit or prepaid card.
● This requirement refers to the type of card presented for payment and not the method in which the card is being processed (PIN debit, signature debit, credit).
● Minimum Transaction Limit CANNOT exceed $10.
● The cardholder must be allowed to use their credit card for all transactions over $10.
● A merchant MUST disclose the Minimum Transaction Limit amount to be imposed by placing signage at both the entrance into the location and at the point of purchase.
● Maximum Transaction Limit
● A merchant may NOT impose a Maximum Transaction Limit on debit or credit card transactions.

NOTE: A debit card refers to a card that has a cardholder’s checking or savings account attached to it as a funding source for the transaction. The word “Debit” is usually printed on the card.

Cash Discounting

A merchant may implement a discount to customers who pay in cash rather than card however there are specific rules around doing so. The rules are as follows:
● The listed price of the good or service MUST be the price PRIOR to any discounts for method of payment.
● The discount then would be applied to the price at the point of purchase should the customer choose to pay in cash.
● Merchants are not permitted to post a price for cash, and then charge a higher price for cards at the point of purchase.
● A merchant MUST disclose the Cash Discount intent and amount by placing signage at both the entrance into the location and at the point of purchase.

Surcharging

A Surcharge is a fee assessed on credit cards to help recoup all or part of the cost of card processing.

NOTE: Surcharging rules apply to Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Surcharging on American
Express is only allowed via our American Express Opt Blue program. (If you are interested in processing American Express Opt Blue, please contact Global Payments for information on the program and eligibility.)

Please note that Surcharging rules have recently changed and those changes are noted in bold below
● Registration is required before implementing a Surcharge.
● Please contact Global Payments for details.
● Visa requires a Surcharge indicator to be included in the transaction.
● Please check with either Global Payments or your POS provider to ensure your device is capable of Surcharging properly and set up to send the indicator.
● Surcharging must NOT be charged on a debit card or prepaid card.
● This requirement refers to the type of card presented for payment and not the method in which the card is being processed (PIN debit, signature debit, credit).
● Surcharge can be charged in a Face-to-Face and non-Face-to Face environment.
● The Surcharge amount can be fixed or variable, but it must be charged the same on all card brands and all payment channels.
● Surcharging cannot exceed the cost of acceptance and is capped at 3%
● Note: Visa recently changed the cap from 4% to 3% while Discover and MasterCard are still at 4% and American Express Opt Blue is 3.5%. Given that there is a rule requiring parity across all card brands, the cap of 3% must be utilized.
● A merchant MUST clearly disclose the Surcharge intent and amount by placing signage at both the entrance into the location, at the point of purchase, and on the transaction receipt.
● Disclosure must have the exact amount or percentage of the Surcharge.
● Disclosure must include a statement that the merchant is assessing the Surcharge and is only applicable to credit transactions.
● The cardholder must be given the opportunity to cancel the transaction without penalty after the Surcharge is disclosed.
● Surcharging is currently prohibited in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, and Oklahoma (this list is subject to change without notice).
● Note: When assessing a Surcharge (in accordance with card brand requirements), please also consult your legal counsel as needed, to ensure that Surcharging is permitted by law as it varies by jurisdiction and may not be allowed.
● A Surcharge cannot be charged in conjunction with a Service Fee or a Convenience Fee. The intent and definition of these are a bit different and each has their own set of rules (see below).

Convenience Fees

Convenience Fee is a fee charged to cardholders as a way for a business to recoup some costs involved for offering convenient payment options to cardholders. The card brands rules for implementing a Convenience Fee are as follows:
● A convenience fee MUST only be charged when a true convenience for the cardholder is offered as an alternative payment channel to a customary payment channel.
● Convenience Fees are ONLY allowed in a non-face-to-face environment; NEVER in a face-to-face environment.
● The Convenience Fee MUST be disclosed to the cardholder prior to the charge being applied.
● A cardholder MUST be given the opportunity to cancel out of the payment/fee (without penalty) and the ability to use the same form of payment at a brick and mortar location (face-to-face).
● The Convenience Fee must be a fixed amount; a percentage is not allowed.
● A Convenience Fee can be charged on both credit and debit cards. ● No card brand registration is required.
● Convenience Fees CANNOT be charged on recurring transactions.

Service Fees

Service Fees are used by government and education merchants as means to help recoup the cost of accepting payments. This type of fee is only eligible for select government and education merchant types. The card brand rules for implementing a service fee are as follows:
● Registration with Visa is required in order to implement a Service Fee.
● Upon approval, Visa will assign a specific code that we will place into our system. This will indicate to Visa that the transaction has been approved for Service Fees.
● Only the following government merchant category codes are all eligible:
● 9211 - Court Costs, Including Alimony and Child Support
● 9222 - Fines
● 9311 - Tax Payments
● 9399 - Government Services (Not Elsewhere Classified) ● Only the following education merchant categories are eligible:
● 8211 - Elementary and Secondary Schools
● 8220 - Colleges, Universities, Professional Schools, and Junior Colleges
● 8244 - Business and Secretarial Schools
● 8249 - Vocational and Trade Schools
● The service fee can be a fixed or variable amount and charged on all payment channels. ● The fee must be disclosed to the cardholder prior to the charge.
NOTE: Service Fees are a term recognized and defined by Visa only. MasterCard, Discover, and American Express do not recognize this as a unique fee type and do not have separate requirements around it.

In conclusion, it is important that all merchants understand and follow the specific card brand requirements for Minimum Transaction Amounts, Cash Discounting, Surcharging, Convenience Fees and Service Fees as described above. This is imperative in order to mitigate the risk of non-compliance violations and the potential for costly non-compliance fines.

Please note that this material is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, accounting, tax, or financial advice.

Each situation is different and you should consult your own advisors before engaging in any activity discussed herein. This information is intended, but not promised or guaranteed to be, current, complete, or up-to-date.

There is no assurance as to the accuracy or completeness of such information and no representation, warranty or undertaking is or purported to be provided as to the accuracy or completeness of such information.

Please contact Global Payments with any questions.

Sincerely,

Enterprise Compliance

Posted on Apr 13, 2023 - 10:23 MDT
Report Delivery Delay 05/02/2023 May 2, 2023 05:00-08:00 MDT
Scheduled - We're aware of an issue with report delivery that may result in reporting delays tomorrow (05/02/23).

Our teams have been working to address the issue, but we do expect some reports to be delayed tomorrow.

May 01, 2023 - 12:17 MDT
Merchants will begin to receive mailed B-Notices to the business address on file this week.

B-Notices are sent to merchants whose tax information on file for 1099-K forms did not match IRS records in prior filing years.

Merchants must supply updated and accurate tax information before June 4, 2023 to avoid funds being held or processing being disabled.

ProPay 1099 processes are outlined here: https://support.propay.com/support/solutions/articles/33000259230-1099-k-information-and-faqs

Additionally, you can refer any affected merchants with B-Notice specific questions to:
https://support.propay.com/support/solutions/articles/33000280365-1099-k-b-notice-faqs-for-merchants

Posted on May 10, 2023 - 09:26 MDT
On Monday, June 5th ProPay will update our XFER SFTP solution xfer.propay.com to require Multi-Factor Authentication for direct web logins.

Please Note: This change is strictly for direct website login access to the XFER solution and will have no effect on SFTP/HTTP connections.

Direct web log in connections to ProPay's reporting solution will need to be configured with MFA in order to continue to connect to the service. This will need to be configured using an authenticator app.

To facilitate this, on Monday, June 5th, direct logins will be prompted to scan a QR code using a mobile authenticator application to be able to provide a six-digit verification code to authenticate the account.

Subsequent direct web login connections will then require direct web login users to provide an authentication code from their mobile authenticator app in order to access the XFER SFTP solution.

Partners using direct web log ins should plan to be ready to configure their connection on that day to avoid disruption in connecting to xfer.propay.com.

Posted on May 05, 2023 - 08:43 MDT
Scheduled - On Tuesday, June 6th between 15:00 and 17:00 (MDT), ProPay will perform an update on the partner integration test environment to version 23.06.1

*** All services and sites may be unavailable during this time frame. ***

The update will include the following changes:

*Adding more comprehensive SSN / EIN validation logic to assist in KYC integrity. Delayed from 23.04.1 originally

*Adding an error message 74 " Account or Trans Error" to be returned when no MID is found. This is for international Canada and UK OptBlue transactions.

*UI enhancements have been made to the “Report Lost or Stolen” SSO Page so that merchants can manage their cards and order a new one as needed more easily.

May 30, 2023 - 14:45 MDT
Update - Correction: The maintenance event yielding up to 15 minutes of interruption will be Monday, June 12th @ 3:00am (MDT).
May 25, 2023 - 15:27 MDT
Scheduled - At 3:00 a.m. (MDT) on Monday, June 12th, ProPay will be performance hardware and infrastructure maintenance in our data centers. This will begin our upgrade process.

We anticipate no more than 15 minutes of service interruption during this time frame.

May 25, 2023 - 15:06 MDT
Cipher Suite Usage - Update Jun 13, 2023 00:00-01:00 MDT
On Tuesday, June13th, 2023, we will discontinue support of connections using the following ciphers and key exchanges, per Global Payments Cryptographic Protection Standards:

Ciphers

twofish256-ctr
twofish-ctr
twofish128-ctr
cast128-ctr
aes256-cbc
twofish256-cbc
twofish-cbc
aes128-cbc
twofish128-cbc
blowfish-cbc
cast128-cbc

Key Exchanges

diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1
diffie-hellman-group1-sha1

The below ciphers and key exchanges may serve as acceptable replacements:

Ciphers

aes256-ctr
aes128-ctr

Key Exchanges

diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256
diffie-hellman-group14-sha1

We anticipate no impact for partners using software with an up-to-date cryptography suite.

Posted on May 12, 2023 - 12:20 MDT
Update - We will be undergoing scheduled maintenance during this time.
Jun 07, 2023 - 11:35 MDT
Scheduled - On Tuesday, June 20th, between 00:00 and 05:00 (MDT), ProPay will perform platform maintenance, upgrading the live production system to version 23.06.1.

We do not anticipate any interruption to services during this update window.

The update will include the following changes:

*Adding more comprehensive SSN / EIN validation logic to assist in KYC integrity. Delayed from 23.04.1 originally

*Adding an error message 74 " Account or Trans Error" to be returned when no MID is foundfor international Canada and UK OptBlue transactions.

*UI enhancements have been made to the “Report Lost or Stolen” SSO Page so that merchants can manage their cards and order a new one as needed more easily.

May 30, 2023 - 14:47 MDT
At 3:00 a.m. (MDT) on Friday, June 23rd, ProPay will be performance hardware and infrastructure maintenance in our data centers. This will conclude our upgrade process.

We anticipate no more than 15 minutes of service interruption during this time frame.

Posted on May 25, 2023 - 15:06 MDT
On Thursday, June 29th, at 1:00pm MT, xfer.propay.com will be undergoing routine maintenance.

The site and related SFTP reports won't be available during this period.

Posted on Jun 08, 2023 - 14:26 MDT
Past Incidents
Jun 8, 2023

No incidents reported today.

Jun 7, 2023

No incidents reported.

Jun 6, 2023

No incidents reported.

Jun 5, 2023

No incidents reported.

Jun 4, 2023

No incidents reported.

Jun 3, 2023

No incidents reported.

Jun 2, 2023

No incidents reported.

Jun 1, 2023
Completed - Maintenance has been completed, and web access has been restored. We appreciate your patience as always!
Jun 1, 13:11 MDT
In progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.
Jun 1, 11:30 MDT
Scheduled - A critical issue has been identified with ProPay's SFTP solution requiring that we disable web access to the site until it is addressed.
SFTP connections to xfer.propay.com will still be allowed, but web access will be disabled until the issue has been remediated.
We appreciate your patience as we work to address this urgent issue.

Jun 1, 11:18 MDT
May 31, 2023

No incidents reported.

May 30, 2023

No incidents reported.

May 29, 2023

No incidents reported.

May 28, 2023

No incidents reported.

May 27, 2023

No incidents reported.

May 26, 2023

No incidents reported.

May 25, 2023

No incidents reported.