Third Party Card Payment Extract

Transmissions Lessons Third Party Card Payment Extract

This document provides technical guidance for users of the FLEX system regarding the Third Party Card Payment Extract functionality. This feature facilitates the processing of payments made by members to third-party cards, either at the teller line or through Online Banking.

1. Overview of Third Party Card Payments

The FLEX system supports the handling of third-party card payments through:

  • Transaction Entry/Inquiry: For real-time processing at the teller line.
  • Card Payment Maintenance: For manual entry of payment records.
  • Card Payment Extract and List: For generating and reviewing payment reports.
  • Build/Send Card Payment File: For creating and transmitting the payment file to a processor.
  • Control Parameters: For configuring file parameters.

2. Processing Third Party Card Payments

2.1. Transaction Entry/Inquiry (Teller Line)

Members can make payments to third-party cards at the teller line using a specific Transaction Code and OP Code.

Steps for Processing:

  1. Initiate Transaction:
    • Enter Transaction Code 13.
    • Enter the relevant card payment OP Code (e.g., VP).
    • Input the Amount of the payment.
    • Example:
      • Account: 2600
      • Sfx: 110
      • TC: 13
      • Amount: 100.00
      • ABV Op: JOH VP
      • Eff Date: 4/23/2018
  2. Select Account and Card:
    • After the transaction is “dropped,” the system will prompt the user to select the member’s account and the specific third-party card number.
    • If clearing a draft over the counter, enter a Draft Number.
  3. Confirm and Post:
    • Select the necessary information in the “Transaction Details” window.
    • Click OK to complete posting the transaction.

System Actions Upon Posting:

  • An offsetting entry is posted to the general ledger account defined in the OP Code Configuration.
  • A record is created in the card payment file.

2.2. Card Payment Maintenance (Manual Entry)

If a payment was made without the correct OP Code, a payment record can be manually added.

Navigation:

  • FLEX Main Menu > Cards > Third-Party Cards > Card Payment Maintenance.

Steps for Manual Entry:

  1. From the “3rd Party Credit Card Payments” screen, press F6 to enter a new record.
  2. Enter the following details for the payment record:
    • Date of transaction
    • Account Number
    • History Sequence Number (labeled as Ref# in Member History)
    • Card Number
    • Amount
    • Description
  3. Press Enter to save the payment record.

Important Note: Manually adding a payment requires a corresponding manual entry in the general ledger to offset the payment. If an incorrect OP Code was used initially, the offset would be tied to the general ledger of that incorrect OP Code.

3. Generating and Sending Payment Files

3.1. Card Payment Extract and List

Prior to building and sending the payment file, it is recommended to generate and review the Card Payment Extract and List report. This report provides a summary of card payments.

Navigation:

  • FLEX Main Menu > Cards > Third Party Cards > Card Payment Extract and List.

Generating the Report:

  • No additional prompts are required. Click Process to generate the report.

Report Content:

  • Card Number
  • Name
  • Payment Amount
  • Amount Not Paid
  • Date
  • Account Number
  • Transaction Description

3.2. Build/Send Card Payment File

This function is used to build the card payment file and send it to the i:Drive for transmission to the third-party processor. The frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) depends on credit union procedures, with daily being common.

Navigation:

  • FLEX Main Menu > Cards > Third Party Cards > Build/Send Card Payment File.

Steps for Building and Sending:

  1. On the “Send Third Party Cards” screen, enter ‘Y’ for:
    • Build Payments File
    • Send Payments File
  2. Press Enter.

System Actions Upon Completion:

  • A report is generated.
  • The payment file is placed on the i:Drive within the folder designated in the Third Party Control Parameters.
  • Credit Union Responsibility: Once the file is on the i:Drive, it is the credit union’s responsibility to upload the file to the respective third-party processor.

4. Control Parameters

The file parameters for the Third Party Card Payment Extract are initially configured by FLEX, but certain aspects are maintainable by the credit union.

Navigation:

  • FLEX Main Menu > Cards > Third Party Cards > Control Parameters.

Maintainable Parameters:

  • i: Drive Folder Name: The folder where the payment file is placed.
  • File Name: The name of the payment file.
  • Backup Folder Name
  • Backup File Name

Important Considerations for Changes:

  • Contact Transmissions Support: Before making any changes to the i:Drive folder or file names, or any other parameters that may affect file creation, always contact Transmissions Support.
  • File Format Code/Custom Edit Pgm.: This parameter (1 / *NONE in the example) defines the file format, with codes corresponding to different processors:
    • 1 = Equifax
    • 2 = TMB
    • 3 = PSCU
    • 4 = Certigy
  • ECIN Record Length (ECIN): Defines the record length (e.g., 4000).
  • Receive Method Code: Defines the method for receiving the file:
    • B = Bisync
    • I = I-Drive
    • F = FTP
  • After Processing move file to: Defines the folder and file name for the file after processing (e.g., CARDSRCZ and CARDHLDR).