Becoming a Merchant

The acceptance of payment cards is attractive in today’s payment environment but there is much to consider when deciding whether to make this a form of payment accepted. The Payment Card Industry has strict regulations which dictate how we can implement card acceptance on campus. The security around handling payment cards and the direct and indirect costs of processing those payments all must be considered when determining the best option for your situation. Options for card acceptance methods and estimated costs (subject to change without notice by external groups) are provided below.

Stand-Alone Payment Terminal

This type of terminal is not connected to any other systems and connects via the Ethernet.  Safe-T must be loaded on the terminal.  Safe-T provides encryption and tokenization to remove the cardholder data from UNL's network.  It reduces our PCI scope allowing us to maintain PCI compliance.

Direct Cost Elements

Initial CostsCost
Purchase Equipment - Ingenico Desk 3500 $270
Purchase Equipment - Ingenico Desk 5000 $431
Purchase Equipment - Poynt 3G $899

On-Going CostsCost
Safe-T Encryption Fee $25.00/month
Port Charge $4.30/month
Bank/Processor Charges 2-3% of sales

Mobile Payment Terminal

This type of terminal utilizes cellular service to process cards. It can be either a stand-alone card swipe device or a device that works in conjunction with a UNL PCI Team approved mobile device such as an iPad. These setups can only be used for card processing and must follow the ‘UNL PCI DSS Requirements for Mobile Devices.’

Direct Cost Elements

initial costsCost
Purchase equipment and Setup fee - Ingenico Wireless IWL250G $750 + $20
Purchase components, using a dedicated mini iPad $1,131

On-going costsCost
Cellular service $19/month for Ingenico
$45/month for mini Ipad
Application software service fee for mini Ipad $10/month
Bank/processor charges 2-3% of sales

POS System Integrated Swipe Device

This type of device is integrated into a point of sale system. Any devices integrated into a POS system must be a PCIDSS certified point-to-point encryption device. Before you issue an RFP or RFI for a POS system, consult with the UNL PCI Team as certain required standards must be met and adherence to them is mandatory.

Direct Cost Elements

initial costsCost
Purchase of UNL PCI Team approved P2PE equipment and a PCI secure setup through POS vendor Varies

on-going costsCost
Bank/processor charges 2-3% of sales

Internet

Processing occurs via the internet. Departments wanting to accept cards via the internet should first consider using one of UNL’s established payment processing services. These are usually more economical and efficient for both the department and the University. Their charge for services is often less when you take into account the direct and indirect costs of processing cards on your own.

If these do not appear to be viable options for your needs, contact the PCI Team to determine alternative options for your situation the costs for which will include:

Direct Cost Elements

initial costsCost
Setup of payment gateway $150

on-going costsCost
Gateway fee $10/month
Transaction fee $0.05/transaction
Bank/processor charges 2-3% of sales
Costs of site being hosted on PCI compliant environment (outsourced or UNL) Varies