ePN Virtual Terminal Review

The user-friendly interface is designed for convenience and fast payment acceptance. The virtual terminal eliminates the need for separate dedicated payment equipment, helping keep your equipment costs low. What type of businesses are virtual terminals good for, and is ePN the right one for your business? Read on for more details.

How does the ePN virtual terminal work?

Using the ePN virtual terminal, you can manually enter credit card numbers to perform transaction authorizations, set up recurring payments, and run reports. A merchant account with a credit card processing company is required to use the ePN virtual terminal, but it is not limited to a specific processor. Additionally, the ePN Virtual Terminal can support optional equipment such as card and check readers so that you may be able to take advantage of lower swiped transaction rates if your customers are present with their cards. 

What businesses can use virtual terminals?

Almost any business can use a virtual terminal, but they’re particularly well-suited for mail and phone order businesses, call centers that take payments, and any business that doesn’t need specialized equipment. (For example, some medical practices choose to use a virtual terminal to take credit cards at a doctor’s office.) 

Security

The ePN virtual terminal secures transactions with industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and is PCI DSS compliant. Additionally, the terminal supports Address Verification System (AVS) and Card Verification services to reduce the risk of fraud or chargebacks, and can block certain types of ordering.

Address Verification System (AVS)

AVS is used to ensure that the address on file with the credit card company is the same address the customer supplies when placing an order on your website, helping verify the customer’s identity. This can potentially cut down on the use of stolen credit card numbers, saivng you the time and expense of chargebacks.

Card Verification

Card Verification services make use of a unique 3 or 4 digit code on the cardholder’s credit card. Most credit cards have a 3-digit code on the back of the card, near the signature panel. American Express has a 4-digit code on the front of the customer’s card. The code is used to verify that the card is in possession of the person placing the order.

Ordering Blocks

You can also set ”blocks” for a number of variables to reduce the risk of bad transactions. For example, you can limit the number of transactions within a certain amount of time, disable refunds, and more.

Additional Features

The ePN virtual terminal includes multiple features designed to make transactions and reporting easy. Features include Level III data processing, unlimited users, recurring payments, and QuickBooks integration.

Level III Data Processing

The ePN virtual terminal offers the ability to process sensitive Level III data transactions, including commercial and government payments. Level III data requires more detailed transaction information than other types of transactions, and may qualify for lower processing rates. ePN’s Level III Enhanced Processing works seamlessly with other ePN options, including ePN BillPay.

Unlimited Users

The virtual terminal supports unlimited users for businesses who need to allow all employees to have access to the payment system, or for businesses with multiple locations. Users are issued their own unique login, which allows tracking by user for detailed activity reports.

Recurring Billing

If you offer services or goods that require subscriptions or continuous payment, the ePN virtual terminal offers the ability to set up recurring or installment billing. You can set the amount of the recurring bill and the payment time, as well as how many times the recurrence should take place.

QuickBooks Integration

If you use QuickBooks for accounting, ePN offers ePNSync or ePNPlugIn for QuickBooks integration.

ePNSync is a tool to automatically sync transaction data from your virtual terminal into your QuickBooks data. Syncing can be scheduled in advance to reduce management time. Detailed transaction history and batch reporting is available.

ePNPlugIn is a simple plug-in option that allows you to process transactions directly within QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, and QuickBooks Enterprise. Transaction data can also be downloaded directly from the ePN secure servers. The ePNPlugIn eliminates the need for manual entry, provides real-time transaction approval, can process multiple payment times, and provides options for online bill payment.

Accessories

The ePN virtual terminal can support optional accessories, including card readers, check readers, PIN pads, and combination devices. Specific compatible models vary; you’ll need to check with their processor for a current list of compatible devices. Standard printers can be used to print customer receipts.