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Online Transaction Security

Security Training Center^® processes hundreds of online transactions monthly as part of our online course sales. We hold ourselves to the highest security standards for online sales. Our online transaction partners are the industry standard in fraud prevention and secure payments: Authorize.net and Chargezoom.

 

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• Required Billing Information.
• Why do I see a charge for a declined transaction?
• Why was my transaction declined?
• Activating Prepaid Credit Cards.
• How Long Do Credit Card Refunds Take?

Required Billing Information

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Required information as it appears on credit card billing statement:

• Name
• Address
• City
• Zip code
  DO NOT USE the 5+4 ZIP Code format (e.g. 12345-1234). Use only the first 5 numbers of the ZIP Code (e.g. 12345).

• Email address
  ^*Not from credit card billing statement.

 

NOTE: The billing information DOES NOT need to match the student's profile information. The billing information can be different from the student's profile information.

Why do I see a charge for a declined transaction?
or,
Why was my transaction declined?

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When a card issuing bank receives an authorization request for a charge, they will confirm that the card number is valid and verify that there are available funds to cover the requested amount. If the funds are available, the card issuing bank will reserve the funds, and return an authorization code that allows Security Training Center^® to claim the funds during settlement.

The card issuing bank also compares the cardholder's billing address on file to the address submitted with the transaction. The bank then returns an Address Verification Service (AVS) response code along with the authorization code that indicates whether or not the billing address matches the bank's records. If the BILLING ADDRESS provided is not an EXACT MATCH to what appears on the credit card statement, the transaction is marked as Declined and will not be settled.

However, even if a transaction is declined due to an AVS Mismatch, the authorization code and the hold on the authorized funds will remain on the customer's card until the card issuing bank removes the authorization. As a result, the held funds may be subtracted from the customer's available balance, and an online statement may show the authorization request, which might be mistaken for an actual charge. Most card issuing banks will remove authorizations within 3-7 days if they are not claimed for settlement. This is most common with debit cards used as credit cards.

NOTE: Multiple declined transactions may result in multiple temporary fund holds. This is a banking issue and completely beyond the ability of Security Training Center,^® to resolve. Unclaimed funds will be returned by the bank; it just takes time.

DO NOT USE the 5+4 ZIP Code format (e.g. 12345-1234). Use only the first 5 numbers of the ZIP Code (e.g. 12345).

Activating Prepaid Credit Cards

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Prepaid credit cards require an additional step before they can be used online. Although they can be used in-person immediately, the card must be associated with the card holder before it can be used online. This is done to prevent fraudulent use of the card and protect the legitimate card holder. The online activation/registration associates the home address of the card holder with the card so that it can pass online fraud detection tests (see section above).

Cards that have not been activated for online use will be declined by Authorize.net's Address Verification Service (AVS).

To make an online or phone purchase, you will need to register your card. To register:

1. Either call the issuer, or visit their website.
   This information should have been supplied to you by the issuer when you received the card. It may also be printed on the back of the card.
2. When you make an online or phone purchase, the name, address, and phone number you use will need to be exactly the same as the information you provided when registering your card in order to avoid declines
3. You can verify or update your information by visiting the card issuer's Web site, or by contacting them using the toll-free number provided in your card materials.

The links below explain the process for activating prepaid and Visa gift cards for online use.

How to activate your Visa Gift Card
https://usa.visa.com/pay-with-visa/cards/prepaid-cards/all-purpose-reloadable.html#2

Get a Visa Prepaid Card - How It Works
https://usa.visa.com/pay-with-visa/find-card/get-prepaid-card

 

Credit Card Refunds

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Once Security Training Center^® has done its part (submitting the refund request), the rest is up to the banking and credit system. It may take up to two (2) weeks for the refund to be reflected on your credit card account. We can do nothing to speed this up; it is entirely a banking issue.

 

Why does it take so long to refund to a credit card?

The refund process inherently takes time. For example:

1. The merchant tells the credit card processing company to reverse the charge.
   Security Training Center's^® policy is to issue refunds the same day requested.
2. The processing company informs the credit card company.
3. The credit card company informs the bank.
4. The bank issues funds to the credit card company.

Each of these steps takes at least one (1) business day. Even a best-case refund scenario takes at least four (4) business days from the time the refund is requested.

 

The bank makes money slowing refunds.

When a merchant authorizes a refund, the bank does not have to release those funds to a credit card company for a "reasonable" amount of time, usually two to five (2-5) business days. During this completely unnecessary delay, the bank earns interest on the refunded amount.

Therefore, the bank has no incentive to refund your money quickly.