Introduction

A payment processor is an entity that handles card payments — including authorizations, captures, refunds, and voids — between parties in the payment ecosystem. Among other tasks, a payment processor routes authorization requests to the appropriate card-issuing banks and processes settlement transactions (captures and refunds) to the necessary entities, all while adhering to card scheme rules and mandates.

Before you begin accepting customer orders, you must identify which payment processor handles your transactions. Your merchant acquiring (MA) bank determines this. You must also obtain that processor's technical specifications, often supplied as a value-added reseller (VAR) sheet or "tear" sheet.

This article explains how to confirm your payment processor, where to find processor-specific documentation, and — if needed — how to open a Support Case with Visa Client Services to obtain this information.

For a full list of payment processors supported on the Visa Acceptance platform, refer to the Processor Names guide. For processor-specific documentation, refer to the Credit Card Services Guide.

Procedure

Step 1: Confirm Your Payment Processor

1. Contact your merchant-services provider or your merchant acquiring (MA) bank.
2. Ask which payment processor is assigned to your organization.
3. Request the processor's technical specifications (VAR or tear sheet).

Step 2: Open a Support Case (If Needed)

If you cannot confirm your processor or do not have the VAR/tear sheet, open a Support Case and provide all required information listed in the table below.

Frequently Asked Questions

• • What is a payment processor and why do I need to know which one I use?
  • A payment processor is an entity that handles card payment transactions — including authorizations, captures, refunds, and voids — between parties in the payment ecosystem. You need to know your payment processor in order to correctly configure your Visa Acceptance account and ensure transactions are routed and settled properly.
• • How do I find out which payment processor is assigned to my organization?
  • Contact your merchant-services provider or your merchant acquiring (MA) bank. They will be able to confirm which payment processor is assigned to your organization and provide the necessary VAR or tear sheet.
• • What is a VAR sheet or tear sheet?
  • A value-added reseller (VAR) sheet, also referred to as a "tear sheet," contains the technical specifications for your payment processor. This document is typically provided by your acquiring bank or processor and is required for proper account configuration.
• • Where can I find a list of supported payment processors?
  • A full list of payment processors supported on the Visa Acceptance platform is available in the Processor Names guide.
• • Where can I find processor-specific documentation?
  • Processor-specific documentation is available in the Credit Card Services Guide.
• • What information do I need to provide when opening a Support Case about my payment processor?
  • You will need to provide your Organization ID, the legal name of your Merchant Acquiring Bank, the name of your Processor (if known), your Visa Acceptance Sales Contact, and all Transaction Currencies you process. Refer to the table in Step 2 above for details.
• • What is an Organization ID?
  • An Organization ID is the unique identifier for your organization on the Visa Acceptance platform. It was formerly referred to as the "Cybersource Merchant ID."