K&H bankcard acceptance
our service allows fast and secure bankcard payments on POS terminals or online
- increase customer satisfaction and make your business more competitive
- boost customer interest with a bankcard payment option
- cut your cash management expenses
news, notifications, useful information
K&H Bank’s acquiring banking business line is facing considerable changes!
KBC Group’s Hungarian subsidiary, K&H Bank, and Czech subsidiary, ČSOB, are uniting forces. Having obtained the necessary regulatory permits, from the second half of 2020 K&H’s acquiring banking business line will continue as ČSOB’s Hungarian subsidiary under the name K&H Pénzforgalmi Szolgáltató Kft.
What you need to know:
The new arrangement will seek to synergise K&H’s client focus and ČSOB’s market-leader acquiring banking product range, further increasing the value created for our customers thanks to an extended range of services. Following the legal and business integration, the new subsidiary will establish market relationships with our customers, albeit still under the K&H brand name.
What you have to do:
K&H continues to provide acquiring banking services to its SME and business banking clients, for whom the integration will happen automatically. The service you receive will not change, and for the moment you do not have to do anything about your existing Payment Card Acceptance Contract with K&H Bank.
Why is all this happening?
The acquiring and card acceptance business is facing a need for far-reaching technological adaptation, which requires considerable investments by the Bank and its card acceptance partners alike. In order to be able, as we have been, to make the highest-quality value proposition to our partners and widen the range of products available to them in an efficient fashion, we must rely on our strengths existing within KBC Group.
About ČSOB and the cooperation
ČSOB is market leader in acquiring banking in its home market, the Czech Republic. By teaming up, both parties will see their competitiveness improve. This cooperation will open for us market segments that have been hitherto beyond our reach, allowing us to improve our service even further and retain our place among the leading providers.
The details of the partnership are being developed. We will keep you informed about the milestones as we go along that process.
Should you have any questions in connection with this information, please do not hesitate to contact the K&H Telecentre at +36/1/20/30/70/ 335 3355, or any of our branch, business banking or acquiring banking advisors through the usual channels of communication.
important information on downloading the POS software
Dear Client,
Please pay particular attention to enabling the download of the software update parameters on the POS terminal(s) provided to your store by K&H. For that, the POS terminal must be turned on and operative, i.e. it must be connected to the 230 V electricity network and the internet, and the portable terminal must be connected to the network charger. Please note that the General Contracting Terms and Conditions, which is an integral part of the Payment Card Acceptance Agreement, which states that:
“The Merchant shall be obliged to allow any software change or parameter modification initiated by the Bank. The Merchant shall also allow the Bank to perform software updates, bug fixings or other specific downloads at all POS terminals involved in payment card acceptance, based on the Bank's unilateral decision either through automated downloading in the IT system or through an implementation at the point of sale. If the Merchant fails to allow any of the downloads indicated above (e.g. terminates or otherwise prevents the download), then all risks arising from the failed download shall be borne by the Merchant, and accordingly the Merchant shall bear all adverse legal consequences of the failed download, and the Merchant shall – upon the Bank's request – pay to the Bank all expenses and damages incurred by the Bank as a result of the failed download.”
important note on a statutory requirement imposed on merchants
Dear Client,
As requested by the National Bank of Hungary, we are drawing your attention to the fact that pursuant to Section 36 (4) of Act LXXXV of 2009 on the on the pursuit of the business of payment services, merchants are prohibited from levying a surplus charge, cost or any other amount under any title whatsoever on their buyers using bank cards or any other means of electronic payment.
Our Bank regulates the above in its General Contracting Terms and Conditions, forming an inseparable part of the Payment Card Acceptance Agreement, as stated below:
„Merchants shall not give preference to any other means of payment over payment by card, and shall likewise not give preference to other cards over the cards falling in the Bank’s scope of card acquiring. Merchants shall ensure that cardholders paying by card are not exposed to any financial or other disadvantage, and shall offer their products and services to such buyers for the same price, or – in line with the information provided to cardholders prior to the issuance of the legal statement on the payment order – for a more favourable price, in the same quality and under the same selling conditions as the ones provided to buyers paying by cash. Merchants may not impose extra costs on cardholders and shall not set a value limit below or above which they refuse to accept cards as a means of payment. Recurring violation of the above rule may entail the suspension of the agreement by the Bank.”
Please inform all your colleagues participating in the implementation of payment card acceptance about the above.
Thank you for your cooperation.
information on the introduction of Strong Customer Authentication
History
Directive (EU) 2015/2366 of 25 November 2015 (Payment Services Directive 2 – PSD2) requires the use of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) from 14 September 2019 whenever a payment instrument issued within the European Economic Area is accepted.
The legislation applies to merchants using physical POS terminals as well as our merchant partners who have signed an agreement for the so-called POS bankcard acceptance service provided via online interfaces.
What is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)?
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is an extra security check in the course of bankcard payments and electronic payment transactions, as a result of which wherever the card purchase takes place, the transaction can only be authenticated by the person authorized to use the card, that is, the cardholder.
Strong Customer Authentication is being introduced for online card payments, contactless payments made in a physical environment and non-card-based electronic payment transactions (e.g. K&H Mobile Bank, iCsekk, Díjnet).
How will physical merchant locations and POS terminals be affected?
After 1 September 2019 there might be more occasions where the cardholder’s PIN will be needed even for a contactless payment not exceeding HUF 5,000. The reason is that in order to enhance security, card issuers will set additional limits in their systems for contactless payments as well, whereby over the HUF equivalent of EUR 150 and after every 5th contactless transaction the issuer may request the PIN to identify the cardholder.
If the value of a transaction exceeds the limit set by the issuers, our merchant partners will receive a reply message with code 96 during the transaction. In this case the transaction must be restarted by putting the card into a chip card reader (as with a traditional contact transaction), and the cardholder must provide their PIN.
In the case of chip cards, acceptance based on the magnetic stripe will end – in contrast to previous practice, where in the event of chip failure, merchants could accept the card by swiping the magnetic stripe.
What changes should be expected for online (virtual POS) traders?
- the method whereby the merchant registers the cardholder,
- the cardholder’s billing address,
- the cardholder’s e-mail address.
These data of the cardholder will enable the card issuing bank to decide whether to request Strong Customer Authentication from its cardholder during the transaction on a risk basis.
The bank’s system will need further developments in respect of online card payments so that we meet our statutory obligation. As a result of these developments our system will also be able to receive the cardholder data prescribed by law – data that were not transferred previously. The revised compatibility specification of the Payment Gateway will be published on our website.
When is Strong Customer Authentication expected to be introduced for online purchases?
The PSD2 requirements pertaining to online purchases – that is, virtual POS acceptance – will come into force on 14 September 2019, but the European Banking Authority (EBA) has allowed national authorities to give payment service providers, at their own discretion, time to prepare for the use of strong customer authentication in card payments in e-commerce transactions. The deadline modification does not apply to physical POS terminals.
In the summer of 2019 the National Bank of Hungary consulted Hungarian banks through the Hungarian Banking Association regarding the introduction of Strong Customer Authentication in relation to online purchases. Based on these consultations, the MNB granted another 12 months of preparation time – until September 2020 – for the introduction of Strong Customer Authentication in online purchases, and further discussions are expected in the future depending on consultations at a European level. K&H Bank continuously participates in industry discussions on Strong Customer Authentication used in e-commerce payments. K&H Bank will inform you as soon as possible about the exact introduction date of Strong Customer Authentication, the result of later consultations between the authorities and any other necessary detail.
details
types of cards accepted
types of bankcards settled by K&H Bank:
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MasterCard products (MasterCard, MasterCard Electronic, Maestro)
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VISA products (VISA, VISA Electron, VPay)
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JCB
types of bankcards accepted on K&H POS terminals and settled by another financial institution:
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American Express
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Diners Club
other cards accepted on K&H POS terminals and settled by a party other than K&H Bank:
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Erzsébet Voucher Plus Card
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cafeteria cards (e.g. First Hungarian Cafeteria Card, OTP Cafeteria Card)
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health fund cards
other cards accepted on K&H POS terminals and online payment interfaces (VPOS):
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Széchenyi Recreation Cards issued by any service provider (K&H, MKB, OTP)
POS terminals
We provide fixed countertop or portable POS terminals owned by K&H Bank – so the merchant does not have to buy them – and handle their repair and maintenance, or replace them when necessary.
In 2011 we introduced contactless card acceptance, making it possible to accept the products of both international card companies (VISA PayWave, MasterCard PayPass) for the first time in Hungary.
Our POS terminals comply with the card companies’ prevailing regulations and technical requirements.
communication
Communication that allows online transactions is an essential prerequisite for card acceptance. We support the following types of communication:
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broadband Internet based communication (for fixed countertop POS terminals)
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mobile Internet (GPRS) based communication (for fixed POS devices as well)
The merchant is responsible for selecting, installing and operating the communication channel and bears the related expenses, but upon request we can provide professional advice on creating the installation environment of POS terminals.
related services
The terminal installation company assigned by K&H Bank trains merchant staff in POS terminal operation and basic troubleshooting.
K&H Bank provides merchant locations with the supplies required for acceptance, while the representatives of our sales network is in continuous contact with the merchants. We also operate a 24/7 call center for our partners to ensure uninterrupted acceptance.
K&H Bank provides the following services in relation to the product
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assistance with creating the installation environment
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providing stores with the initial supplies of bankcard acceptance, logos, user manuals, etc. (The merchant provides and bears the expenses of consumables, that is, paper rolls.)
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24/7 call center
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providing POS terminals
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installing POS terminals, troubleshooting
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settlement of bankcard transactions
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handling complaints
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providing account statements
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continuous contact with merchant locations
settlement and crediting of bankcard transactions
We offer our merchant partners the settlement of bankcard transactions in three different currencies (HUF, EUR, USD).
Transaction amounts are sent to the merchant’s account maintained with any Hungarian bank within T+2 banking days upon receipt of the electronic data from the POS terminals.
We also send a detailed statement of the amounts transferred, which can also be in the form of an authenticated electronic statement upon request. K&H offers its clients an e-post service, an interface where – following appropriate secure identification – card turnover statements can be accessed and retrieved electronically at any time if necessary, even in the form of a txt file suitable for further processing.
conditions of bankcard acceptance
In line with international practice, the Bank charges commission for handling the bankcard acceptance service; the commission is based on the turnover data provided.
special services for hotels and car rental companies
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If the customer orders a service (e.g. hotel reservation, car rental) where the exact final amount is not known in advance, we make it possible to request pre-authorization. The customer’s account is not charged, only the amount specified is separated, reserved on the account . This separated amount cannot be accessed by the cardholder until the merchant completes or cancels the pre-authorization.
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The MasterCard transaction identifier (Trace ID) introduced in 2015 simplifies the handling of pre-authorizations by assigning a unique identification number to the payment transaction linked to the same event (e.g. in the event of a hotel stay or car rental). Its greatest benefit is that every pre-authorization and linked transaction is executed online – that is, immediately – and if a transaction is cancelled, a customer copy of the receipt is also printed, which reduces the number of customer complaints with regard to amounts not released.
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We can also set up the terminals to process sales with tips, which constitutes a benefit with respect to the settlement of hotel and restaurant transactions, regardless of whether the customer indicates their intention to tip in advance or only subsequently.
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We also offer card acceptance without the physical presence of the card (MO/TO) or through the merchant’s website (virtual POS).
dynamic currency conversion (DCC)
Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) is an innovative service that allows the cardholders of bankcards issued abroad to pay in their own currency on K&H POS terminals.
The merchant still receives the transaction amount in forints. The amount charged to the cardholder’s account later, however, is the exact foreign currency amount displayed by the POS terminal at the time of payment. This makes card usage in Hungary completely transparent for foreign cardholders, improving their sense of comfort and security, since they can use their cards in Hungary in the same way as they do at home.
The POS terminal automatically recognizes if DCC is possible with a card issued abroad that is being used for payment, and automatically offers the cardholder the choice to pay in forints or in their own currency.
The service also allows the merchant to cut costs related to bankcard payments, as K&H Bank grants a preference off the transaction commission charged on such transactions.
online card acceptance
Our virtual POS (VPOS) service is recommended to merchants who operate webshops, selling their products or services online, and want to offer a secure bankcard payment option for their customers. Internet commerce is the most dynamically growing segment, something that companies striving for success cannot miss out on, and our partners can rely on K&H Bank in this regard as well.
The system used by K&H Bank is the most popular in the world. The service is characterized by a high level of security, where all transaction participants (merchant, customer, bank) only obtain the information they need to know.
features that make the system unique and outstanding
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high-level security solutions based on card company standards
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clear architecture, safe operation
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available in 15 languages
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acceptance is settled in three currencies (HUF, USD, EUR)
The security of the parties involved in bankcard transactions is guaranteed by the so-called Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode, online security codes introduced by the international card companies and employed by K&H Bank. The solution means that the cardholders must also give a password or their identification code on the Bank’s payment interface – provided that they have received it from the issuing bank – which practically eliminates the possibility of fraud.
If the acquiring bank has Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode authentication, neither the cardholder nor the issuing bank can question the authenticity of the transaction. A complaint may only be filed if the product or service ordered is not delivered.
The goods return transaction type offered by the system makes it unique in Hungary. If the merchant is unable to deliver the product and/or service, they use their digital signature to authenticate the request for the cancellation (reversal) of the given transaction. This request appears in the merchant’s settlement statement as a return transaction, so the transaction amount is transferred back to the cardholder’s account.
The payment interface also has a version optimized for smartphones.
K&H Bank also provides support for the introduction of the VPOS service:
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documentation for connecting the online store to the payment interface
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professional consultation in the event of technical questions regarding connection
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testing before going live
A payment account maintained with K&H Bank is a precondition for entering into a VPOS agreement.
