This guide is intended for the ME Virtual Terminal administrator and provides important information on the role of the administrator in creating additional user or administrator accounts, the rules and requirements concerning passwords, validating the accuracy of the merchant information on file, and adjusting terminal and security settings where necessary.

Access to the ME Virtual Terminal is password restricted. There are two types of accounts that can be created: users and administrators. When an ME Virtual Terminal is established, an initial ‘default’ administrator account is assigned.

Before using the ME Virtual Terminal to process transactions, the administration settings must be checked and adjusted as necessary. A checklist has been provided in Section 3: Getting Started Using ME Virtual Terminal.

The web address for ME Virtual Terminal is here. It is recommended for use on the latest browser versions. Access is possible only on browsers capable of supporting 128bit encryption. 

Responsibility of Administrator(s)

The ME Virtual Terminal administrator is responsible for:

• The initial login and review of merchant information, terminal settings, and security settings.

• The creation, maintenance, and security of user access accounts and, if necessary, additional administrator accounts.

• Resolving user and administrator lock-outs and forgotten passwords.

• Adjusting terminal and security settings as needed.

Default Administrator Account

When a ME Virtual Terminal account is created, an email is automatically sent to the person identified as the primary administrator during the account boarding stage. This email contains a temporary user ID and password.

When logging in for the first time, this primary administrator will be required to establish a new user ID and password. They will also be required to choose a secret question and provide an answer to that question. This will help if it is ever necessary to recover a forgotten password.

Once logged in, the administrator has sole access to all the functions of the ME Virtual Terminal. It is the initial responsibility of that administrator to validate the accuracy of the merchant account information, and to review and adjust the terminal and security settings as needed.

The administrator can also assign others access to ME Virtual Terminal with user or administrator roles. When creating a new user, the administrator can assign specific permissions and rights to that user. When creating an additional administrator account, all permissions and rights are assigned and cannot be modified.

If contacted directly by a ME Virtual Terminal user with a password log in problem, customer support will refer that user back to their ME Virtual Terminal administrator. If an administrator is locked out or needs their password reset, customer support will validate the administrator’s identity and reactivate/reset their password.

Getting Started Using ME Virtual Terminal – Checklist

 When logging into ME Virtual Terminal for the first time, the primary administrator should do the following:

• Change username and password. 

• Establish secret question/answer.

• Create additional users as needed.

• Verify that merchant information is accurate.

• Customize receipt headers and footers.

• Review Commercial and Purchase Card Extended Data option and adjust if needed.

• Verify Email Contact 1 is accurate and add a secondary contact if needed.

• Add Discretionary Transaction and Customer fields if needed.

• Enter Accepted IP Addresses if needed.

• Review and adjust AVS and Card Validation Value settings and adjust as needed. 

The following sections explain these steps in detail.

Password Rules and Requirements

ME Virtual Terminal utilizes username/password rules and requirements that meet credit card association data security mandates. The following rules and requirements apply to both administrator and user accounts.

Username Requirements

• Must be 6-15 alpha-numeric characters.

• Must not contain any special characters (#,-,@,&,/) or spaces.

Password Requirements

• Must be 7-14 alpha/numeric characters.

• Can contain special characters (#,-,@,&,/).

• Must not have spaces.

• Must have at least 1 numeric character.

• Must have at least 1 upper case alpha character.

Password Change Enforcement

• Password must be changed every 60 days.

• User will be reminded 10 days before the expiration of the password in the form of an alert on the home page.

• This alert will countdown each subsequent day (9 Days Remaining, 8 Days Remaining, etc.).

• If the User does not change their password and the number of days reaches 0, the user will be prevented from logging onto the ME Virtual Terminal until their password is changed.

• If a user changes their password in advance of the required time frame, the clock begins ticking from that point forward for the next enforced change.

Repeated Attempt Lockout

After 6 consecutive unsuccessful attempts to log in, the account will automatically lock. The duration of a lock-out will be 30 minutes or until an administrator reactivates their access from the Account User Permissions screen (Active checkbox).

Recovering Forgotten Passwords

If a user forgets their password, a link for Forgotten Password is available on the login page. If a user can provide the merchant number of their company, their username, and correctly answer the secret question, they will be allowed to create a new password.

The secret question/answer set is created by the user upon their initial login. Secret question choices are:

• What is the name of your favorite pet?

• What high school did you attend?

• In what city were you born?

• What is your mother's maiden name?

• What street did you grow up on?

• What was the make of your first car?

• What is your favorite color?

• What year were you born?

For improved security, enter an answer to the security question that has no relation to the question being asked and that only you will know and remember. Use a password that will not be as easily determined as answers that you may routinely disclose to other individuals, businesses, and social media.

Reuse of Passwords

A user cannot create a new password that is the same as any of the last four passwords they have used.

Automatic Log Off

If a user is logged on and remains idle for 15 minutes, they will be automatically logged off.

Inactive Users

If a user does not log in for 90 days, their access is automatically locked. If there is only one administrator, and that administrator does not log in for 90 days, customer support will have to reactivate their access.

Note: ME Virtual Terminal follows Card Payment Network mandates for securing credit card data, which includes specific rules and requirements for passwords.

Creating User Accounts

ME Virtual Terminal access is established and managed at the merchant location by a user with administrator privileges. At the time the ME Virtual Terminal account is created, an email is sent to the individual identified as the primary administrator. Once successfully logged in, that administrator can create an unlimited number of additional user or administrator accounts.

When creating a new user, a ME Virtual Terminal administrator will enter a username and temporary password and be required to re-enter the password to confirm its accuracy. If a username already exists within the system, the administrator is notified and must enter a different username. The range of possible usernames are shared across all ME Virtual Terminal merchants, so a ‘Username already exists’ response may be received even if that username has not been used at your specific business.

First and last name are required when creating a new user. Additional optional fields are provided for use as needed.

When the user profile is complete, the Add User button should be clicked. If no field errors are encountered, the Account User Permissions page will appear.

User Privilege Set

This is where an administrator can:

• Establish a new user’s role as a user or administrator.

• In the case of a simple user role, define which privileges that user will be assigned.

When a new user account is created, all privileges are denied by default. Each privilege must be enabled by the administrator.

The following access privileges can be enabled or disabled for users. 

• Admin - Privilege

• Transactions - All

• Transactions - Credit/Refund

• Transactions - Void

• Batch Management - View Batch

• Batch Management - View Settled Batch

• Batch Management - Settle Batch

• Batch Management - Cleanup Batch

• Customer Record - Edit

• Customer Record - Add

• Customer Record - Delete

• Utility - Search

• Utility - Import/Export Transaction

• Report - View Transaction Report

• Report - View Customer Report

• Report - View Custom Report

• Report - Create Custom Report

Bypass IP Address

The Bypass IP Address option can be set at the user level. This security feature provides the ability to restrict Virtual Terminal access to only certain IP addresses, allowing control over where ME Virtual Terminal can be used. The option to bypass this global setting at the user level provides the merchant a degree of flexibility to allow certain users a wider range of usage and mobility.

A user account can be changed to an administrator account by enabling the Admin – Privilege button on the Account User Permissions page. An administrator account can be changed to a user account by disabling the Admin – Privilege button on the Account User Permissions page.

Initial Log In

• A new user should be provided with the password requirements in preparation for logging in for the first time.

• A Quick Reference card with password rules and requirements is available to Administrators on the Help section menu and can be provided to users at the merchant’s discretion.

• When the new user logs in for the first time, they are required to change their temporary password and choose a secret question from a drop-down menu.

• The user is also required to provide an answer to that question. This will help a user recover their password if it is forgotten.

• A user never has access to the options an administrator sees on the Admin menu. By clicking the Admin button, a user can review their profile and change their password when needed.

• A user can view but never change their privileges. If a user changes their password in advance of the required time frame, the clock begins ticking from that point forward for the next enforced change.

Deleting a User Account

A user account can be deleted by an administrator from the User Profile listing page.

About Administrator Privileges

Note: When creating an additional administrator account, all permissions and rights are assigned to that account, including the ability to create additional user and administrator accounts, change user permissions, and delete user or administrator accounts. An administrator account also automatically bypasses any Accepted IP Address restrictions. Administrator rights should be assigned to only highly trusted individuals.

Administrator Privilege Set

When setting up an administrator account, the following functions are available and enabled when the Admin – Privilege is clicked. These functions cannot be disabled on an administrator account.

• Complete user privilege set

• User access (includes the ability to create and modify user and administrator profiles and to enable/disable privileges)

• Merchant information

• Terminal settings

• Security settings

Deleting an Administrator Account

An administrator account can be deleted from the User Profile listing page. ME Virtual Terminal requires at least one administrator account to remain assigned.

Merchant Settings

This section displays information specific to your business, including your merchant number, business name, address, phone numbers, card types you can accept, and the name, phone number, and email address of the individual at your business who will serve as the primary ME Virtual Terminal administrator.  

If any of this information is inaccurate or needs to be updated, please notify customer support at (888) 288-2692.

Terminal Settings

Receipt

Receipts can be printed for Pending Settlement, Offline, Void, and Settled transactions. Receipts are printed from the Transaction Results pages.

The layout of a receipt is comprised of:

• 6 header lines.

• A section of specific transaction information (truncated cardholder number, invoice number, date, time, etc.).

• The standard customer acknowledgement.

• 3 footer lines.

The first four header lines are standard:

The above four lines have been taken from the account application and cannot be changed within ME Virtual Terminal. If this information does not appear to be correct, please contact customer support at (888) 288-2692.

The next 2 header lines (5 & 6), and the 3 footer lines (1, 2 & 3) are optional. These fields can be used to include additional information such as a web address, promotional announcements, or seasonal greetings.

Each optional header and footer line accepts a maximum of 25 alpha/numeric characters and can be changed at any time.

 Commercial and Purchase Card Extended Data

Commercial Cards and Level 2 Purchase Cards require additional or extended data as a part of the transaction. This data is included when the transaction is settled and is used by the card issuing bank to provide enhanced reporting to their cardholders.

Commercial and Level 2 Purchase Cards that do not include the additional required fields may result in a processing fee that is higher than the normal cost for that card category.

ME Virtual Terminal has the ability to determine at the point of authorization if a card is a Commercial or Purchase Card and prompt for the required additional fields. These fields may vary based on category and card type, but usually consist of one or more of the following:

• Purchase Order Number (sometimes called Customer Code)

• Tax Amount, and/or Tax Indicator.

By enabling the checkbox in this section, ME Virtual Terminal will prompt for the additional fields when necessary. The fields can be entered when the transaction result is displayed on approved transactions, or later, by viewing the individual transaction from the Batch Management view.

By unchecking the box, ME Virtual Terminal will not prompt for these additional fields. Please keep in mind that by setting ME Virtual Terminal to not prompt for these fields, and settling these transactions without the extended data, these cards may cost more to process.

Regardless of the status of the checkbox, ME Virtual Terminal will always flag transactions that do not include the additional Commercial Card and Purchase Card fields with a yellow alert since it represents a potential surcharge.

Security Settings

 Accepted IP Addresses

An IP address identifies a computer or device on a network. With broadband Internet access, an IP address is assigned to a DSL modem, a cable modem, a T1 line, or any other device providing connectivity to an Internet provider.

ME Virtual Terminal administrators wishing to impose restrictions on user access can enter up to 5 accepted IP addresses. By entering one or more accepted IP addresses, only users that are logging in from computers assigned that specific IP address will gain entry to ME Virtual Terminal. IP addresses should be entered in the standard 32-bit numeric format which is written as four numbers separated by periods. (Each number can be zero to 255).

Example: 12.166.245.90. (Less than 4 digits have implied leading zeroes). 

A link is provided that displays the current IP address.

Utilizing IP address restriction is a good, defensive tool against fraudulent activity, but in the case of dynamic IP addressing, restricting access to ME Virtual Terminal based on the originating IP address may be cumbersome or impractical to administer.

An ME Virtual Terminal administrator account will always bypass the IP check, allowing access from anywhere regardless of the restriction. This allows administrators to access the ME Virtual Terminal from any PC—at home, in an office, etc. Also, regular, non-administrator users can be set to bypass the IP restriction check. This allows an administrator to decide on a user-by-user basis to enforce or disregard IP restrictions that permit users to access the ME Virtual Terminal from only a specific PC or from any PC. These permissions are managed through the User Access and Rights area of ME Virtual Terminal.

 Accepted IP Addresses are blank by default. 

Address Verification Service (AVS) Results

Address Verification Service (AVS) is a tool to help merchants manage risk and reduce fraud when accepting card not present transactions. By submitting the cardholder’s billing address and zip code at the time of authorization, a comparison is made against the billing information on file at the bank.

A response is returned indicating:

• A full (address and zip) match.

• An address-only partial match.

• A zip code-only partial match.

• A response indicating AVS Results are not available (this could represent several factors including an AVS system outage, the issuing bank not participating, etc.). For more information, AVS Response Codes.

The AVS results are displayed on the Transaction Results page and as part of the Current Batch views. The merchant can review these results and determine what, if any, additional steps should be taken to determine why a discrepancy exists between the billing address provided by the customer and the address on file with the card issuing bank.

The ME Virtual Terminal AVS results settings can assist in managing specific AVS results by automatically placing a transaction on hold when a specific AVS response is returned. This prevents a transaction that may require special handling from being included in the daily settlement batch.

Checking a box beside one of the four listed AVS responses will automatically place transactions on hold that are returned with that specific AVS response.

While the Card Payment Networks have mandated AVS be performed on Card Not Present transactions, there is no requirement based on result. Deciding how to handle transactions that receive responses other than a full match is based on a merchant’s own risk assessment. Processing a transaction with a negative AVS response presents a greater risk.

For certain types of business, these non or partial matches need to be handled by exception. Placing these transactions automatically on hold prevents them from being settled until the hold is removed. Whether or not to accept that risk and proceed with the transaction is the merchant’s choice.

All transactions, regardless of these AVS settings, that are not returned with a Full Match will be flagged with a red alert as they represent potential risk.

Card Validation Code Results

Card Validation Codes provide a tool to help merchants manage risk and reduce fraud when accepting Card Not Present credit card transactions. Under the generic “Card Validation Code”, each card type has a unique name for the feature:

• Visa: Card Verification Value 2 (CVV2)

• Mastercard: Card Verification Code 2 (CVC2)

• American Express: Card Identification Data (CID)

• Discover: Card Identification Data (CID)

The Validation Code is a three-digit number that appears on the signature panel of Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards. It usually appears on the back of the credit card, after the account number printed on the signature panel. With American Express cards, it is a four-digit number that appears above and at the end of the embossed card number on the front of the card.

For more information, see Response Fields & Codes.

The Card Validation Code Results settings can assist in managing specific non-match or not available results by placing a transaction on hold depending on the response. This prevents a transaction that may require special handling from being included in that day’s settlement batch.

Checking a box beside one of the two listed responses will automatically place transactions on hold that are returned with that specific response.

There are a few card issuing banks that will decline a transaction based on a “No Match” Validation Code response. In this instance, the transaction will be returned with a “Failed” Status with “Declined” in the Memo field.

All transactions regardless of these Validation Code settings that are not returned with a Match will be flagged with a red alert as they represent potential risk.

Processing Transactions

Card Present Sale (Charge)

1. Click Transaction on menu bar.

2. Enter transaction information. Required fields are identified with a red asterisk (*).

3. Click Submit Transaction Now button for authorization attempt or click Save for later batch authorization.

4. Results page will appear with the status of the transaction.

Card Not Present Sale with Customer ID

1. Click Transaction on menu bar.

2. Enter Customer ID or use Find Customer ID link to search for Customer Record and click ID.

3. If the keyed Customer ID does not exist, Virtual Terminal will allow the creation of a new Customer Record when entering a transaction.

4. Enter additional transaction information. Required fields are identified with a red asterisk (*).

5. Click Submit Transaction Now for authorization attempt or click Save for later batch authorization.

6. Results page will appear with the status of the transaction.

Offline Sale

1. Click Transaction on menu bar.

2. Select Offline from the transaction type drop-down menu.

3. Enter transaction information. Required fields are identified with a red asterisk (*) and include the Validation Code.

4. Click Save.

5. Results page will appear with the status of the Pending Settlement.

Void

Navigate: Batch Management → View Transactions

1. Find the transaction in the Batch Management menu – View Transactions option or through Utilities menu – Search option.

2. Click on transaction to view Transaction Results page.

3. Click Void.

Credit (Refund)

1. Click Transaction on menu bar.

2. Select Credit from the transaction type drop-down menu.

3. Enter transaction information. Required fields are identified with a red asterisk (*).

4. Click Save.

5. Results page will appear with status Pending Settlement.

Managing Transactions

Reviewing Transactions

Review transactions to identify declined transactions and to prepare a batch for settlement.

Navigate: Batch Management → View Transactions

• Transactions can be reviewed for AVS Results, CVV results, and Alert Flags.

• Transactions can be filtered by specific status or type with top left drop-down menu.

• Transactions can be voided, deleted, or have their hold status changed by clicking the Select checkbox and clicking on one of the Select Actions below the transaction listing.

• Transaction Acct# and CustID can be clicked to view specific details. Transaction receipts can be printed from transaction detail pages.

• Transactions can be sorted by clicking on column headings.

• All views can be printed through a web browser or to a PDF file.

Placing a Transaction On Hold

Transactions can be placed automatically on hold because of AVS results, CVV results, or manually by user.

Navigate: Batch Management → View Transactions.

1. Click the HOLD checkbox.

2. Click Hold Selected Items at bottom of page.

Taking a Transaction Off Hold

Transactions must be taken off hold for any action to be taken on them, such as authorizing, voiding, settling, or deleting.

Navigate: Batch Management → View Transactions.

1. Uncheck the HOLD checkbox for each entry done manually.

2. Click Unhold Selected Items for auto-holds.

Batch Authorization

Transactions entered and saved, or those imported into the Virtual Terminal, will have a status of Pending Authorization and must be submitted for authorization.

Navigate: Batch Management → View Transactions.

1. Change filter in drop-down menu to Pending Authorization.

2. Adjust Hold status of transactions as necessary.

3. Click Authorize Transactions.

4. Review results.

Batch Settlement

Once a batch is settled, transactions in that batch can no longer be placed on hold or voided.

Navigate: Batch Management → Settle Current Batch.

1. Confirm that charges, credits, and settlement totals are as expected. If adjustments need to be made, return to the Batch Management menu.

2. Click the Settle Batch.

3. The confirmation page appears. Click Settle Batch.

4. Successful Batch Confirmation page will appear with settlement summary. If any other message appears, contact Customer Support.