There will be times when you will need to get manual authorisation from the helpdesk for a card transaction.
Here’s some information on when and how you can do this.
With an electronic terminal, the authorisation check is nearly always automatic. Occasionally your terminal will prompt you to obtain manual authorisation, known as a REFERRAL.
For some transactions, you hand a mobile or portable terminal to the customer to enter their PIN, you should always take back the terminal from your customer as soon as the PIN is entered.
If prompted to do so, make a telephone call to the number displayed on the terminal. You should have the card and the completed sales voucher (if using the paper fallback procedure) in your possession. Make sure that the goods are out of the customer’s reach.
The Authorisation Operator will ask you for the following information:
- The card number
- The card issue number (if applicable)
- Your AIB Merchant Services merchant number
- The exact amount of the card transaction
- The card expiry date
You may also be asked to for:
- The name embossed on the card
- Whether the presenter of the card is male or female.
The Authorisation Operator may require you to ask the customer to show you an identity document, such as a driver’s licence.
If the transaction is authorised, the Authorisation Operator will give you an authorisation code that you can enter on the terminal.
In some cases the Authorisation Operator may ask to speak directly to the customer. Ensure that you obtain the authorisation code directly from the Authorisation Operator and not from the customer.
Authorisation only guarantees that at the point of sale the card has not been reported lost or stolen and that sufficient funds are available.
If the Authorisation Operator declines to authorise a transaction, follow the operator’s instructions and ask the customer to pay by other means.
Other areas that may also relate to this situation are:
For more information see the Merchant Procedure Guide.