Frequently Asked Questions

Features

Merchant Services

Special Considerations



Features

How do I perform a refund? What about a void?

Our app enables you to do both voids and refunds. If you catch an error in charging your customer, you can immediately void the transaction and begin a new one. If you would like to refund a partial amount, you will have to wait until the transaction settles. Our refund operation takes care of all the legwork on the back end, making it quick and easy for you.

How to refund a customer: On your device, go to your Transactions Page by tapping the “Log” button in the upper left-hand corner of the New Transaction screen. Next, tap the transaction you wish to refund. Enter the amount you would like to refund.

How to void a transaction: Follow the same directions you would to process a refund. Instead of entering a value when you click the to-be voided transaction, leave it blank and the whole charge will be voided.

Here are the gateways that support refunds: Authorize.Net, Braintree, Beanstream, Bluefin, BluePay, First Data, MerchantWARE, NMI, PayTrace, Pin Payments, Quantum, Sage Payment Solutions, Stripe, USA ePay, and Verifi.

Can I email receipts to my customers?

Yes, our app automatically emails your customer a personalized receipt. Make sure to collect your customer’s email address before charging their card, or the app will not know where to send the receipt. You can personalize your receipts by logging in to the App Ninjas website.

If you forget to capture your customer’s email address at the point of sale, you can always resend receipts from our website. Login to your AppNinjas account, select “Transactions” on the right, and click “resend receipt” for the transaction in question.

Can I have my customer sign for their purchase? Is it required?

Yes, your customer may sign for their purchase right on your smart phone or tablet. It is not required, but we recommend it to increase protection against fraudulent activity and chargebacks. Customers may sign with their finger, or you might want to consider purchasing a stylus pen like the Pogo Stylus.

Am I able to manage recurring payments on the app?

No, Swipe Credit Card Terminal does not support recurring payments.

How do I know that I’m protected against fraudulent activity or identity theft?

Swipe Credit Card Terminal has best-of-class security with full SSL encryption and keychain password protection. Credit cards are verified as they are entered. The app also has full Address Verification support (AVS) and CVV fraud protection.

Additionally, Swipe Credit Card Terminal transmits credit card information directly to your payment gateway. Our servers do not store any sensitive credit card information.

Am I required to swipe cards to make a sale?

No, you can also manually key-in any credit card’s information with your finger or stylus pen. It is recommended to swipe cards when possible because it typically ensures that you will receive the lowest transaction fee.

How long does a transaction take? What do I do if it’s taking a long time to process a charge?

Transaction time will depend on the speed and strength of your data or Wi-Fi connection. Typical transaction times are less than a second on Wi-Fi, 2-3 seconds on a good cellular network, or up to 10-15 seconds on a slower rural cellular network or in areas with poor cellular reception.

**Please Note: If you are at a trade show, convention, or any other place with many people using data or Wi-Fi, transaction times could be even longer. The best thing to do is to be patient and wait for the transaction to go though. If you continue to have connectivity issues, try rebooting your smart phone or tablet.

If your particular event offers a pay-for Wi-Fi connection, we strongly suggest that you use it. We have found that those connections typically ensure the lowest fail rate for transactions.

Am I able to charge credit cards while I’m on a call?

The answer to this is always yes if you are using a Wi-Fi connection. If you are not, it will depend on both your carrier and your connection. Please check with your cell-phone carrier to see if “simultaneous voice and data” is supported on your plan.

What kinds of phones and devices are supported by Swipe?

Swipe supports many different phones and devices. Our app currently supports iPhone 3GS and newer. Additionally, it supports iPad, iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display, iPad mini, and iPod touch (3rd generation and newer). See our full list of supported Android devices.

Merchant Services

What is a Merchant Account?

A merchant account is an arrangement that enables your business to accept credit and debit cards as forms of payment. It also allows proceeds and fees to be deposited or debited from the bank account associated with your merchant account.

What is a Payment Gateway?

A payment gateway is a service that enables you to use your merchant account to process transactions via the Internet. Having a payment gateway is vital when trying to utilize our app. Swipe Credit Card Terminal supports many payment gateways: Authorize.Net, Authorize.Net Card Present, NMI, Verifi, Transaction Central, Beanstream, Bluefin, BluePay, Braintree, CyberAuthorize*, CyberSource*, eProcessingNetwork*, ExpiTrans*, First Data, FastCharge*, GoToBilling*, Merchant Anywhere*, Merchant’s First Choice*, MerchantPlus Navigate*, MerchantWARE, PayPal PayFlow*, PayPal Website Payments Pro, PayTrace, Pin Payments, Pivotal*, PlanetAuthorize*, Quantum, Sage Payment Solutions, SecurePay*, Stripe, and USAePay
* denotes payment gateways that are only currently supported on iOS.

If you sign up for our merchant services, you will get an account with our recommended payment gateway, Authorize.Net.

What is the difference between a “device” and a “swiper?”

You will notice these two words coming up frequently. The word “device” refers to the smart phone or tablet that has our Swipe Credit Card Terminal app authorized on it. You can have multiple devices on one account. “Swiper” refers to the credit card swiper device that can be attached to your smart phone or tablet to swipe credit cards.

What does it cost to use Swipe Credit Card Terminal?

You can use our app with existing merchant services. All you have to do is download it from the Apple App Store or the Android store! See our pricing page for further details.

Those who sign up for new merchant services with our partner, Merchant Focus, pay a $25/month account fee and 29¢ per transaction + a transaction rate depending on the type of transaction. See below for the different transaction rates. Contact us at support@appninjas.com to get signed up!

What is a “Credit Card Assessment Fee?”

These are a very small flat rate percentage that applies to the total monthly volume on a specific type of card. These fees are displayed separately on your billing statement. If you’ve signed up for an Authorize.Net account through us, the current assessment fees are as follows:

What is a “settled transaction,” and when does it happen?

When you charge a card, authorization is performed immediately. Charges, however, are typically submitted in a batch once per day for “settlement.” This starts the process of getting the money into your associated bank account. Once a transaction is settled, you can only issue a refund off of it. Voiding is no longer allowable at this point.

How are funds deposited into my bank account? How soon will it happen?

The automated back-end features of our app make bank deposits fast and easy. Once your payment gateway is set up, you will not have to fuss over depositing funds. It will automatically be done for you.

If you’ve signed up for an Authorize.Net account through us, money you have collected from your customers will be deposited into your bank account 2 business days after the transaction is settled. (e.g. All sales captured on a Monday will be deposited on the following Wednesday. Thursday’s sales are deposited on Monday.)

If you are using your pre-existing merchant account, check with your provider to confirm when your sales will be deposited.

What is a chargeback?

A chargeback occurs when one of your customers disputes a charge that was made through your merchant account.

In the event of a disputed charge, you will receive a chargeback notification from your merchant services provider. We cannot stress enough how important it is to respond quickly to this notification, as the default judgment is always in favor of the cardholder if the merchant does not respond.

The card-issuing bank will be responsible for investigating the chargeback, and will decide whether to reverse the charge based on the claims of the cardholder and your response.

You will be responsible for the chargeback fee regardless of the outcome of the chargeback dispute.

Special Considerations

Can I use my AppNinjas account on more than one device?

Yes, you can use Swipe Credit Card Terminal on multiple devices. It is important to be sure that your App Ninjas login email and password are the same on each device to be associated with your account.

Does the Swipe Credit Card Terminal require any special hardware?

No, you can always make a sale by manually keying-in card numbers.

In order to ensure better rates, faster transactions, and fewer errors, we recommend purchasing our optional Credit Card Swiper accessory. You can find it in our AppNinjas Store.

Can I use a magnetic card swiper for “swiped” transactions?

Yes! You can purchase our Card Reader accessory for better rates, faster transactions, and fewer errors at our store.