InkSoft Payments General FAQ

Note: The information in this FAQ pertains only to U.S.-based subscribers. Non-U.S.-based subscribers will need to process payments through Stripe. Please email us to learn how to set up payment acceptance in InkSoft if you are a subscriber based outside of the US.

With a few simple clicks, InkSoft's payment system easily allows users to collect payments and refund their customers - partially and fully when necessary. InkSoft will also make daily deposits into your registered bank account.

This FAQ covers: 

• Accepted payment types 
• Where to set up your payments
• Information needed for the merchant application
• Merchant application statuses
• Website and authorization requirements
• Setting Up and Required Information
• Deposits and Refunds
• Exception Items, Chargebacks, Disputes, and Retrieval Requests

Accepted payment type

InkSoft's embedded payment system allows for online payment acceptance for all major credit cards. (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), as well as ACH Payments. 

Where to set up your payments

To activate the ability to collect payments and process refunds through the embedded payments platform in InkSoft, locate Payments in the side-navigation panel on the left. Next, fill out the embedded payments sign-up form to kick off the process.

Click "Set Up Payments" to fill out the merchant application.

Should you need to resubmit an application, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or Support! We are here to help!

Information needed for the merchant application

The application is divided into:

• Business Details
• User Account Details
• Business Owners
• Bank Account Details
• Review & Submit

The information required for the application will vary slightly depending on your incorporation type:

• Sole Proprietor with Employees
• Sole Proprietor without Employees
• Corp, LLC, Partner, Government
• Nonprofit

Click here to review the application for Payments!

Merchant application statuses

Upon completion of the merchant application, you'll either be instantly approved, in which case you can request payments immediately or, your application will require a review. Any review requested typically takes 1-3 business days to complete. 

With either status, you’ll get an email notification and an icon in your account: 

Instantly Approved:

Under Review: 

Website and authorization requirements

Merchants accepting online payments need to ensure their website meets minimal requirements as outlined by the card brands. These requirements include a complete description of goods and services provided, your customer service information including country of origin, refund policy, privacy policy, secure checkout policy, and a delivery policy.

Required website information
The website listed must include:

• a contact page on your site that includes a physical or mailing address and your country of origin
• a phone number cardholders can call with questions, and be sure this number is answered as the name of your organization.
• refund, cancellation, and delivery policies on the site.

Your InkSoft software can help you meet these requirements using the corresponding fields and/or the Terms and Conditions field within the settings for each store!

Note: The secure checkout and privacy policies are automatically populated and cannot be customized.

Refund policy (with sample)
The purpose of a refund policy is to explain how you handle returns, refunds, and exchanges. You should include this information on the product, invoice page, or checkout.

Sample language if providing goods or services: If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, you may either return your order for a full refund or exchange it. You can return or exchange your purchase for up to 14 days. Returned or exchanged products must be in the condition they were received. Some customized products may not be eligible for a refund. Please contact us to request your refund.

Delivery policy
If you are not shipping products, a delivery policy isn’t necessary. However, if you are shipping products to your customers, you must include a delivery policy.  The policy should answer questions customers want to know. 

For example: By what means will the product be delivered? When should they expect to receive the delivery? Are signatures required as part of delivery? How much are the delivery costs?

Your website must be equipped with the requirements and policies outlined by the card brands. By clearly stating your company’s policies and procedures, you set expectations for your patrons and protect your business. 

Sample Policy: All orders ship within 48 hours, Monday – Friday. The shipping provider provides information and a tracking number when the product has shipped. Shipping rates are based on the weight of the product and your location. Orders exceeding $10,000 require a signature. If you have any questions about your shipment, please contact us with your inquiries at the information listed on our website.

Secure checkout policy
A secure checkout policy provides customers with the security capabilities and policies for the transmission of their payment account data.

Note: The secure checkout and privacy policies are automatically populated and cannot be customized, as InkSoft hosts the checkout experience on your behalf.

The following is our Secure Checkout Policy:
When you place orders on our websites or through our mobile applications, all of your order information, including your credit card number and delivery address, is transmitted through the internet using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. SSL technology causes your browser to encrypt your order information before sending it to our secure server. SSL technology prevents someone other than operators of our websites from capturing and viewing your personal information.

While we use industry-standard means to protect our websites and your information, the internet is not 100% secure. The measures we use are appropriate for the type of information we collect. We cannot promise that your use of our websites or mobile applications will be completely safe. We encourage you to use caution when using the internet.

Privacy policy
The purpose of a privacy policy is to show your customers that your business takes privacy seriously. Since many companies have online stores that collect user information, it's vital to let these users know how you will collect, use, and protect their data.

Note: The secure checkout and privacy policies are automatically populated and cannot be customized, as InkSoft hosts the checkout experience on your behalf.

The following is our Privacy policy for the checkout experience:

We value and respect the privacy of our customers. While operating our business and interacting with you, we collect, use, and share personal information to process and fulfill your orders. To learn more about how data relating to your orders is collected, used, and shared, and to see the choices and rights available regarding your personal information, please visit: https://www.inksoft.com/privacy/

Setting Up and Required Information

Who can collect payment in InkSoft?
All InkSoft subscribers can collect payment through InkSoft. However, the embedded Inksoft Payments system for payment, refund, and deposit is available only to subscribers in the United States. For subscribers based outside of the United States, email us at success@inksoft.com for help setting up payment processing in your account.

Can I collect payment in InkSoft if I'm outside the United States?

Currently, we don't offer international payments. If you are an international customer, you must remain on Stripe. Please email us at success@inksoft.com if you need help setting up your Stripe account.

Why collect payment in InkSoft?

Collecting payment in InkSoft is the best way to centralize your systems and streamline your workflow. Payment collection in InkSoft allows you to:

• Accept all major credit cards, as well as ACH, with fast and reliable processing
• Issue partial and full refunds
• View your deposits
• Export sales data into QuickBooks Online

Can I trust InkSoft’s embedded payment solution?
InkSoft’s embedded payments is powered by Payrix, an FIS company– the leading global provider of technology solutions for merchants, banks, and capital markets firms.

We understand that payment processing is essential to your business, and security and privacy are important to us. Our embedded payments solution utilizes a variety of security measures and industry-standard best practices to securely process payments & protect you and your customers.

All supplied credit card information is transmitted via Transport Layer Security(TLS), the most up-to-date and secure version of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. We do not store any credit card data. Like any payment processor, all data is encrypted to ensure compliance with data protection regulations, such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

What is PCI?

PCI stands for Payment Card Industry. Click here to learn more about PCI and Data Security Standards (“DSS”).

Can I use my own/an outside payment processor?
While you may use outside payment processors to conduct your business, users must manually log any payments or refunds taken outside of InkSoft into the platform to manage paid and unpaid quotes and invoices within your InkSoft account. The intent of setting up an outside processor would typically be for applications like allowing check/cash payments at your shop. 

InkSoft’s platform experience features payment processing embedded directly into your workflow. Put another way, payment processing connected through InkSoft will allow your customers to pay you directly through their quotes/invoices. Shops can also process both full and partial refunds and view their deposits directly from InkSoft. This feature provides a superior customer experience and reliable funding.

What if I am under contract with another payment processor?

Please reach out to your account manager or email us at success@inksoft.com to discuss the specifics of your account and how we can accommodate you.

Who can manage payments and refunds in InkSoft?

Users can manage payments and refunds in InkSoft depending on their permissions set up under Dashboard > Settings > Contact & Admin Accounts > Set permissions per admin account.

As of this writing, four specific user permissions pertain to payments and refunds:

• Can view analytics, and payments/expenses
• Can create payments/expenses
• Can delete payments/expenses
• Can issue payment refunds

Am I able to issue Refunds in InkSoft?

Yes, of course! Transactions in InkSoft Payments will have options to either Void a “Processing” transaction or to Refund a “Successful” transaction. Head here to learn how to issue refunds!

What if my bank is not listed under the auto-link option via Plaid?

No problem! Plaid connects to most, but not all, banks. If your bank is not listed under the Plaid integration, simply use the “Enter Bank Info Manually” option to connect your account. You will also need to provide/upload a copy of your voided check with your account submission. If you do not have a check, you can use either:

• a bank statement, must include routing number and account number, cannot be more than 60 days old 
• a  Bank Verification Letter showing the following: bank's name, phone number, routing number, new bank account number, and the business name on bank letter head

Why are my DOB and SSN required?

The Beneficial Ownership is a new rule from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), under the Bank Secrecy Act, that requires companies, such as InkSoft, to collect and verify specific information, including social security number, from controlling owners of the entity at the time a new account is opened. The intent of this rule is to assist in the government’s effort to prevent financial crimes.

How do I make changes to my account (for example: update my bank account information, change of address, etc.)?

To change your bank account or deposit notification emails, you can do that on the Preferences tab of Payments! Head here to learn how to do so.

Please note, in changing your bank account, you will be asked to submit either a void check, bank statement, or bank verification as listed above during the change. 

How do I update my Legal Tax ID Number or add/edit ownership on their accounts?

Please contact a member of our team at success@inksoft.com so we can assist you with setting up a new account.

Deposits and Refunds

When will I receive my first deposit?

Once you’ve received your approval message and corresponding approval email, you are ready to begin accepting payments with InkSoft. You will receive daily deposits of eligible transactions. Please allow 2-3 banking days for card payments, and 3-5 days for ACH payments.  

How often will I receive deposits?

Transactions that are ready for deposit are deposited daily by default. The Next Withdrawal Date listed on the Dashboard of the Payments Portal ( paymentsportal.inksoft.com) is the date the funds will be sent to your account, and you should see the funds the next business day, when your bank typically posts credits to your account.

While we support daily deposits, please note that funds can only be deposited to your account on banking days, meaning activities processed Friday evening through Sunday are considered “Monday.”

If you require a different deposit cadence (e.g., weekly instead of daily), please contact us at support@inksoft.com. 

How do I understand my deposit?

Cards are settled and deposited in 2-3 banking days from the transaction date.
ACH Payments are settled and deposited in 3-5 banking days from the transaction date.

Please note: Transactions made after 9:30 p.m. EST are considered the following day. By default, any fees due for that day are automatically netted from the deposit to your account. These fees may include exception items from a previous day’s activities.

Exception Items, Chargebacks, Disputes, and Retrieval Requests

What is an exception item?

An exception is anything that occurs outside of the typical timeframes and processes. These include Disputes. Your account will be debited for the exception handling fee when an exception occurs. Disputes are assessed at $20 per occurrence. These fees are in addition to the debit for the original entry total.

What are disputes, and how do I respond to them?
There are several phases included in the dispute process. Click here to jump to review disputes, and how to handle them.

What is a chargeback?
A chargeback occurs when a cardholder disputes a charge on their card statement. It results in the reversal of the original transaction amount. Cardholders can dispute chargebacks for numerous reasons, including:

• Not as described: where the cardholder claims to have never received the goods, or the goods were materially different from their expectations.
• Not recognized: where the cardholder has no recollection of what a charge in their bank statement relates to.
• Fraud: where the cardholder claims they did not authorize the purchase (e.g., their card information was stolen and used fraudulently).
• Admin error: such as duplicate billing, incorrect amount billed, or a refund that was promised but never received.

Chargebacks protect the consumer and help provide trust to consumers to use their cards in the marketplace. If their card is lost or stolen, they can dispute the charge and be made whole for purchases they did not authorize. For this reason, the burden of proof falls to you, the Merchant.

How do I prevent Chargebacks?

There is no silver bullet to winning a Chargeback case. However, there are a few best practices for increasing your chances of successfully refuting disputes. 

1. Make sure the name displayed on your cardholder’s statement is the name they will easily associate with your company. Often disputes occur because consumers are confused about where the charge originated. Abbreviations of your name may be a no-brainer to you, but your cardholders may not recognize it.
2. Make sure your customers know how to reach you. Include your customer service phone number, email address, and mailing address wherever possible. InkSoft Admins can set the default information from the settings tab on the Dashboard or customize the information store by store.
3. Whether you are selling products or providing services, make sure your refund policy is clearly stated on your site and readily available upon request. 
4. Keep cardholder signatures on file. For online transactions, an approval response from an emailed InkSoft proposal can sometimes suffice for a virtual signature.
5. When selling products, retain your invoices for goods shipped and require a signature for delivery.
6. When proactively issue refunds when a cardholder requests a refund, and handle refunds promptly whenever possible.
7. If you receive a Chargeback request, respond quickly. There are numerous reasons for a Chargeback; each may require various supporting documentation. Read the request carefully and respond accordingly.