Tips and Tricks: Electronically Process your Direct Debits with IATS Integration

Kevin Brunson — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:40:00 GMT

EFT, or Electronic Funds Transfer, is the banking system by which transactions, such as deposits or bill payments, are made through computer databases. The process takes place electronically and requires minimal paperwork; all or most paperwork and bookkeeping is done online.

If your organization has the EFT module, you can use a new integration with IATS to electronically process direct debit transactions directly from The Raiser’s Edge. This works like the current IATS integration for credit card processing. With direct debit integration you receive rejection codes for direct debit gifts that are incorrectly formatted (for example ‘Wrong Format’ if a bank account number is missing). You can then correct any issues and process the direct debit again rather than waiting several days to hear about the rejection from your bank. You won’t receive authorization codes in your batch, but you will be able to log into your IATS account and view direct debit gifts as they are processed. With IATS direct debit integration you’ll no longer have to export your EFT direct debit transmission file and manually transfer it to your bank by FTP, email, or other less secure means.

To use the new IATS direct debit integration, you’ll need to be on The Raiser’s Edge 7.85 patch 6 or higher. To download this version, go to our Downloads page. Next, you’ll need an IATS direct debit account. If you don’t have an IATS direct debit account email reprocessing@ticketmaster.ca or call 1.866.300.4287.

Once you have your IATS direct debit account, you'll be ready to enter your gifts into batch or automatically generate transactions. After your gifts are entered in batch, select Tools, Create EFT Transmission Files on the batch data entry screen. Under Direct Debit Transmission File, mark the Create direct debit file checkbox and select IATS. In the Account drop-down, select your appropriate IATS account. In the Control Report field, select the option to Create control report and mark Print or Preview. Click Create Now.

If you use IATS direct debit integration to process your direct debit donations, leave a comment letting other organizations know how you use this feature.

The User's Edge : direct debit

Tips and Tricks: Electronically Process your Direct Debits with IATS Integration