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Registered Agent for:
Harris Trust & Savings Bank
111 W. Monroe
Chicago, Il 60603
FDIC Insured
L
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
In
consideration of the covenants set forth
below, Sage Payment Solutions/BankCard
USA Merchant Services (SPS),
Harris Trust & Savings Bank ("Bank"), which
is a member of Visa U.S.A. Inc. and
MasterCard International Incorporated, and
the undersigned merchant ("Merchant") have
agreed as follows as of the date of
acceptance by SPS on behalf of Bank:
ARTICLE I – DEFINITIONS
1.01 "Account" means a bank account
maintained by Merchant as set forth in
Section 6.10 for the crediting of collected
funds and the debiting of fees and charges
pursuant to this Agreement.
1.02 "ACH" means the Automated
ClearingHouse paperless entry system
operated by the Federal Reserve.
1.03 "Agreement" means the Merchant
Application, these Terms and Conditions with
all exhibits and attachments, including the
Schedule of Fees, and any supplementary
documents indicated herein, as amended from
time to time, all of which constitute the
Merchant Agreement.
1.04 "Authorization" means a
computerized function or a direct phone call
to a designated number to obtain credit
approval for individual Transactions from
the Card Issuer.
1.05 "AVS" (Address Verification System)
means the system that allows verification of
the cardholder’s Zip code and billing
address while requesting authorizations for
transactions or during a request for address
verification only.
1.06 "Card" means (i) a valid credit
and/or debit card in the form issued under
license from Visa U.S.A. Inc., Visa
International, Inc., or MasterCard
International Incorporated ("Bank Card") or
(ii) any other valid credit and/or debit
card accepted by Merchant by agreement with
Bank and SPS.
1.07 "Card Association" means Visa,
MasterCard, or any other Card Issuers that
provide Cards that are accepted by Merchant
by agreement with Bank and SPS.
1.08 "Cardholder" means the person whose
name is embossed upon the face of the Card
and who purports to be the person in whose
name the Card is issued.
1.09 "Card Issuer" means the financial
institution or company, which has provided a
Card to the Cardholder.
1.10 "Chargeback" means the procedure by
which, and the value of, a Sales Draft (or
disputed portion thereof) returned to Bank
by a Card Issuer.
1.11 "Credit Voucher" means a document
executed by a Merchant evidencing any refund
or price adjustment relating to Cards to be
credited to a Cardholder account.
1.12 "Debit Card" means a plastic card
used to initiate a debit transaction, used
primarily to purchase goods or services and
obtain cash, for which the Cardholder’s
asset account is debited by the issuer.
1.13 "Discount Fee" means a fee charged
on all Card Transactions that is payable by
Merchant to SPS for processing Merchant’s
Card Transactions.
1.14 "Imprint" means (i) an impression
on a Sales Draft manually obtained from a
Card through the use of an imprinter, or
(ii) the electronic equivalent obtained by
swiping a Card through a terminal and
electronically printing a Sales Draft.
1.15 "MasterCard" means MasterCard
International Incorporated.
1.16 "Reserve Account" has the
meaning set forth in Section 6.06
1.17 "Rules" means the rules and
regulations of any Card Association, as
amended from time to time.
1.18 "Sales Draft" means the paper form
approved in advance by SPS, whether such
form is electronically or manually
imprinted, evidencing a sale Transaction.
1.19 "Transaction" means any retail sale
of goods or services, or credit for such,
from Merchant for which the customer makes
payment through the use of any Card and
which is presented to Bank for collection.
1.20 "Visa" means Visa U.S.A. Inc. or
Visa International, Inc.
1.21 "Voice Authorization" means a
direct phone call to a designated number to
obtain credit approval on a Transaction.
ARTICLE II - MERCHANT REPRESENTATIONS,
WARRANTIES,
COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS
2.01 Honoring Cards. (a) Merchant will
accept, without discrimination, all valid
Cards properly presented for payment for
bona fide, legitimate business transactions
arising out of Merchant’s usual trade or
business; (b) Merchant shall not establish
minimum or maximum amounts for individual
Card sales as a condition for accepting any
Card; (c) Merchant shall not require any
Cardholder to pay any part of any fee
imposed upon Merchant by this Agreement,
whether through any increase in price or
otherwise require a customer presenting a
Card to pay any charge as a condition of
sale that is not also required from a
customer paying cash. However, Merchant may
offer discounts to customers for cash
purchases. Merchant may also charge a
service fee on Transactions if Merchant
charges a service fee: (i) for all payment
methods (check, credit card, etc.) or (ii)
for a specific payment mode (telephone) and
not for other payment modes (face-to-face);
(d) Merchant shall not accept a Card as
payment (other than to the extent permitted
by this Agreement), if the person seeking to
use the Card does not present the Card to
permit Merchant to examine it and obtain an
Imprint or otherwise use the physical Card
to complete the Transaction.
2.02 Card Acceptance. When accepting
a Card, Merchant will follow the steps
provided by Bank and SPS, and will: (a)
Merchant shall identify the Cardholder and
determine in good faith and to the best of
its ability that the Card is valid on its
face; (b) Check the effective date (if any)
and the expiration date of the Card, examine
any card security features (such as a
hologram) included on the Card; and (c)
Obtain Authorization before completing any
Transaction. Where Authorization is
obtained, Merchant will be deemed to warrant
the true identity of the customer as the
Cardholder; (a) Unless the Sales Draft is
electronically generated or is the result of
an Internet, mail, telephone or
preauthorized order, obtain an Imprint of
the Card; (b) Enter a description of the
goods or services sold and the price thereof
(including any applicable taxes); (c) Obtain
the Cardholder’s signature on the Sales
Draft and compare that signature to the
signature on the Card; (d) Deliver a true
and completed copy of the Sales Draft to the
Cardholder at the time of delivery of the
goods or performance of the services, or if
the Sales Draft is prepared by a
point-of-sale terminal, at the time of the
sale; (e) Offer the Sales Draft for purchase
according to Bank’s and SPS’s procedures and
the terms of this Agreement; and (f) Legibly
reproduce the Cardholder’s name, account
number, expiration date, and the Merchant’s
name and place of business if that
information is not legibly imprinted on the
Sales Draft. In addition, for MasterCard
transactions, Merchant will legibly
reproduce the name of the Card Issuer as it
appears on the face of the Card.
2.03 Authorization. (a) Merchant will
obtain a prior Authorization for all Card
sales. If Merchant cannot, for any reason,
obtain an electronic Authorization, Merchant
will request a Voice Authorization from the
designated authorization center, and will
legibly print the authorization number on
the Sales Draft; (b) Merchant will not
obtain or attempt to obtain Authorization
unless Merchant intends to submit a
Transaction for the authorized amount; (c)
Merchant will not divide a single
Transaction between two or more Sales Drafts
or two or more Cards; (d) Merchant
acknowledges that an Authorization provides
only that the Cardholder account has
sufficient credit available to cover the
amount of the current sale, that an
Authorization is not a guarantee of payment,
and that an Authorization will not waive any
provision of this Agreement or otherwise
validate a fraudulent transaction or a
transaction involving the use of an expired
Card. Receiving an Authorization shall not
relieve the Merchant of liability for
Chargeback on any Transaction for which the
Merchant did not obtain an Imprint and the
Cardholder’s signature; (e) Merchant will
not attempt to obtain Authorization on an
expired Card. Transactions will be deemed
invalid on Cards that are expired, whether
or not an Authorization has been obtained.
If authorization is granted, Merchant shall
print the authorization number, or ensure
that it appears legibly in the appropriate
location on the sales slip. If authorization
is denied, Merchant shall not complete the
transaction and shall follow any
instructions from the authorization center.
2.04 Retention and Retrieval of Cards.
(a) Merchant shall use its best
efforts, by reasonable and peaceful means,
to retain or recover a Card
upon receiving such instructions when making
a request for
Authorization or if Merchant has reasonable
grounds to believe that the
Card is counterfeit, fraudulent or stolen;
(b) The obligation of Merchant
imposed by this section to retain or recover
a Card does not authorize a
breach of the peace or any injury to persons
or property and Merchant
will hold Bank and SPS harmless from any
claim arising from any injury to
person or property, or other breach of the
peace in connection with
the retention or recovery of a Card.
2.05 Compliance with Law; Visa Cardholder
Information Security
Program, Non-Disclosure and Storage of
Cardholder and
Transaction Information Requirements.
Merchant confirms that it is,
and shall be, in full compliance during the
term of this agreement with
all laws, statutes and federal and/or state
regulations, as well as rules
and operating regulations and bylaws imposed
by any Card Association
applicable to Merchant, its business and any
Card transaction,
including without limitation all State and
federal consumer credit and
consumer protection statutes and
regulations, non-disclosure of
Cardholder information and transaction
documents, and other security
procedures adopted by the Card Associations.
Merchant hereby
certifies that it (and any outside agent
that it may utilize to submit
transactions to Acquirer) complies with the
Cardholder Information
Security Program instituted by Visa and/or
the Site Data Protection
Program instituted by MasterCard,
(collectively "CISP"). Merchant
hereby agrees to pay any fines and penalties
that may be assessed by
the Card Associations as a result of
Merchant’s noncompliance with the
requirements of CISP, any data breaches, or
by its failure to accurately
validate its compliance. The Merchant should
review and or monitor
the requirements at
http://www.visa.com/cisp
in order to
determine its
ongoing timeframes and mandates for
compliance under CISP. The
foregoing is an ongoing obligation during
the term of this Agreement
and as this Agreement may be renewed.
Merchant acknowledges and
understands that Merchant may be prohibited
from participating in Visa
programs if it is determined that Merchant
is non-compliant. The
following lists certain of the current CISP
requirements, all of which
Merchant shall comply with, if applicable: (i)
install and maintain a
working network firewall to protect data
accessible via the Internet; (ii)
keep security patches up-to-date; (iii)
encrypt stored data; (iv) encrypt
data sent across networks; (v) use and
regularly update anti-virus
software; (vi) restrict access to data to
business "need to know;" (vii)
assign a unique ID to each person with
computer access to data; (viii) do
not use vendor supplied defaults for system
passwords and other
security parameters; (ix) track access data
by unique ID; (x) maintain a
policy that addresses information security
for employees and
contractors; and (xii) restrict physical
access to Cardholder information.
2.06 Returns and Adjustments. (a)
Merchant’s policy for the
exchange or return of goods sold and the
adjustment for services
rendered shall be established and posted in
accordance with the Rules.
Merchant agrees to disclose to a Cardholder
before a Card sale is
made, that if merchandise is returned: (i)
no refund, or less than a full
refund, will be given; (ii) returned
merchandise will only be exchanged
for similar merchandise and of comparable
value; (iii) only a credit
toward purchases will be given; or (iv)
special conditions or
circumstances apply to the sale (e.g., late
delivery, charges, or other
noncredit terms); (b) Disclosures must be
made on all copies of Sales
Drafts in letters approximately ¼ inches
high in close proximity to the
space provided for the Cardholder’s
signature on the Sales Draft and
issued at the time of sale; (c) If Merchant
does not make these
disclosures, a full refund in the form of a
credit to the Cardholder’s Card
account must be given. Merchant shall not
refund cash to a Cardholder
who paid for the item by Card; (d) Credits
must be made to the same
Card account number on which the original
sale Transaction was
processed.
2.07 Merchant’s Business. (a) Merchant
shall provide Bank and SPS
with immediate notice of its intent to (i)
transfer or sell any substantial
part of its total assets, or liquidate; (ii)
change the basic nature of its
business, including selling any products or
services not related to its
current business; (iii) change fifty percent
(50%) or more of the
ownership or transfer control of its
business; (iv) enter into any joint
venture, partnership or similar business
arrangement whereby any
person or entity not a party to this
Agreement assumes any interest in
Merchant’s business; or (v) alter in any way
Merchant’s approved
monthly volume and average ticket; (b)
Failure to provide notice as
required above may be deemed a material
breach and shall be
sufficient grounds for termination of this
Agreement, or, at SPS’s option
may result in SPS amending the terms of this
Agreement, including, but
not limited to, holding funds and/or
altering the Merchant funding
schedule if SPS and Bank deem it necessary
to protect against
financial loss. If any of the changes listed
above occur, Bank and SPS
shall have the option to re-negotiate the
terms of this Agreement or
provide immediate notice of termination;
(c) Merchant will immediately
notify SPS, with a copy to Bank, of any
bankruptcy, receivership,
insolvency or similar action initiated by or
against Merchant or any of its
principals. Merchant will include Bank and
SPS on the list of creditors
filed with the Bankruptcy Court, whether or
not a claim exists at the time of
filing; (d) Merchant must notify SPS,
with a copy to Bank, in writing of
any changes to the information in the
Merchant Application, including
but not limited to: a change to Merchant’s
financial condition (within 3
days), any additional location or new
business, the identity of principals
and/or owners, the form of business
organization, type of goods and
services provided, and how sales are
completed. Merchant must also
notify SPS in writing, with a copy to Bank,
if Merchant sells or closes its
business. Except for a change to the
financial condition, SPS and Bank
must receive all such notices 7 days before
the change. Merchant will
provide updated information to SPS upon
request. Merchant is liable to
SPS and Bank for all losses and expenses
incurred by SPS and Bank
arising out of Merchant’s failure to report
changes. SPS and Bank may
immediately terminate this Agreement upon a
change to the information in
the Merchant Application, whether SPS and
Bank independently
discover such change or whether Merchant
notifies SPS and Bank of
such change.
2.08 Advertising. (a) Merchant will
prominently display the
promotional materials provided by Bank and
SPS in its place(s) of
business. Use of promotional materials and
use of any trade name,
trademark, service mark or logotype
("Marks") associated with Card(s)
shall be limited to informing the public
that Card(s) will be accepted at
Merchant’s place(s) of business. Merchant’s
use of promotional
materials and Marks is subject to the
direction of Bank and SPS and
must be utilized in accordance with the
Rules; (b) Merchant may use
promotional materials and Marks during the
term of this Agreement and
shall immediately cease use and return any
inventory to Bank or SPS
upon any termination thereof; (c) Merchant
shall not use any
promotional materials or Marks associated
with Visa or MasterCard in
any way which implies that Visa or
MasterCard endorses any goods or
services other than Bank Card services and
Merchant shall not refer to
Visa or MasterCard in stating eligibility
for Merchant’s products or
services. Merchant shall be fully liable to
Bank and/or SPS for any and
all loss, cost and expenses suffered or
incurred by Bank, arising out of
failure to return or destroy such materials
following termination.
2.09 Merchant’s Agreements and Covenants
1.
Personal Information. Merchant may not
impose a
requirement on Cardholders to provide any
personal information as a
condition for honoring Cards unless such
information is required to
provide delivery of goods or services or
Merchant has reason to believe
the identity of the person presenting the
Card may be different from that of
the Cardholder.
2.
Cash Payments. Merchant shall not
receive any
payments from a Cardholder for charges
included in any Transaction
resulting from the use of Card nor receive
any payment from a
Cardholder to prepare and present a
Transaction for the purpose of
effecting a deposit to the Cardholder’s Card
account.
3.
Cash Advances. (a) Merchant shall not
deposit any
Transaction for the purpose of obtaining or
providing a cash advance
either on Merchant’s Card or the Card of any
other party. Merchant
agrees that any such deposit shall be
grounds for immediate
Sage Merchant Agreement 4 of 8
termination; (b) Merchant shall not
obtain under any circumstance
Authorization for, nor process a sale on,
any Card Merchant is
authorized to use. Processing Merchant’s own
Card is grounds for
immediate termination.
4.
Duplicate Transactions. Merchant shall
not deposit
duplicate Transactions. Merchant shall be
debited for any duplicate
Transactions and shall be liable for any
Chargebacks, which may result
therefrom.
5.
Deposit of Fraudulent Transactions.
Merchant
shall not accept or deposit any fraudulent
Transaction and may not
under any circumstances present for
processing or credit, directly or
indirectly, a Transaction which originated
with any other merchant or
any other source. Merchant shall not
deposit, under any circumstances,
Transactions evidencing sales that were
solicited by telemarketers. If
Merchant deposits any such Transactions,
this Agreement may be
immediately terminated and Bank may hold
funds and/or demand a
Reserve Account pursuant to Section 6.06;
further, Merchant may be
subject to the Card Association reporting
requirements set forth in
Section 2.05).
Perpetrators of
fraudulent transactions will be
referred to law enforcement officials.
6.
Collection of Pre-Existing Debt.
Merchant shall
not
present any Transaction representing the
refinancing of an existing
obligation of a Cardholder including, but
not limited to obligations (i)
previously owed to Merchant, (ii) arising
from the dishonor of a
Cardholder’s personal check, and/or (iii)
representing the collection of
any other pre-existing indebtedness,
including collection of delinquent
accounts on behalf of third parties.
7.
Release of Cardholder Account Information.
Merchant will not, under any circumstances,
disclose any Cardholder’s
account number or any information relating
to any Cardholder’s account
number or any Sales Drafts or Credit
Vouchers which may have been
imprinted with any Card to any person other
than Bank or SPS, or as
required by law. Further, Merchant agrees to
store any material
containing Cardholder account information in
a secure manner or
destroy such information at the proper time
in a fashion, which renders
the data unreadable. Merchant acknowledges
and understands the
importance of compliance with Visa Security
requirements, such as that
which relates to transaction information,
storage and disclosure.
8.
Multiple Transaction Records: Partial
Consideration. Merchant shall not
prepare more than one Sales Draft
for a single sale or for a single item but
shall include all items or goods
and services purchased in a single
Transaction in the total amount on a
single Sales Draft except: (i) for purchases
in separate departments of a
multiple department store; (ii) for partial
payment, installment
payment, delayed delivery or an advance
deposit; or (iii) for delayed or
amended charges governed by rules for travel
and entertainment
merchants and transactions.
9.
Non-Imprint Transactions. In any
non-imprint
transaction, as a material inducement for
Bank and SPS to enter into
this Agreement, Merchant acts solely at its
own risk, and waives the
right to dispute and Chargeback arising from
a failure to produce and
Imprinted draft to Bank and SPS. Merchant
further assumes all other
risks attendant to such non-Imprint
transactions.
10. Revocation of Authority. Merchant shall
cease the initiation of Card
activity immediately upon receipt of actual
or constructive notice of a
Customer’s termination or revocation of
authorization of Merchant to do
so.
10.
Identifying Numbers. Merchant agrees
that SPS
may rely solely on identifying numbers
provided by Merchant or
Cardholder to determine the bank and account
of a Customer.
11.
Regulatory Compliance. Merchant shall
be solely
responsible for conforming its policies and
procedures to the Rules and
all applicable federal, state and local laws
and regulations. Merchant
agrees to consult Merchant’s legal counsel
regarding such compliance.
12.
Notice of Erroneous/Unauthorized
Transfers.
Merchant shall regularly and promptly review
all statements of account,
banking statements, and other communications
sent to Merchant and to
immediately notify SPS if any discrepancy
exists between Merchant’s
records and those provided by SPS, the
Merchant’s bank, or with
respect to any transfer that Merchant
believes was not authorized by
Merchant or Customer. If Merchant fails to
notify SPS in writing within
fourteen (14) calendar days after the date
that SPS mails or otherwise
provides a statement of account or other
report of activity to Merchant,
Merchant will be solely responsible for all
losses or other costs
associated with any erroneous or
unauthorized transfer. The foregoing
does not limit in any way Merchant’s
liability for any breach of this
Agreement.
13. Notice of Agents. Merchant shall notify
the SPS of
its use of any third-party agent that will
have access to
Cardholder Data.
2.10 Representations and Warranties of
Merchant. Merchant
represents and warrants to Bank and SPS at
the time of execution and
during the term of this Agreement that:
(a) All information contained in
the Merchant Application or any other
documents delivered to Bank
and/or SPS in connection therewith is true
and complete and properly
reflects Merchant’s business, financial
condition and principal partners,
owners or officers; (b) Merchant has
the power to execute, deliver and
perform this Agreement, and this Agreement
is duly authorized, and
does not and will not violate any provisions
of Federal or state law or
regulation, or conflict with any other
agreement to which Merchant is
subject; (c) Merchant has all
licenses, if any, required to conduct its
business and is qualified to do business in
every jurisdiction where it is
required to do so; (d) There is no
action, suit or proceeding now
pending or to Merchant’s knowledge,
threatened by or against or
affecting Merchant which would substantially
impair its right to carry on
its business as now conducted or adversely
affect its financial condition or
operations; (e) Each Sales Draft
presented to Bank for collection is
genuine and is not the result of any
fraudulent transaction or
telemarketing sale or is not being deposited
on behalf of any business
other than Merchant. Further, Merchant
warrants that each Sales Draft is
the result of a bona fide Card Transaction
for the purchase of goods or
services by the Cardholder in the total
amount stated on the Sales
Draft; (f) Merchant has performed or
will perform all of its obligations to
the Cardholder in connection with the Card
Transaction evidenced
thereby; (g) Merchant has complied
with Bank’s and SPS’s procedures
for accepting Cards, and the Card
Transaction does not involve any
element of credit or debit for any purpose
other than as set forth in this
Agreement and shall not be subject to any
defense, dispute, offset or
counter claim which may be raised by any
Cardholder under the Rules,
the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 USC
1601) or other relevant
state or federal statutes or regulations;
(h) Any Credit Voucher which it
issues represents a bona fide refund or
adjustment on a Card sale by
Merchant with respect to which a Sales Draft
has been accepted; (i)
Unless Merchant notifies SPS in writing
(either on the Merchant
Application or otherwise), no other
processing relationship exists
between Merchant and another bankcard
processing institution, for this, or
any other business run or owned by Merchant.
(j) With respect to all
Card Transactions that Merchant requests SPS
and Bank to originate,
Merchant continuously represents and
warrants to Bank and SPS that: (i)
Each Customer has authorized the debiting
and/or crediting of its
account;
(ii) Each Entry is for an amount the
customer has agreed to; and
(iii) Each Entry is in all other respects
properly authorized.
2.11 Guarantors. As a primary inducement
to Bank and SPS to enter
into this Agreement, the undersigned
Guarantor(s), by signing this
Agreement, jointly and severally,
unconditionally and irrevocably,
guarantee the continuing full and faithful
performance and payment by
Merchant of each of its duties and
obligations to Bank and SPS
pursuant to this Agreement, as it now exists
or amended from time to
time, with or without notice. Guarantor(s)
understands further that Bank
and SPS may proceed directly against
Guarantor(s) without first
exhausting its remedies against any other
person or entity responsible
therefore to it or any security held by Bank
and SPS or Merchant. This
guarantee will not be discharged or affected
by the death of the
undersigned, will bind all heirs,
administrators, representatives and
assigns and may be enforced by or for the
benefit of any successor of
Bank or SPS. Guarantor(s) understand that
the inducement to Bank
and SPS to enter into this agreement is
consideration for the guaranty,
and that this guaranty remains in full force
and affect even if the
Guarantor(s) receive no additional benefit
from the guarantee.
2.12 Monthly Volume and Average Ticket.
Merchant represents that
the
Estimated monthly volume of Sales
Transactions ("Monthly Volume")
and the estimated average Sales Transaction
dollar amount ("Average
Ticket Amount") appearing on the Merchant
Application are each good
faith estimates and that there is a
reasonable basis for each such
estimate. Merchant acknowledges that any
actual Monthly Volume or
any actual Average Ticket Amount in excess
of such estimates will
cause SPS and/or Bank to review Merchant’s
file and that such review
may result in the delay of transmission of
funds and possible
interruption of service. Bank may withhold
the payment of any amounts
otherwise payable hereunder and may
terminate this Agreement if the
actual Monthly Volume and/or Average Ticket
Amount materially
exceeds such estimates.
ARTICLE III - PRESENTMENT, PAYMENT,
CHARGEBACK;
RESERVE ACCOUNTS; TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS
3.01 Acceptance. Bank and SPS shall
accept from Merchant all valid
Sales Drafts deposited by Merchant and shall
present the same to the
appropriate Card Issuers for collection
against Cardholder accounts. All
presentment and assignment of Sales Drafts,
collection therefore and
re-assignment or rejection of such Sales
Drafts are subject to the terms of
this Agreement and the Rules. Bank shall
only provisionally credit
the value of collected Sales Drafts to the
Account and reserves the right to
adjust amounts collected to reflect the
value of Chargebacks, fees,
penalties, late submission charges and items
for which Bank did not
receive final payment. Settlement of funds
will be in United States
Dollars. Bank and SPS may refuse to accept
any Sales Draft or revoke
its prior acceptance of a Sales Draft in the
following circumstances: (a)
the transaction giving rise to the Sales
Draft was not made in
compliance with all terms and conditions of
this Agreement; (b) the
Cardholder disputes his liability to Bank
for any reason, including but
not limited to those Chargeback rights
enumerated in the Rules; or (c)
the transaction giving rise to the Sales
Draft was not directly between
Merchant and the Cardholder. Merchant will
pay Bank and SPS, as
appropriate, any amount previously credited
to Merchant for a Sales
Draft not accepted or later revoked by Bank
and SPS.
3.02 Endorsement. The presentment of
Sales Drafts for collection and
payment is Merchant’s agreement to sell and
assign its right, title and
interest in each Sales Draft completed in
conformity with Bank’s and
SPS’s acceptance procedures and shall
constitute an endorsement by
Merchant to Bank of such Sales Drafts.
Merchant hereby authorizes
Bank to supply such endorsement on
Merchant’s behalf. Merchant
agrees that this Agreement is a contract of
financial accommodation
within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Code,
11 U.S.C. Sec. 365, as
amended from time to time. Merchant
acknowledges that its obligation to
Bank and SPS for all amounts owed under this
Agreement arise out of
the same transaction as Bank’s obligation to
deposit funds to the
Account.
3.03 Transmission Method. If Merchant
utilizes electronic
authorization and/or data capture services,
Merchant will enter the data
related to a sales or credit transaction
into a computer terminal or
magnetic stripe reading terminal no later
than the close of business on
the date the transaction is completed. If
Merchant provides its own
electronic terminal or similar device, such
terminals must meet SPS’s
and Bank’s requirements for processing
transactions. Information
regarding a sales or credit transaction
transmitted with a computer or
magnetic stripe reading terminal will be
transmitted by Merchant to SPS or
its agent(s) in the form SPS from time to
time specifies, or as
required magnetic stripe reading terminal
will be transmitted by
Merchant to under the Rules. If Bank and SPS
request a copy of a
Sales Draft, credit voucher or other
transaction evidence, Merchant will
provide it within 3 business days following
the request. The means of
transmission indicated in the Merchant
Application shall be the
exclusive means utilized by Merchant until
Merchant has provided SPS
with at least 30 days prior written notice,
with a copy to Bank, of
Merchant’s intention to change the means of
such delivery or otherwise to
alter in any material respect Merchant
medium of transmission of
data to SPS.
3.04 Prohibited Payments. Bank and SPS
shall have the sole right to
receive payment of any Sales Draft presented
by Merchant and paid by
Bank unless and until there is a Chargeback.
Unless specifically
authorized in writing by Bank, Merchant
shall not make or attempt to
make any collections from Cardholders on any
Transaction and shall
hold any funds or property recovered in
trust for Bank and shall
promptly deliver to Bank any payment
Merchant receives, in whole or in
part of the amount of any accepted
Transaction, together with the
Cardholder’s name and account number and any
correspondence
accompanying the payment.
3.05 Chargebacks. (a) Simultaneously
with each Cardholder
Transaction, a contingent and unmatured
claim for Chargeback accrues
against Merchant in favor of SPS and Bank
for that SPS or Bank is
required, or has the right, to pay to
MasterCard or Visa with respect to
any fees, discounts, customer credits and
adjustments, charges, fines,
assessments, penalties or other items which
may be charged back to
Merchant by SPS and bank. Merchant agrees
that it is fully liable to
Bank and SPS for all Chargebacks, and that
Bank and SPS are
authorized to offset from incoming
transactions and to debit via ACH
the Account, the Reserve Account, or any
other account held at any
other financial institution in the amount of
any Chargeback. Merchant
agrees to accept for chargeback any sale for
which the Cardholder
disputes the validity of the sale according
to the Rules; or SPS and
Bank determine that Merchant has in any way
failed to comply with the
Rules or SPS’s procedures, including but not
limited to the following: (i)
The Sales Draft is illegible, not signed by
the Cardholder or has not
been presented to Bank within the required
time- rames; (ii) The Sales
Draft does not contain the Imprint of a
valid, un-expired Card; (iii) A
valid Authorization number has not been
correctly and legibly recorded on
the Sales Draft; (iv) The Sales Draft is a
duplicate of a prior
Transaction or is the result of two or more
Transactions generated on
one credit card for a single sale; (v) The
Cardholder alleges that he or
she did not participate in the sale,
authorize the use of the Card,
receive goods or services purchased, or
receive a required credit
adjustment, or disputes the quality of the
goods or services purchased;
(vi) The price of goods or services on the
Sales Draft differs from the
amount which Merchant presents for payment;
(vii) The Transaction
results from an Internet, mail, phone or preauthorized order and the
Cardholder disputes entering into or
authorizing the Transaction or the
Transaction has been made on an expired or
non-existing account
number; (viii) SPS and Bank believe, within
their sole discretion, that
Merchant has violated any provision of this
Agreement; (ix) SPS
determines that the transaction record is
fraudulent or that the
Transaction is not bona fide or is subject
to any claim of illegality,
cancellation, rescission, avoidance or
offset for any reason whatsoever,
including without limitation negligence,
fraud or dishonesty on the part of
Merchant or Merchant’s agents or employees;
(x) Merchant fails to
provide a Sales Draft or legible copy
thereof to Bank and SPS in
accordance with this Agreement. Merchant
acknowledges that SPS
and Bank shall have full recourse to charge
back the amount of a Card
sale for which the Cardholder disputes that
he/she did not authorize the
charge if (i) the Imprint of the Card or
(ii) the signature of the
Cardholder was not obtained by Merchant;
(xi) Merchant shall not
initiate a Transaction in an attempt to
collect a Chargeback;
(b)
Guarantors are personally liable for all
Chargebacks. In the event
Merchant sells its business, and the new
owner incurs
Chargebacks, the original Merchant and all
guarantors will
continue to be held personally liable for
the Chargebacks and any
other liabilities of the new owner(s).
3.06 Processing Limits.
SPS and Bank may
impose a cap on the
dollar amount of Sales Drafts that it will
process for Merchant. This limit
may be changed by SPS and Bank from time to
time, upon notice to
Sage Merchant Agreement 5 of 8
Merchant. Such notice may be given orally or
in writing. If the cap is
decreased, oral notice will be confirmed in
writing. If Merchant exceeds
the established limit, SPS and Bank may
suspend processing, hold the
funds over the cap, and/or return all Sales
Drafts evidencing funds over
the cap to Merchant.
3.07 Types of Transactions
(1) Telephone, Mail, Preauthorized, and
Installments
Orders: Internet Transactions. (a)
Unless Merchant has received
prior written authorization by Bank and SPS
to accept Internet, mail and
phone orders, Merchant warrants that it is a
walk-in trade business,
located in a retail business place. If
Merchant is found to be accepting
mail order, telephone order, or Internet
Transactions without such prior
written consent, this Agreement will be
immediately terminated and the
value of all Sales Drafts collected from the
first day of processing may be
charged back to Merchant and all funds
therefrom shall be held
pursuant to Section 3; (b) If authorized to
accept payment by Internet,
mail, phone or preauthorized order, the
Sales Draft may be completed
without the Cardholder’s signature or an
Imprint, but in such case
Merchant shall create a Sales Draft
containing Cardholder data, the
expiration number of the credit card, an
Authorization number, the sale
amount and the letters "MO", "TO" or "PO",
as appropriate. (c) for
approved MO/TO and Internet Merchants, AVS
is required. AVS is not a
guarantee of payment, and the use of AVS
will not waive any
provision of this Agreement or otherwise
validate a fraudulent
transaction; (d) unless approved in writing
by SPS and Bank,
Merchant
shall not process sales prior to delivery of
product or service.
Violation could result in immediate
termination; (e) Merchant should
obtain SPS’s and Bank’s consent to process
Internet transactions, and
should process such transactions only if the
transactions have been
encrypted by a third party vendor acceptable
to SPS and Bank.
Merchant is liable for all chargebacks and
losses related to Internet
transactions whether or not: (i) Internet
transactions have been
encrypted, and (ii) Merchant has obtained
SPS’s and Bank’s consent to
engage in such transactions. Encryption is
not a guarantee of payment,
and will not waive any provision of this
Agreement or otherwise validate a
fraudulent transaction. Merchant understands
that transactions
processed via the Internet are high risk and
subject to a higher
incidence of Chargebacks. All communication
costs related to Internet
transactions are Merchant’s responsibility.
SPS will not manage the
Internet telecommunications link and it is
Merchant’s responsibility to
manage that link. All Internet transactions
will be settled by Bank into a
depository institution of the United States
in U.S. currency. Bank and/or
SPS are under no obligation to approve
telephone, mail, Internet or
preauthorized orders and reserves the right
to withdraw permission for
such transactions at any time.
(2) Lodging and Vehicle Rental Transactions.
(a)
Merchant must estimate and obtain
Authorization for the amount of the
Transaction based upon the Cardholder’s
intended length of stay or
rental. Additional Authorization must be
obtained and recorded for
charges actually incurred in excess of the
estimated amount; (b)
Regardless of the terms and conditions of
any written preauthorization
form, the Sales Draft amount for any lodging
or vehicle rental
Transaction shall include only that portion
of the sale, including any
applicable taxes, evidencing a bona fide
rental of real or personal
property by Merchant to the Cardholder and
shall not include any
consequential charges. Nothing contained
herein is intended to restrict
Merchant from enforcing the terms and
conditions of its
preauthorization form through means other
than a Card Transaction.
(3) Recurring Transactions. For
recurring transactions,
Merchant must obtain a written request from
the Cardholder for such
goods and services to be charged to
Cardholder's account, the
frequency of the recurring charge and the
duration of time during which
charges may be made. Merchant will not
complete any recurring
transaction after receiving (i) a
cancellation notice from the Cardholder;
(ii) Notice from SPS or Bank that authority
to accept recurring
transactions has been revoked; or (iii) a
response that Card is not to be
honored. Merchant must print legibly on the
Sales Draft the words
"Recurring Transaction."
(4) Multiple Sales Drafts. Merchant will
include a
description and total amount of goods and
services purchased in a
single sales transaction on a single Sales
Draft or transaction record
unless: (i) partial payment is entered on
the Sales Draft or transaction
record and the balance of the transaction is
paid in cash or by check at
the time of transaction; or (ii) a Sales
Draft represents an advance
deposit in a Card transaction completed in
accordance with this
Agreement and the Rules.
(5) Debit Cards. Merchant may honor at
the locations set
forth on the Merchant Processing Agreement
debit cards ("Debit Card")
serviced by the electronic funds transfer
networks in connection with
the sales ("Debit Card Sale") of merchandise
or services to the holders of
such Debit Cards ("Debit Cardholders"). Bank
and/or SPS agree to
accept from Merchant via electronic
transmission documents
evidencing such Debit Card Sales ("Sales
Transmittal") and Adjustment
Drafts (as defined below).
(a) General; Designated
Account. Merchant agrees to honor all
valid Debit Cards, which are
properly presented by Debit Cardholders in
payment for goods or
services. Debit Cardholders will be entitled
to the same services and
return privileges Merchant extends to cash
customers, and Merchant
will not impose any special conditions in
connection with Debit Card
Sales. Merchant's Designated Account will be
used in order to facilitate
payment of amounts due. All credits and
debits in connection with
Debit Card Sales will be made to the
Designated Account.
(b) Compliance; Authorization; Other
Requirements. Merchant agrees to comply
(and assume all liability for
failure to comply) with the operating rules
and regulations of the
Networks as amended from time to time
("Network Rules"). Every
Debit Card Sale must be immediately
electronically authorized as
directed by Bank and/or SPS
("Authorization"). When Authorization is
obtained, Merchant will electronically print
the authorization number on
the Sales Transmittal. Merchant will comply
with all applicable Federal,
state and local laws, rules and regulations,
including without limitation
the Electronic Funds Transfer Act and
Regulation E of the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System
("Rules"). Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, Merchant
agrees that: (i) for each Debit
Card Sale, the Debit Cardholder must enter
his Personal Identification
Number ("PIN") through a PIN pad located at
the point of sale ("POS");
(ii) each PIN pad will be situated to permit
Debit Cardholders to input
their PINs without revealing them to other
persons, including
Merchant's personnel; (iii) Merchant will
instruct personnel (A) that they
may not ask any Debit Cardholder to disclose
the PIN and (B) in the
event that any of Merchant's personnel
nevertheless becomes aware of
any Debit Cardholder’s PIN, such personnel
will not use such PIN or
create or maintain any record of such PIN,
and will not disclose such
PIN to any other person; (iv) the PIN
message must be encrypted from
the PIN pad to the POS terminal and from the
POS terminal to the
Network and back so that the PIN message
will not be in the clear at
any point in the transaction; (v) Merchant
will comply with any other
requirements relating to PIN security as
required by Bank or by any
Network; (vi) for each Debit Card Sale a
transaction receipt in
conformity with Regulation E will be made
available to the Debit
Cardholder; (vii) Merchant may not establish
a minimum or maximum
transaction amount as a condition for use of
a Debit Card; (viii)
Merchant may not charge any Debit Cardholder
for the use of any Debit
Card in connection with a Debit Card Sale,
unless the Network Rules
applicable to such Debit Card permit such a
charge to be made; (ix)
Merchant may not collect tax as a separate
cash transaction; and (x)
POS terminals, including hardware and
software, must be certified for
use by Bank and by all of the Networks. POS
terminals must include
encrypted PIN pads which allow entry of up
to sixteen character PINs,
printers and a keyboard lock function.
Merchants are responsible for
compliance with all Network Rules regarding
the use of POS terminals,
regardless of whether such POS terminals are
obtained through Bank or
through SPS. 1.
Credit Referrals. Merchant will promptly
initiate a refund to the
customer (which may be made in cash, by an
Adjustment Draft or with a
check or cashier’s check, as permitted by
the Network Rules)
whenever Merchant determines that a Debit
Card Sale should be
canceled or reversed. 2.
Error Resolution. Merchant will cooperate
with Bank and SPS, to
resolve any alleged errors relating to Debit
Card Sales. Merchant will
maintain adequate records to assist in error
resolution; records will be
maintained for two years or the period
required by the Network Rules,
whichever is greater. Merchant will permit
and will pay all expenses of
periodic examination and audit of functions
at such frequency, as SPS
deems appropriate. Audits will meet SPS's
standards, and the results
will be made available to SPS. 3.
Certain Prohibited Transactions. Merchant
will not accept cash,
checks or other negotiable items from any
Debit Cardholder and forward a credit through any network (i.e.,
as a purported payment or
deposit to an account maintained by the
Debit Cardholder). Merchant
will not forward through any network any
transaction or initiate any
reversal of a transaction that did not
originate between Merchant and
the Debit Cardholder. 4.
Prevention of Fraud. Merchant will fully
cooperate with SPS and
Bank in the event that Bank or SPS
determines that there is a
substantial risk of fraud arising from
Merchant’s access to the network.
Merchant will take whatever actions Bank or
SPS reasonably deem
necessary in order to protect SPS and/or the
Bank. Neither SPS, Bank
nor any of their respective personnel will
have any liability to Merchant
for any action taken in good faith. 5.
Display of Network Trademark(s); Protection
of Trade Secrets. In
order to inform Debit Cardholders that Debit
Card Sales may be
transacted at Merchant's locations, Merchant
will prominently display
the trademark and/or service mark of each
network at each location
and will display signage of each network at
the entrance, near all POS
terminals and on the window of such
location. All uses by you of any
trademark and/or service mark will comply
with the applicable Network
Rules. You acknowledge and agree that in
displaying any such
trademark and/or service mark, you will be
acting under SPS's and/or
Bank’s control and subject to approval by
the applicable network. You
will not be deemed, under any circumstances,
a licensee or sublicensee of
any trademark or service mark of any
network, nor will you
otherwise be deemed to have or to acquire
any right, title or interest in
trademarks or service marks.
(c) Returns and Adjustments.
1.
Merchant will attempt to settle in good
faith any dispute between it
and a Debit Cardholder involving a Debit
Card Sale. Merchant will
establish a fair, consistent policy for the exchange and return of
merchandise and for the adjustment of
amounts due on Debit Card
Sales. 2.
Merchant will not make any cash refunds or
payments for returns or
adjustments on Debit Card Sales but will
instead complete a form
provided or approved by Bank ("Adjustment
Draft"). The Sales
Transmittal for any Debit Card Sale for
which no refund or return will be
accepted by Merchant must be clearly and conspicuously marked
(including on the Debit Cardholder’s copy)
as "final sale" or "no return"
and must comply with Network requirements.
(d) Presentation of Sales Transmittals and
Adjustment Drafts.
1.
Merchant will electronically transmit to
Bank all Sales Transmittals or
Adjustment Drafts in a manner acceptable to
Bank. Merchant will make a
good faith effort to electronically transmit
data within one banking
business day after the transaction date.
Merchant will not extend the
time of payment for or extend credit for any
part of a Debit Card Sale.
Merchant represents and warrants that the
electronic transmission of
each Sales Transmittal and Adjustment Draft
will evidence a true record of
the Debit Card Sale transaction reflected on
the document. 2.
Bank will process Debit Card Sales
transmitted by you, and Bank will
promptly credit, debit or charge, as
applicable, the appropriate amount to
the Designated Account. Within a reasonable
time after the end of
each calendar month, Bank will calculate the
applicable amount of fees
and other charges owed by Merchant, and Bank
will debit the
Designated Account in the amount of such
fees and other charges.
The amount of such fees to be paid by
Merchant are set forth on
Pricing Schedule A of this Agreement.
Such fees may be amended at
any time by Bank and/or SPS upon written
notice to Merchant. 3.
Bank may refuse to accept or may revoke its
acceptance of any
Sales Transmittal or Adjustment Draft, and
Bank may debit, charge or
credit the Designated Account in the
corresponding amount, if: (i) the
Debit Card was completed without prior
Authorization; (ii) the Sales
Transmittal or Adjustment Draft involved
circumstances constituting a
breach of any agreement, representation, or
warranty of you; (iii) the
Debit Card Sale was in violation of
applicable law, rules or regulations;
(iv) the Debit Cardholder is Merchant, any
partner of or shareholder in
Merchant, or any affiliate, spouse or
immediate family member of any of
them; (v) the Debit Card Sale was not made
in connection with the sale of
goods or services by you. 4.
Bank may refuse or revoke the acceptance of
any Sales Transmittal or
Adjustment of Sales Transmittal upon the
occurrence of any of the
following events, and Bank may charge, debit
or credit the Designated
Account in the corresponding amount if: (i)
Merchant defaults in paying
when due any obligation to Bank or SPS; (ii)
any material adverse
change in Merchant's financial condition
occurs; (iii) any deposit
account at Bank or any of Merchant's
property in the possession of
Bank is garnished or attached; (iv) Merchant
assigns its assets
generally for the benefit of creditors; (v)
a proceeding is commenced by or
against it under any bankruptcy, insolvency
or similar law seeking an
order to adjudicate it a bankrupt or
insolvent or other relief, or seeking
appointment of a receiver or similar
official for Merchant or for any
substantial part of your assets. Merchant
will notify Bank and/or SPS in
writing immediately upon becoming aware that
any such event has
occurred or is likely to occur. 5.
Bank will notify you promptly of all
Adjustment Drafts. Additionally,
Bank will advise you on each debit, charge
and credit processed to the
Designated Account. 6.
Merchant authorizes Bank to charge debits
arising from this
Agreement against any credit due you,
whether or not such charges
create overdrafts or a debit balance in the
Designated Account. You
agree to pay Bank or SPS, as applicable, the
full amount of any such
overdraft or debit balance or to replenish
the Designated Account in an
amount sufficient to permit the amount of
the charge to be made, as
applicable, promptly upon request. 7.
You further authorize Bank to suspend in a
segregated account
amounts which otherwise would be credited to
the Designated Account if
Bank or SPS reasonably believe that the
Sales Transmittals
submitted by Merchant are fraudulent. Bank
or SPS will notify you of
the suspension of such amounts within a
reasonable time; provided,
however, that such notice will not be
required if the appropriate law
enforcement agency has been notified of the
suspected fraud.
(e) Limitation; Claims and Collections.
A.
Merchant will not accept any Debit Card in
payment for any legal
services or for expenses related to the
defense of any crime (other than a
traffic violation), any domestic relations
matter where services or
expenses are furnished a person whose name
is not embossed on the
Debit Card or any bankruptcy, insolvency, or
other proceeding affecting
the creditors of any Debit Cardholder.
Merchant will not present to Bank
for processing a transaction that does not
represent a sale of goods or
service directly between Debit Cardholder
and it. B.
Merchant will notify Bank and/or SPS
promptly of all claims and
defenses asserted or alleged by any Debit
Cardholder with respect to
any Debit Card Sale.
(f) Indemnity. Merchant will indemnify
Bank, and SPS,
from and against any and all liabilities,
losses, costs, claims, demands,
actions and causes of action of any kind
(including without limitation,
reasonable attorneys’ fees) that may be
suffered or incurred by Bank, or
SPS, caused by, resulting from, or in
connection with any of the
following: (i) any dispute between Merchant
and a Debit Cardholder
Sage Merchant Agreement 6 of 8
with respect to the alleged or actual
failure by Merchant to process a
transaction as requested by such Debit
Cardholder or to provide
physical security at or near any terminals
or other premises of
Merchant, (ii) the transmission or
disclosure of any information by or
through SPS, (iii) the transmission of any
incorrect or incomplete
information to a customer of any Network
member through the Network
regarding account maintained by such
customer, or the disclosure
through such Network to any party of
information relating to any such
account; and (iv) Merchant’s failure to
comply with the provisions of this
Agreement and applicable laws and
regulations, including without
limitation disputes resulting from
Merchant's failure to provide a Sales
Transmittal in accordance with the terms of
this Schedule. Merchant
further agree to indemnify and hold Bank
and/or SPS harmless from all
claims, liability and expenses arising or
resulting from any dispute or
claim made against Bank and/or SPS by any
third party.
(g) Records; Confidentiality. A. Bank
and/or SPS may
examine and verify at any reasonable time
and upon reasonable notice,
all of Merchant's records pertaining to
Debit Card Sales. B.
Merchant will preserve copies of all Sales
Transmittals and
Adjustment Drafts for the longer of (i) two
years from the transaction
dates of such items, or (ii) that period of
time required by the applicable
Network. You are liable for failure to so
preserve Sales Transmittals
and Adjustment Drafts. Upon the request of
Bank, you will deliver to
Bank, not later than ten business days after
a request is made, a copy of
any Sales Transmittal or Adjustment Draft.
If you do not provide a
copy within ten days, Bank is authorized to
debit the Designated
Account for the amount of the Sales
Transmittal or Adjustment Draft. C.
Without the applicable Debit Cardholder’s
consent you will not sell,
purchase, provide or exchange Debit Card
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