Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do I need to do to get started?
A: You need to have an Internet Merchant Account with an Australian bank which offers online merchant services. You will find helpful information in our How to Apply section or you can Contact Us directly if you require more information.

Q: I already have a Merchant Account - Is this all I need to accept card payments from my website?
A: You will need to confirm with your bank that your Merchant Account is enabled to take payments via the internet. In other words, your Merchant Account must be the type of account which is specifically used to accept "e-commerce/electronic" payments.

Q: What credit cards are accepted by the SCNet iPayBy Payment Gateway?
A: All SCNet iPayBy products can accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club.

Q: Are there any other setup costs, fees or hidden charges?
A: No, No and No. SCNet do not charge any other fees whatsoever, EVEN for AMEX and DINERS setup. If you exceed your free transaction limit then we will charge you at the package rate for the extra transactions.

Q: Your rates seem so low compared to others - What's the catch?
A: There is no catch. Our customers include some of the biggest companies in Australia which means we have very high transaction volumes enabling us to obtain very low transaction rates which we pass on to you!

Q: How long does it take to apply and get online?
A: Once you have your Internet Merchant Account and have provided us the Merchant ID it only takes minutes to get you online and ready to process credit card transactions. So, why not Apply Now? If you don't have your Merchant ID yet, that's okay!

Q: What shopping carts and languages do you support?
A: We support Zen Cart, osCommerce and Magento, the most popular, but if you are using another shopping cart, let us know - it's easy for us to incorporate SCNet iPayBy into any shopping cart! We also have a simple HTTP based API which can be used with ANY product on the market. Our Web Services API and XML Payment Servlet can also be used with any shopping cart.

Q: When do I receive my money from a transaction?
A: Generally transactions are settled on the same day, depending on the bank. The funds are deposited straight into your nominated merchant account.

Q: I don't have an SSL certificate - Can I still use SCNet iPayBy as a payment page host?
A: Yes - The iPayBy Secure Hosted Payment Page is provided with all our products at no additional cost.

Q: I want to put my own logo and messages on my hosted payment page - Can I do this?
A: Yes, a very easy-to-follow manual makes it child's play to customise your own payment page.

Q: Can I run my own server? I have my own SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate.
A: Yes you can. SCNet give you licence to run our server on your own platform at no extra cost.

Q: I want to take ad-hoc payments over the phone too?
A: No problem - we have a "virtual" EFTPOS facility, the iPayby Virtual Payment Terminal, to take ad-hoc payments. This facility is also provided with all our products at no additional cost.

Q: I have recurring (periodic) transactions - Can I automatically deduct payments from my customers?
A: Yes you can, provided that your customers have authorised you to do this. We provide a comprehensive system for batch or recurring transactions which comes standard with all our products (except iPayBy Starter) at no additional cost.

Q: I need to process "batch transactions" - Do you support this?
A: Yes we do. All iPayBy products (except iPayBy Starter) have Batching XML file support which is very easy to script and is provided at no additional cost.

Q: Oops, my customer made a payment by mistake! Can I reverse it?
A: Yes, our "unique" one click refund and reversal option, which is available via the iPayBy Administration Portal, makes it very easy to reverse incorrect payments or refund customers for returned goods. And you don't even need to know your customer's credit card details to do so. This facility is available with all iPayBy products and is provided at no extra cost.

Q: I want to send out TAX INVOICES to my customers automatically so that I do not need follow up with invoices manually?
A: A very easy ABN option is supplied. Your customers will be emailed an Australian TAX INVOICE with your ABN and GST calculated automatically.

Q: Can I send a receipt email to both my customers and myself (or an Administrator) with all transaction details?
A: Yes you can. You can pass email addresses, phone numbers, street addresses, items purchased and more. Both you (or the Adminstrator) and your customer will receive an email detailing exactly what was ordered.

Q: Am I able to accept transactions from outside Australia?
A: Yes you can. As when anyone travels overseas and uses their credit card to make purchases and pay for services, so can they use their credit card to make payments via iPayBy product. The transaction will be effected in Australian Dollars and he foreign currency conversion will then be handled by the customer's bank.

Q: I'm worried about fraud, can I perform a check on every transaction before it is processed?
A: Yes you can, if you have elected to use iPayBy AntiFraud. This facility allows you to set up the checks and balances the system does so that any transaction captured is scrutinised according to those security parameters. Once you are happy with the transaction you can "process" the transaction, with one click, and at that point the transaction will presented real time for processing.

Q: Do I have to use the CVC with your facility?
A: Yes you do in most cases. And in the future the banks will mandate it.

Q: Can I take EFTPOS transactions from savings accounts?
A: For security reasons, Australian banks do not allow this as a PIN needs to be provided. However, all Credit Cards are supported.

Q: Do I need my "swipe" terminal now? It costs me over $50 a month to rent.
A: You can save the rent fees now, you have a better and easier product to use!