Below is a list of frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers. If you don't see your question, or if the answer does not properly address your issue, non-urgent questions can be e-mailed to info@shift4.com. Most questions are answered within 24 hours and usually much sooner.
How long has Shift4 been in business?
While the management and R&D core have been working together in the software industry, specifically accounting software development, for over 20 years, Shift4 was founded in 1994.
What processors do you work with?
Do you work with my bank? DOLLARS ON THE NET is a bank and processor neutral gateway with connectivity to all major processors, including direct to American Express, giving you the freedom to choose from among 99% of the nation's financial institutions. A complete list of processors with which we work is available here.
What if I want to change banks or processors?
Because DOLLARS ON THE NET is bank and processor neutral, you can change your bank or processor at any time without affecting the capabilities or effectiveness of DOLLARS ON THE NET. This gives you the power to continually work with the processor and/or bank that gives you the best rates and service.
What do you charge? What is the cost of DOLLARS ON THE NET?
When you first purchase DOLLARS ON THE NET, there is a minimal installation fee required to get your system setup and your staff trained. This fee is dependant on the number of locations being installed and the number of POS/PMS and processors utilized. Regardless, this fee is generally a fraction of the up front costs required by other systems.
In addition, we charge a "pay as you go" transaction fee instead of a traditional yearly support and maintenance fee. If we charged the “traditional way” we would also have to charge for items traditionally charged for that are outside of standard support and maintenance, like consulting with you on credit card best practices, helping you with merchant setups, quality controlling merchant set-ups with your bank, helping you with funding of your deposits, on-going training through our support department and just being your credit card advocate.
Shift4 is here to educate and help you to pay the lowest possible fees to your bank and processor for credit card transactions. We have hundreds of examples where our customers have lowered what they paid their bank for credit cards by much more than the pennies they pay us. That means they get our service for free and they still save money. For more information, please see our ROI calculator or contact our sales department.
Do you integrate with my point of sale system? Do you work with my property management system?
DOLLARS ON THE NET is fully integrated with the industry's leading point of sale and property management software systems. For a representative list of the software applications with which we integrate, click here.
What if I don't see my POS/PMS system on your list of certified interfaces?
The POS/PMS list provides just a sampling of the many software applications with which we interface. If you have questions about a specific system, please contact our sales department.
If we do not currently have an interface with your POS/PMS application, we would be pleased to work with the system developer to build one. If that is not an option, Shift4 offers NetCharge, a powerful, web-based alternative that allows you to continue to use your POS/PMS application and still leverage the full functionality of DOLLARS ON THE NET.
Are my transactions and my customers' data secure?
At Shift4, we believe that there is no such thing as too much security when it comes to your transactions and your customers' financial data. That is why Shift4's DOLLARS ON THE NET application meets or exceeds and has been independently audited for all card association security requirements.
How fast is DOLLARS ON THE NET? DOLLARS ON THE NET promises average authorization times of 5 seconds or less, with many customers experiencing transaction authorization times of 2-3 seconds.
What is Application Service Provider (ASP)?
When we say that DOLLARS ON THE NET is delivered in an Application Service Provider or ASP model, what we are really saying is that it is a hosted, web-based solution. Shift4's servers hold your application and data and it is our equipment that is used to power your application and run your transactions. You simply access DOLLARS ON THE NET and your data over the web.
How long does it take to setup or install DOLLARS ON THE NET?
Because DOLLARS ON THE NET is a web-based application with Shift4 hosting the application and data, setup and installation is simple. Your entire installation process can take just a few days and can be completed over the phone.
What kind of dedicated infrastructure or hardware do I need to purchase or have in place to run DOLLARS ON THE NET?
DOLLARS ON THE NET requires no dedicated hardware or infrastructure.
What does Shift4 consider a transaction?
Unlike many other companies, Shift4 only considers authorizations and settlements transactions and thus only charges transaction fees for those two items.
What is UTG2 and how do I install it?
The UTG2:
- Performs auto-updating – The UTG 2 performs auto-updating through self-scheduled maintenance. The technology ensures that the application will contain all the latest UTG functionality with minimal disruption to the transaction flow.
- Uses a single serial/slot – The UTG 2 uses only one serial/slot, meaning that only one modem is needed for dial backup.
- Performs adaptive routing using parallel profiling – Because of the nature of TCP/IP based network systems, and the need for a high level of reliability, availability, and performance, Shift4 has created a data center network with distinct and diverse routes. In addition, Shift4 has built into the UTG 2 a technology that discovers and “scores” all known routes to Shift4's data centers. The score of the route is used to determine the most reliable connectivity option when transmitting data. Using parallel profiling, the UTG 2 is able to determine the route score with no interruption to the current transaction flow. The technology assures that, at any given moment in time, the UTG 2 is using the most reliable connection from a particular merchant location to Shift4's data centers.
- Can be used with all Shift4 interface types – The UTG can be used with all systems integrated with DOLLARS ON THE NET, including any interface supported by previous Shift4 applications (i.e. NetAPI).
- Encrypts and transmits data – UTG 2 utilizes Shift4's Application Program Interface (API) specification to accept transmitted data from a merchant's system, encrypt it, and transmit it to Shift4's data centers.
- Performs assured delivery – Because of the generic nature of TCP/IP, it is not always 100 percent reliable. There is always the potential for transactions to be lost or duplicated during transmission; which is why Shift4 has created an Application Layer “Assured Delivery” capability. The technology knows the status of each transaction and whether or not it has arrived at the Shift4 data center. If duplication occurs because of a problem with transmission, the UTG 2 eliminates the duplication(s), thereby preventing duplicate charges and incorrect totals.
- The UTG 2 upgrade is a simple, non-billable service. Upgrading from NetAPI to UTG is not a reinstallation, and will not remove our older software. Please note that either a certified partner or a Shift4 employee must perform the installation.
You may contact Shift4's support department directly to schedule an upgrade.
For our partners:
To assist you in understanding the installations and upgrade process, please have your technician review the Shift4 Installation and Technical Reference Guide for the UTG 2 at the following address:
http://www.shift4.com/docs/utg2/utgv2_help.htm
If you desire additional technical training on this new software please contact our Installations Coordinator, Clarie Reid ( Creid@shift4.com ), at (702) 597-2480, ext. 3324, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, excluding holidays.
Please keep in mind that if you require immediate help during an upgrade, contact the Shift4 Support Department twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, at (702) 597-2480, Option 2.
What products does Shift4 Customer Support support?
Shift4 Customer Support currently supports all aspects of DOLLARS ON THE NET and UTG, DOLLARS IN THE BANK NetEnterprise, and Verifone Tranz 380 HubTerm and Verifone Omni 395 LanTerm setups installed by Shift4 or one of its authorized resellers. We also support products such as the CashHere cash advance solution, the IT'S YOUR CARD gift card solution and the Universal Transaction Gateway (UTG) PIN-pad debit solution.
Shift4 Customer Support no longer supports DOLLARS IN THE BANK for DOS or 4Sure.
What are Shift4's customer support hours?
Shift4 Customer Support is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We have well-established escalation procedures that allow us to deal with just about any problem at any time of day or night. If you are unable to get through to one of our representatives leave a message. Someone will call you back within 10 minutes.
What does Shift4 Customer Support charge?
Access to Shift4 Customer Support is included as part of your monthly contract. There is no additional charge for contacting support.
As always, for urgent or immediate assistance, call our 24x7 Customer Support Department at (702) 597-2480, Option 2.
Why do batches suspend?
DOLLARS ON THE NET customers typically experience fewer suspended batches than those on dial up, but Internet-related communication issues and data corruption can cause the occasional suspended batch. Corrupt or missing data in the settlement file, such as invalid card numbers, authorization codes or amounts, can also cause a batch to suspend. For most processors we work with settlement batches are an all-or-nothing proposition; it only takes bad data in one transaction to cause a batch to suspend regardless of how many transactions are in that batch. The up side is this setup practically eliminates the dangers involved with partial batch settlements.
Please contact Customer Support each and every time a batch suspends so we can ensure suspended batches are in fact not received by your processor (occasionally they are) and that they are resubmitted in a timely manner.
I just imported my batches and the transactions do not appear right away on the screen?
Simply refresh your Internet browser in DOLLARS ON THE NET. This will reread the database snapshot and allow you to see all current transactions. If your transactions still don't show up, check to see if they are present in the Shift4 software as Authorization Onlys. If so, this may indicate an issue with your terminal or point of sale interface.
I have added a new user to the Shift4 software, but when logging in the new user is not one of the available choices.
New users in DOLLARS ON THE NET are added by logging on with an administrative account and accessing User Maintenance. The new user can be configured for specific rights and to view specific merchants. Upon account creation the new user should immediately be able to log on to the system.
I lost my login information - what do I do?
DOLLARS ON THE NET customers can use special accounts to change login information for users who forgot their password. Simply, log on as a user with administrative rights and make changes in User Maintenance.
If the password to th Account Administrator is lost or forgotten, Shift4 Customer Support can help. Shift4 can only perform password resets for Account Administrators; individual User accounts are under your control and instructions for resetting User passwords are included in the DOLLARS ON THE NET online and printable documentation.
To initiate a formal request to have your DOLLARS ON THE NET Account Administrator password reset, click here. This is a three step process that will include faxing of a signed request and picture identification to Shift4. Complete instructions are included on the form and the associated email confirmation messages.
How many transactions can be submitted in a single batch?
Your processor determines the amount of individual transactions you can send in an individual batch. Generally speaking, the average is 1500. However, if you need to know the exact amount, contact your Merchant Services Provider (MSP). If a specific batch has more transactions than the limit set by your MSP, you may need to submit more than one batch. With some processors, Shift4 software will automatically split your batch if the total amount of transactions exceeds that processor's limit. You may also want to ask your MSP if they have any limitations regarding how many batches can be received from an individual merchant per day.
How do you get rid of all of the voided transactions that are in the system?
Under normal operation, voids are not deleted from Shift4 software, but rather moved from live data to archives. When submitting a batch, if you lock your business date with the option set to “Only transactions for the selected date”, any voided transactions will be left behind in the live data. This in itself is not really a problem, however, in time as these voided transactions accumulate this will slow down the system. If you select the option “All transactions through the selected date”, the voided transactions will be moved from your live data to your archives, keeping the contents of the live data as compact as possible and increasing performance.
I would like to change the name of one of my merchants. Can this be done in Shift4 software?
Yes, but first you should contact your MSP to make the change with your bank and processor and then contact Shift4. If the change is minor, such as a spelling error, we may be able to change it in our system without involving the MSP. Once the information is changed by Shift4, DOLLARS ON THE NET customers will see the changes automatically within 48 hours in most cases.
I need to re-install the Shift4 software on a new PC. What do I do now?
Contact the Shift4 Installations Department to schedule a re-installation. If you were originally installed by a Shift4 authorized reseller, you will need to contact your reseller for re-installation instead.
What if I want to upgrade the software on my existing install?
The UTG has auto updating capabilities built in and does not require user interaction. The UTG will update itself during to the latest version during the initial installation and the UTG performs auto-updating through self-scheduled maintenance. This technology ensures that the application will contain all the latest UTG functionality with minimal disruption to the transaction flow.
How do I install a Draft Printer to DOLLARS ON THE NET?
To successfully install a Draft Printer to DOLLARS ON THE NET, follow the instructions included in Shift4's Draft Printer Installation Guide.How do I change Fraud Sentry email settings in DOLLARS ON THE NET?
Depending on the security requirements of your account, you may be able to change who receives the Fraud Sentry email notifications directly in the DOLLARS ON THE NET system. Log on to the Root Administrator Account and navigate to Account Settings (under Home - Administration Home - Account Settings ). Once in Account Settings, make the necessary e-mail address changes in the Fraud Sentry Notifications section and click Apply at the bottom of the screen.
If the e-mail address you wish to change does not appear in the Fraud Sentry Notifications section, your settings have been configured by Shift4 and you must contact us to make any changes. Please fax a signed change request on company letterhead to (702) 597-2499. Include the reason for the change (e.g. old contact no longer with property, etc.), a business card , and copy of your picture ID.
When searching for a specific transaction in DOLLARS ON THE NET, the transaction is not listed - What do I do?
DOLLARS ON THE NET customers will want to use the search function to look for missing transactions. Card type, sale date and sale status filters are available in DOLLARS ON THE NET.
If the transaction is still not present after all search options are exhausted, you may want to consult your point of sale vendor to determine if it was sent to the Shift4 software in the first place.
A customer's card has been authorized for an excessive amount. What can be done to free up the funds?
Specific rules may vary according to bank and merchant type, but generally speaking when a card is authorized for any amount, the funds are reserved in what's known as an “open-to-buy” state by the bank for that merchant for 10 days or until the sale is finalized. If a sale is finalized, or settled, any excess open-to-buy will then be freed up in a process known as a reversal. After the merchant has submitted the transaction to the bank, it can take anywhere from three to five days for the remainder to become freed. If no reversal is or can be attempted, releasing funds is entirely up to the cardholder's bank. For example, if a customer decides to pay by cash instead of using the charge card they reserved their room on, they may have to wait the 10 days for the authorized open-to-buy funds to become available.
Can I use a dial up Internet connection for my DOLLARS ON THE NET system?
Yes, but such use is only advisable for emergency backup purposes. Security features in DOLLARS ON THE NET require the system to remain on the same trusted TCP/IP address. If this address changes (and since almost all dial up Internet service providers use DHCP, the chances of that are quite good) it will trigger a security feature that must be cleared by our development staff before credit card processing can resume. Ideally, a DOLLARS ON THE NET system should be on a corporate network connection or other broadband connection such as cable modem or DSL with a static TCP/IP address.
For broadband connections greater than T1/DS1 it is usually possible to obtain an ISDN backup device included with the ISP supplied router system. This will normally allow the same IP address ranges to be used, but will protect from broadband failures. The bottom line is that if you are uncomfortable with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) of your particular ISP, please get another ISP. You wouldn't choose a phone company that did not supply you with dial tone whenever you needed to make a call. Your Internet Service Provider should be no different.
In addition, it is very difficult to create an "it works in all environments" dial backup solution. The reason for this is because of the many different ways hardware and software solutions connect to the Internet and the myriad of ways they can interact with a customer's LAN/WAN environment.
NOTE: Under no circumstances should Shift4 software be used on a PC with America Online installed. AOL has been known to interfere with Shift4 software to the point re-installation may become necessary.
I accidentally settled a transaction twice - How can I bring it back?
Once a transaction is settled and moved to archives through Shift4 software, it's sent. The only way to remedy the situation at that point is to input and settle a credit on that account. However, if a duplicate transaction is caught in live data before it is settled, it can simply be voided before settlement.
Can Shift4 Customer Support see the authorizations and batches I'm sending through?
DOLLARS ON THE NET customers have transaction data passing through the Shift4 data center, but the only data that Shift4 Customer Support representatives can see is if a transaction was authorized for a particular merchant, if a settlement succeeded or failed, or if any errors were encountered.
For security purposes, Shift4 Customer Support Representatives cannot see card numbers or amounts for any transaction. Shift4 Corporation complies with and/or exceeds all requirements mandated by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), VISA USA's Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP), MasterCard International's Site Data Protection (SDP) and American Express' Data Security Operating Policies (DSOP).
I'm having problems getting a transaction for 75 cents to go through. What's going on?
Some processors cannot accept charges or credits for less than one dollar. On the other side, for security purposes, Shift4 software cannot process single transactions of more than $99,999.99. If you find yourself in the position of having to charge a credit card for more, you'll have to break the charge up into two or more separate transactions.
My web site is receiving "HTTP ERROR 204: No Content" messages. What's the deal?
If your site is written in ColdFusion and you are using our Shift4OTN tag, you will need to download the latest version of the tag and install it. That latest version is located at http://www.shift4.com/downloads/shift4otn.zip.
If you are using ColdFusion's native CFHTTP tag, you will need to add the following into the tag parameters: <CFHTTP ... useragent="Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0; T312461; .NET CLR 1.1.4322)">
The problem is that the latest Microsoft security patches to IIS disallow requests from browsers (user agents) that it does not recognize. Since, for security purposes, we keep our servers up-to-date with the latest patches, this problem may affect you. The correction described above forces the POST request to look as if it is an IE 6.0 browser making the request. While this describes and solves a ColdFusion issue, other scripting environment may display the same symptom. You may have to refer this information to your software and/or hosting provider.
How do I produce and issue gift/loyalty cards for IT'S YOUR CARD?
To help ensure that gift cards are produced, formatted and issued in a way that will enable customers to take full advantage of Shift4's IT'S YOUR CARD gift and loyalty card solution, we have put together a document detailing the specific requirements and guidelines. To access this document, click here.
How do I give my customers the ability to lookup their card balances from my web site?
If you purchased the unlimited version of IT'S YOUR CARD, the first step is to have your web developer provide us a page template that looks and feels like a page from your web site. To download our IYC Web Page Guide that you can use or pass to your web developer, click here. Once we receive the required template and supporting files, our developers will create pages on our web servers and send you links to include on your web site for your customers to use.
What URL do I print on my cards or give my customers to lookup their card balances?
We recommend that you create a gift card marketing page on your site to promote your gift cards — something like www.mysite.com/giftcards.htm. Somewhere on this page you would include a link to the balance inquiry page that we host. Once the gift card pages that we host have been developed and installed on our production servers, we will send you the links to include on your web site.
What Merchant types are supported by HubTerm?
HubTerm supports all lodging, retail and food & beverage merchant types.
What type of terminals are needed to use HubTerm?
HubTerm requires Verifone Tranz 380 stand-beside/dial-up terminals. Replacement terminals must be ordered through your MSP.
How does HubTerm obtain authorizations?
Most newer HubTerm setups dial the DOLLARS ON THE NET UTG to obtain authorizations either through our Virtual Leased Line system or through the authorization dial up modem on the PC, depending on setup. Some HubTerm setups dial the processor directly for authorizations.
How do I transfer the transactions/batches to DOLLARS ON THE NET?
The Tranz 380 is programmed to close batches directly to the DOLLARS ON THE NET UTG. This transfer of data can be initiated by the user or an auto close at predetermined times can be programmed into the terminals. The DOLLARS ON THE NET operator then imports those batches into the live data prior to auditing and settlement.
How many transactions can the Tranz 380 hold in each batch?
There can be approximately 150 to 200 transactions in each batch. The number of transactions varies depending on merchant type. Failure to regularly close out Tranz 380 terminals over time can result in too much data stored in the terminals and ultimately leads to transaction data loss.
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