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Merchant Account
CSAware becomes the financial conduit through which your members pay you for the products you deliver to them. This requires a merchant account to process credit card payments. A merchant account is a special bank account into which your payments made via credit card will automatically be deposited. Getting a merchant account can take two to five weeks, so we recommend starting the process right away.
Some banks offer merchant accounts; we can also make recommendations of companies that other CSAware clients work with. LocalHarvest works closely with Dharma Merchant Services and they offer very competitive rates to CSAware users. Be sure to mention this relationship for the best possible deal. When you are ready to start, ask for a merchant account that supports the “Authorize.net” payment gateway. Your CSAware account manager can help you navigate the initial steps of this process if that is helpful.
Authorize.net will provide you access to an electronic drop box to receive payments from your members. They will provide you a “login” and a “key.” When you receive these items from Authorize.net, select the #1 checklist item, and carefully enter both your login and your account key in the appropriate screen locations. Press the “Save” button to complete your entry. Within your Authorize.net administrative interface, you will also need to turn on the CIM option. “CIM” stands for Customer Information Manager, and is necessary for operating CSAware. It is very important you do not change/edit your gateway credentials without first talking to your account manager at CSAware. Failure to alert CSAware staff may disrupt billing collections from your members.
Changing merchant accounts? Check out this article on Changing merchant accounts/A.net CIM profiles.
