Does anyone else use IATS for your EFT Credit Card processing?

Do you have problems with the fact that the charge comes through initially as TM Charity and not the name of your organization? We have donors with high security cards calling questinging if the charge was from us because their bank called them with suspicious activity. Apparently it changes over to your organization name within 24-48 hours and shows on their statement as your organization but not initially when the donor gets the call from their bank. UGH

Is this a problem for other organizations? Melissa S. Graves
Manager, Development Database & Direct Mail
Planned Parenthood of Connecticut
[Email Removed]
203-752-2804

Yes. It happens to us and we have had several credit cards rejected because of it. It is very frustrating to us to have to contact donors and ask them to call their bank to authorize the charge. Sherry Donaldson Shoreline Christian Center, Austin, TX

We are just in the process of signing up with IATS and I'm glad to have found this out. What I plan to do is send an initial acknowledgment letter when contributors sign up for EFT giving and advise them of this. Jan Lane Manager, Database Administration McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts Palm Desert, CA

It is not just EFT but any credit card contribution. We can't let all of our donors know this before we run each credit card gift. We don't know what to do. Some of our staff think it is a PR nightmare to have our major donors get a credit card security alert each time they make a donation to us. I don't know what to do. I may put somehing on our NetDonors page for those charges but I don't know what to do with replies to appeals from people who want their card charged. Melissa S. Graves Manager, Development Database & Direct Mail Planned Parenthood of Connecticut [Email Removed] 203-752-2804

Just a thought . . . Back when our credit cards were processed through our resale shop, we had a special thank you letter (as part of our automated process) that explained the situation and told people that their statement would show a charge from Twice As Nice, not Hope Hospice. Denise Stengl Hope Hospice Fort Myers, FL [Email Removed]

Hi, Is this the case with just IATs and the optional modules, or does it also occur when authorizing cc through batch even if an org doesn't have the Net Solutions and EFT optional modules (like us)? We just switched over from ICV, and I sure would like to know because I DO NOT want to alienate our donors in any way whatsoever. Deborah Deborah Breitbach Donor Relations and Services Hospice of Marin Foundation [Email Removed] (415) 927-5892

I may be wrong but I think you have to have EFT to process credit cards through batch. You may have it and not know it. It happens to us any time we use IATS in any way, shape, or form. Melissa S. Graves Manager, Development Database & Direct Mail Planned Parenthood of Connecticut [Email Removed] 203-752-2804

Hi,

No, you don't need to have EFT to process cc through RE--a well-kept secret, but true none-the-less.

We too originally thought EFT was necessary for just cc donations, but through research, we discovered it isn't and Blackbaud and IATS can confirmed. However, EFT is necessary for direct deposit, etc....

Deborah Deborah Breitbach
Donor Relations and Services
Hospice of Marin Foundation
[Email Removed]
(415) 927-5892

You're flipping kidding me. So we were sold a module we didn't need. Melissa S. Graves Manager, Development Database & Direct Mail Planned Parenthood of Connecticut [Email Removed] 203-752-2804

We didn't purchase that module for that reason.

Don't know if you were sold a module you don't need. Do you do direct deposit with your donors? If you do, you need EFT. And, if you're using Net Solutions, it may require you to also have EFT--haven't done the research on that one.... Deborah Deborah Breitbach Donor Relations and Services Hospice of Marin Foundation [Email Removed] (415) 927-5892

We were using NetSolutions with Verisign for online donations for past year and have just switched to NetSolutions with IATS due to cost increase. Sorry to sound uninformed, but what is EFT? Thanks, Janet

Our organization is in the process of setting up our account with IATS. We don't have EFT yet. What's all this about being able to process credit cards without RE:EFT??!! Would anyone like to share some details about that? They'd be much appreciated! [Email Removed] Robbie L Raiser's Edge Guru-In-Training

You can process hard currency or credit card recurring gifts without the EFT module.
The advantage of having the EFT module is that it will automatically create a batch for recurring gifts and, if you have IATS, the credit card will be authorized and settled automatically. Otherwise, you will need to do all of this manually.
The EFT module is required for direct debits which creates the transmission file required to send the transactions to your organization's bank. Jan Lane
Manager, Database Administration
McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts
Palm Desert, CA

As an update to this discussion on IATS. IATS is in the process of changing the name on their merchant account to just be the 2 charachters TM (for TicketMaster) and then dynamically change the remainder of the name to your organization name. It is a bit of a technical challenge but one they think they can do within the next 2-4 weeks! My complaints prompted a change - how wonderful! (patting myself on the back) Melissa S. Graves Manager, Development Database & Direct Mail Planned Parenthood of Connecticut [Email Removed] 203-752-2804