This article is relevant for you if you are a Windcave customer who has received a notice similar to the one below. If you are not a Windcave customer or are already using them as your Acquiror (Merchant Facility), you can skip this information.
Please note that this change from Windcave does not affect your services with Payments2us. This article has been created to assist our customers who are impacted by Windcave's short notice and are seeking answers.
Below is the notice sent by Windcave in Mid October:
Customer ID: XXXXXX
According to our records [Your Organisation Name] utilises licensed Windcave products and services for processing certain payment transactions in conjunction with a merchant service facility from other parties.
Windcave is streamlining its processes to align with a global model and the services you currently license from Windcave will need to be bundled with a Windcave Merchant Services Facility – an all-inclusive model, where Windcave interacts directly with the payment brands such as Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover andUnionPay, on your behalf, without the involvement of third parties.
This switchover is seamless and there are no changes needed to the IT, ecommerce or technology environment, however an additional commercial contract containing the terms of the Merchant Services Facility must be agreed to and signed to board as a Windcave merchant.
To ensure uninterrupted service on your Windcave account, you will need to have completed your Windcave application prior to the 1st of November 2024.
Please email your me directly, or our Customer Success team at nextsteps@windcave.com for more information on setting up a new merchant account.
Sincerely,
Harrison Mori
Business Engagement Specialist
+61282687728
www.windcave.com
Below are answers to commonly asked questions you may have -
Am I affected by the changes to Windcave's payment processing requirements ?
You are affected by these changes if:
a) You are a Payments2us customer that uses Windcave as your payment gateway
b) You were using a third-party other than Windcave as your acquirer (merchant services facility).
If both conditions apply to you, you will be impacted by this change.
Windcave now requires you to:
1) Switch to Windcave as your merchant services facility/acquirer
2) Submit the necessary paperwork by November 1st, 2024.
This is a mandatory requirement for affected customers. Failure to comply may result in disruption of your payment processing services from Windcave.
How is Payment Gateway different to Merchant Facility ?
You have purchased the Windcave Payment Gateway through Payments2us. When the “Donate Now” button is pressed, this checks the card holders account for funds and then transfers the funds to your Merchant Facility.
A Merchant Facility is like a line of credit. If a donor asks for their money back, then it is refunded from here. This is often setup with your bank. Your finance department should know where/who this is currently with.
Typically, a merchant facility charges a per transaction fee and a percentage of the donation amount. This is on top of our fees, which include the Windcave Payment Gateway Fees.
What Windcave are now saying is that you must get the Payment Gateway (which you already have), plus they want you to move to their Merchant Facility as they now provide this. If you are an old customer of Windcave, previously, they gave the option to choose a third-party such as a your Bank for a Merchant Facility, but this is no longer the case now.
Could you clarify the November 1 deadline and explain how to submit the Application Form ?
Windcave has informed us that there was an error in the previous email regarding the deadline. The deadline of November 1st is not for completing the move of the Merchant Facility but rather for initiating the paperwork. Windcave understands that you may not be able to submit all the required documents (such as financials or other legal paperwork) by this date. They only require you to complete the Application Form https://sec.windcave.com/pxmi3/merchantapplicationAu by November 1st 2024, with the option to provide the remaining documents later. Windcave has assured us they will guide you through the process, and Harrison will be your point of contact during this transition. Hence, for any issues with this Transition, please contact Harrison directly.
To be honest, the deadline of November 1st has caught us off guard, as Windcave is only allowing a two-week timeframe. However, we have been assured that Harrison at Windcave will assist each customer individually, making the transition process fairly seamless.
Why am I receiving such short notice?
We at Payments2us are also surprised by the limited notice provided by Windcave. Unfortunately, we have no control over the decisions made by Windcave or other Payment Gateway providers. That said, we have been assured that they will ensure a smooth transition for you.
If you have concerns about the short notice, please reach out to them directly, as we are not Windcave.
What if Windcave Merchant Facility rates are more expensive than my original third-party provider ?
Windcave has indicated that in most cases you will find that the Windcave Merchant Facility rates are the same or lower than other third-party providers you may currently use.
If you find Windcave to be more expensive than your present provider, then please provide them with the “Merchant Statement” from your current third-party provider and Windcave informs us that they will either beat that rate or in worst case match it !
What if I need assitance with this Transition or understanding more ? Who is the best person at Windcave for this ?
From Payments2us perspective, you do not need to make any changes to your org settings. Infact, this switch of Merchant Facility does not involve Payments2us at all, but is a Windcave initiative driven by their business which impacts all their customers across the globe.
According to Windcave, the switchover of Merchant Facility is seamless and there are no changes needed to the IT, ecommerce or technology environment, however an additional commercial contract containing the terms of the Merchant Services Facility must be agreed to and signed to onboard you as a Windcave merchant.
If you require further assistance please contact Harrison Mori on (02)82687728 or Harrison.Mori@windcave.com . We have been advised by Harrison that he will work directly with you to ensure there is no disruption. Hence, please reach out to him if you need further assistance with this. Harrison will be available 9AM - 5AM AEST Time (Mon-Fri)
How is Payments2us involved with this Merchant Facility switch?
We want to be clear that this has nothing to do with Payments2us and we are not involved with this Merchant Facility switch. We are simply trying to help you by having created this article.
Payments2us provides Windcave as an option for Payment Gateways amongst others such as Stripe, Ezidebit, GlobalPayments and others. What Windcave has done here is their own business decision and Payments2us have no control on this. Further, there is no settings change required in your Payments2us org.
We have been informed that everything will be seamlessly managed by Windcave once you submit your aplication. Again, If you require further assistance please contact Harrison Mori on (02)82687728 or Harrison.Mori@windcave.com . We have been advised by Harrison that he will work directly with you to ensure there is no disruption. Hence, please reach out to him if you need further assistance with this. Harrison will be available 9AM - 5AM AEST Time (Mon-Fri) .
If you have any issues working with Windcave, please know that Payments2us also offers other Payment Gateway options, so feel free to reach out to us.
What are the main steps to switch my Merchant Facility to Windcave?
The process to switch your Merchant Facility to Windcave involves three main steps:
Step 1- Complete the online Application Form with Windcave before Deadline of Nov 1 2024. You can provide any missing documents later.
Step 2 - Allow approximately 4-weeks for Windcave to process your application. During this time, you can continue using your existing third-party Merchant Facility provider.
Step 3 - After approval, Windcave will handle the switch to their Merchant Facility. If there are any issues or your application isn't approved, Harrison from Windcave will work with you directly to resolve them.
If you have any issues working with Windcave, please know that Payments2us also offers other Payment Gateway options, so feel free to reach out to us.