Process a One Time Payment-1606

Introduction

Work from Home Agents (internal agents only): instructions for Credit Card Payments

    • Astound grants internal agents (this does not apply to outsource partners) the ability to input and process credit card payments 
       
    • Employees are not allowed to document, record and save any credit card information using applications like MS Notepad, WordPad, etc. on their computers, notebook / paper, etc.
       
    • Video (e.g. Zoom) must be enabled at all times while handling customer calls and all sessions are automatically recorded
       
    • Outsource Partners contact your site leadership for assistance

     

Agents working in office - follow usual steps:

  • Verify the amount due and check for past due monies
     
  • Verify the number of statements
     
  • Check for returned payments:
     
    • Returned credit card payment - customer cannot use the same credit card to make a payment
       
    • Returned ACH / check payment - customer cannot use this method of payment 
       
  • Payment fee is $9.95 for agent assistance; should a customer dispute the fee, present our many payment options
     
  • Payments over the phone appear immediately in the balance.  A payment confirmation email sent to preferred email
     
  • The maximum payment we can process for ACH / Checking or a Credit / Debit transaction is $25,000

Resolution Steps


    • Credit or Debit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express
       
    •   Foreign Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express 
       
    •  Debit Card / EFT and ACH Payments: withdrawn from checking accounts only:
       
      • ACH payments - must have a valid preferred email address on account to be in compliance with NACHA
         
      • If not, BOLT will not process the payment
         
Additional Information:
     
    • When adding a preferred email address, it takes 24 hours to update; orders/payments taken today will not receive an email confirmation
       
    • Pre-paid or re-loadable Cards - We accept them (i.e. Visa, MasterCard) but cannot guarantee payment will go through
       
    • Cards like Vanilla Visa and Greendot do not allow utility payments
       
      • To avoid issues with pre-paid cards, encourage customers to visit any convenient Western Union location to make a payment or deposit
          
      • Western Union payment are applied to accounts the following business day
Click Take a Payment button:
 
  1. Select the statement (if more than one statement)
     
    • When paying on two statements, only charge one fee 
       
  2. Enter full name of the caller
     
  3. Select payment amount
     
    • Total Balance
       
    • Total Past Due
       
    • Other - enter amount
       
  4. Choose the $9.95 agent assitance fee - negotiate a lower fee only when necessary
     
    • Former and Never Account statuses (pending install, i.e. deposits) do not incur an agent assistance fee 
       
    • Bulk Master - Category M agent assistance fees (all sites) are auto-waived (BOLT Message: Fee Not Allowable) 
       
    • Write off payments do not incur an agent assistance fee 
       
    • Fees for active, video customers in site 48, Seattle, WA (Marketing ID: Seattle) are auto-waived
       
    • All Digital West (Marketing ID: DIGWST)  fees are auto-waived

         
  5. Select Payment Source - Phone;  press Continue 
     
  6. Select Method of Payment:
     
    • Credit/Debit Card - you must speak to cardholder to verify you can charge the card:
       
      • If the card is not in the account, click NEW MOP and enter card info in the fields provided
         
      • If the credit/debit card information exists on the account:
         
        • Verify the credit card information with the customer
           
        • Update the expiration date as necessary
           
    • Checking Account / EFT
       
      • If there is no ACH Direct Debit information on the account, add it
         
      • To use an existing checking account on file:
         
        • Enter the last 4 digits of the account number
           
        • Enter the account holders name
           
      • To use an existing credit/debit card on file:
         
        • Enter the last 4 digits on the card
           
        • Enter expiration date in mmyy format
           
        • Enter the 3 or 4 digit Card Security on the back of the card
           
        • Enter the name as it appears on the debit card

          Note: If customer is using a debit card, select the type of card the customer has
           
  7.  Recite BOLT Message to the customer - this is required!
     
  8. Press Continue to charge the card
  1. Click on the Financial drop down menu; select Counter Cash
     
    • Enter 
      • If multiple statements, the Select Statement appears
         
      • Highlight the statement the customer is paying; must process a separate transaction for each statement
         
      • Click Select 
         
  2. The A/R Counter Cash Receipts screen displays: enter the payment amount
     
    • Do not use Service Category/AR Code fields - Only FS can use these fields
       
    • Determine the payment amount:
       
      • Include the agent assistance fee in the total
         
        • Write off payments do not charge a fee
           
        • Add the $9.95 agent assistance fee in ICOMS once payment is approved
           
        • Use adjustment code 01138 (PF mm/dd/yy $$) for Residential or 01338 (PF mm/dd/yy $$) for Business Service
           
        • Do not add minus at the end to charge the account 
           
        • Do not charge agent assistance fee to cable customers in Seattle, WA (Marketing ID "Seattle") or to any Digital West customer
           
    •  Enter the amount of the payment in both fields:
       
      • Amount to Apply 
         
      • Amount Tendered 
         
        • Do not use a minus sign before or after the dollar amount
           
  3. In the Method of Payment field, click the ? question mark
     
    • The Select Method of Payment Code screen appears. This field automatically populates with 12 -Visa 16
       
    • You can type over the existing number or Shift F4 to view other payment options
       
    • One time Payment - Highlight one of the following and click Select the appropriate MOP (Do not use 16)
       
    • Press Enter
       
      • Important:
         
        • Take a one-time payment through checking account only when the account has a valid preferred email address
           
      • On the Customer MOP Selection screen, click Add in left sidebar
         
        • If the customer is using the existing credit card or checking account on file, proceed to Step 4
           
        • If the customer is adding a NEW credit card or checking account, proceed to Step 1
           
      • Customer MOP Maintenance screen
         
        1. Verify the Cardholder - if the cardholder is not present, you cannot charge the card
           
        2. Complete the following for Credit Card Payments:
           
          • Enter through the Provider Number field
             
          • In the Account Number field, enter the card number
             
          • In the Account Title field, enter the name on the card
             
          • Enter the Expiration Date - must be 6 characters long
             
            • If expiration date is only 2 numbers, insert the last day of the month between the month and the year
               
            • Example - if expiration date is 11/07 enter 113007
               
        3. Complete the following for Checking Account Payments:
           
          • Type routing number in Provider Number; read it back to customer for verification
             
          • Type checking account number in the Account Number field; read it back to customer for verification
             
          • Choose Checking in Bank Account type (never choose Savings)
             
          • Press Enter
             
        4. Customer MOP Selection Screen 
           
          • Highlight the existing credit card or checking account information
             
          • Click Select; the last four digits appear preceded by X's and expiration date
             
          • Recite the following message to the customer - this is required:

            We are requesting your authorization today, x / x / 2022, to charge the amount of $xx.xx from your ________ (account) ending with xxxx. 
            This includes the agent assistance             fee of $x.xx.  At any time prior to the processing of this transaction, you may cancel this authorization by calling us back at:
             

          • California, Oregon Washington Residential: 1-800-427-8686
             
          • Grande TX Residential: 1-800-427-8686
             
          • enTouch TX Residential: 1-800-427-8686
             
          • DC Metro, IL, MA, NY and PA Residential: 1-800-427-8686
             
          • Digital West, CA Residential:  1-833-373-9378
             
          • Digital West Business and Enterprise: 1-888-781-9378
             
          • CA, OR and WA Business: 1-833-249-2786
             
          • CA, OR and WA Enterprise: 1-888-317-0488 
             
          • Grande TX Business: 1-833-249-2786
             
          • Grande TX Enterprise: 1-866-218-2255
             
          • enTouch TX Business: 1-833-249-2786
             
          • enTouch Enterprise: 1-866-218-2255
             
          • DC Metro, IL, MA, NY and PA Business: 1-833-249-2786
             
          • DC Metro, IL, MA, NY and PA Enterprise: 1-833-447-1090
             
          • Wholesale  all markets:  1-800-246-2455

             
        • Do I have your authorization to process this transaction?
           
          • If the customer says no, exit out of the payment process and note the account
             
  4. A/R Counter Case Receipts screen:
     
    • Click on Post / No Receipt in the left side bar
       
    • For credit cards, once Post is selected, the charge is placed in a hold
       
  5. MOP Authorization screen:
     
    • Highlight PHO - Over Phone; Click on Select
       
    • There may be a delay before the next screen appears
       
    • MOP Authorization Response screen:
       
      • Approved - authorization number displays in the Approval Code field.
         
    • Enter to lock in the payment:
       
      • If Declined - you will see Authorization has failed in the bottom left side of the screen
         
      • If Credit Card number is invalid, you will see Mod 10 or Mod 11 Check digit error
         
        • Re-verify the credit card number. If error continues, customer must provide another credit card
           
  6. Click Exit in the left sidebar.  The A/R Counter Cash Receipts screen re-appears 

    NOTE: If a customer hangs up or is disconnected and you have taken the payment, and you cannot verify amount and confirmation number with the customer, seek assistance from your supervisor or team lead so the customer can be contacted.  
     
    • Note the account with the payment amount and confirmation number
A Financial Note auto-generates on the Summary Tab with the below information:
 
  • Approved payment
     
  • Convenience Fee
     
  • Total Amt
     
  • Method of Payment
     
  • Auth#
     
    • Summarize the payment with the customer
       
    • Example: Approved Payment:$108.62 Convenience Fee - $6.95 Total Amt:$115.57 MASTERCARD #2318 Auth#:269113

Internal Information

Convenience Fees and Processing Times for all payment types

 


Article ID: 311
Created: February 2, 2024
Last Updated: February 15, 2024
Author: [shekhar.bhanot@teamhgs.com]

Online URL: https://agentx-astound-kb-qa.hgsdigital.com/article.php?id=311