Frequently Asked Questions
Click here for more information on EMV and how it affects you and your business.
Who do I call after United Payment Corporation’s office hours: M-F, 9-5?
In the welcome kit we send you there are help desk phone #’s that apply to your merchant account. These help desks are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
What services are available to help me manage my merchant account?
We offer a secure password protected service called Portfolio Manager. This is an internet based service that allows you to view all transactions and funding to your merchant account. All you need is a standard internet browser access (Internet Explorer). If you are interested please contact us.
If I’m on autobatch/autosettle do I need to verify that the batch was successfully sent?
You should always verify that the batch went through successfully. There may be instances outside of our control that may interrupt your terminal.
What if I need paper rolls or manual imprinter slips?
Please contact GCF (General Credit Forms) @ 888 868-9098. We have established accounts for our merchants so they can order paper supplies directly from the manufacturer.
I want to respond faster to Retrievals and Chargebacks to minimize their impact to my business.
Respond quicker by eliminating the time-consuming paperwork. Reply to Retrievals and Chargebacks online by using eIDS (Electronic Integrated Response System). Learn more here.
What's Apple Pay?
Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service byApple Inc. that lets users make payments using the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch-compatible devices (iPhone 5 and later models), iPad Air 2, and iPad Mini 3 if the merchant has a contactless reader capable terminal (or reader). Click here for more info
How does the money from the transactions get sent to my bank account?
At the end of the day you need to print a detail report of all your transactions. This will assist you in reconciling your bank account. You’ll next need to send the transactions to be processed (sometimes referred to as settling or batching).
When I receive my terminal from UPC what do I do next?
When you receive your terminal, just plug it in and you’re ready to go. The terminal has already been programmed for you. We may utilize an outside vendor such as “Paragon Services or TASQ”
What do I do if I changed my bank account and had existing Amex and Discover merchant accounts?
You need to contact American Express and give them your banking changes so that those funds will be directed to the right account unless we've set you up with an Amex One Point account. Unfortunately, we are not given permission by Amex to do this for you. Your existing Discover merchant account has been automatically converted to be included in your MasterCard/Visa merchant account. You should contact the MasterCard/Visa help desk for assistance with Discover card transactions going forward.
How do I correctly install a ribbon in a Hypercom T7P-F terminal?
Take a look here.
What's the timeline for EMV?
You can view the industry's timeline here.
Why don’t we give free terminals?
Have you ever heard of the business expression, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”? Every terminal costs money, terminal manufacturers don’t make them and give them away. There are competitors of ours that give, “free terminals” and we’ll tell you how they can. The over-inflated rates they charge a merchant generate so much profit that they can pay off their cost of the terminal in a short period of time. After the terminal has been paid for, they make even more profit from that merchant. UPC does it differently; we charge a low rate and consult with the merchant to determine which terminal is best for them – not hand them a terminal that was cheap.
What should I do when a transaction is entered incorrectly?
You can VOID the transaction if the terminal has not been settled/batched out. There is no guarantee on how long it will take for the money to be refunded back to your customer’s card. If the card was a debit card it could be seven to ten days. You can also perform a CREDIT. A CREDIT should show up on that cardholder’s card issuing bank’s system within in few days unless it’s a debit card in which case it will be immediate once you settle/batch your terminal. Unlike a VOID, a CREDIT may cause you to be charged the discount fees for the original sale transaction.
What if I have existing equipment that is being switched over to UPC?
Your account representative will contact you and let you know that your account has been approved and you’re ready to go. They will reprogram your terminal over the phone.
What do I do if my terminal doesn’t work?
Please contact UPC @ 800 482-0697 if it’s during our normal business hours. If it’s outside of our normal business hours, please contact the help desk. Phone #’s that apply to your merchant account are located in your welcome kit. The help desks are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
What do I do if I call the help desk and I get a busy signal?
The help desk provider has taken steps to always supply you with assistance and you should never encounter a busy signal when calling. If you do, there must have been a significant event that caused an abnormal amount of callers to call at the same time. The credit card processor has multiple levels of redundant backup systems in place to prevent interruptions. There is always the possibility of an event that is out of the control of the credit card processor that may cause an outage (telephone carrier, natural disaster, or act of terrorism). The credit card processor does have contingency plans but they take a few minutes or hours to put into place. During that time, we suggest taking imprints of cards to keep things running smoothly if you want to continue accepting cards. Remember to write down the card’s security code (CVV2) in the event you need it later for an approval. You can call for a voice authorization and then later process the offline/post-auth transaction. You could also key the sales in later but you must accept there’s a risk that some sales may be declined.