So, you’ve finally set up your merchant account and the various payment terminals your business needs to accommodate clients through online and offline storefronts. While the bulk of the struggle might be behind you, there are still a variety of roadblocks waiting to give you headaches as you move along. The most annoying? Payment processing errors.
Happening both on and offline, payment processing errors can happen for any number of reasons. And while the error code displayed on the terminal or gateway might seem like an absolute riddle to you, it does come with a sound explanation. In this guide, we’re talking about the ‘invalid merchant ID’ error — one of the few you can resolve on the merchant’s end.
A payment processing error flashing across the front of your gateway or terminal often results from a problem on the buyer’s end. Most payment processing errors point to the issuing bank as the problem. And in this case, there’s nothing you can do to resolve the matter.
If a buyer gets the same error multiple times, you can tell them to contact the 1-800 number on the back of their card. However, if the error code points to the merchant as the issue, you might find that the problem falls within your jurisdiction.
To tell if the error is coming from your end and not the buyer’s end, here are a few things you can watch out for:
If that’s the case, you can incur that the problem lies on your side of the transaction. In some instances, you might be able to resolve the issue by checking with your merchant-acquiring bank.
Now, look right into the ‘invalid merchant ID’ error. It’s telling you that there’s a problem with your merchant ID. But what is that exactly? A merchant ID is an identifier that tells issuers where to send the payment from the buyer’s account. A business can have multiple merchant IDs; all registered under one merchant account ID.
To put things into perspective, you can think of your merchant account ID as your business’s unique identifier. All of the payment terminals and gateways get their merchant ID number. This makes it possible for issuing banks to disburse funds into your account accurately.
Just like your address, mobile phone number, email address, or fingerprint, no other business will have your merchant ID number. So when a problem happens with your merchant ID number, banks automatically know that the error relates to your specific business or merchant account.
You get a merchant ID when you apply for your merchant account in the first place. Anyone who successfully sets up a merchant account will automatically get a computer-generated merchant ID designated to their account. One business can have multiple merchant ID numbers designated to each branch or online outlet they have.
The merchant ID number isn’t listed in a database that you can access. Acquiring banks try to keep this information guarded since it’s considered sensitive. However, there are a few places where you might be able to find your merchant ID number. These include:
This is an error message that your buyers might receive when attempting to pay with a debit or credit card on or offline. After the ‘Checking…’ message, instead of getting the payment processed and the receipt printed, the terminal flashes the error ‘Merchant ID Error.’
This will prevent buyers from paying for their purchase with a debit or credit card and may happen consistently for all your buyers attempting to use the same payment method. The reasons for this error include:
However, you should be able to tell if the issue involves improper linking. If it’s the first time you accept credit or debit card payments with your terminal or gateway, you get this error. It will also likely be a problem if you recently changed payment processors or merchant-acquiring banks.
If you’re looking to process credit and debit card payments from issuers other than Visa and Mastercard, you may have to reach out to your acquirer and ask them to configure your terminal. They’re not likely to charge a fee since it should be included in the package. It’s just that they don’t all configure the payment terminal for certain cards during setup.
On a similar note, if you just recently propped up your merchant account and payment processing facilities, you might use a trial version that providers hand out to help you familiarize yourself with the system. Make sure you contact your provider and let them know you’re ready for the real deal so they can set up the software for your business.
Ask your bank about any ongoing maintenance that might affect digital payment terminals for credit and debit cards. Don’t count on it, though — this could theoretically be a reason for the error, but again, it will not be likely.
Whatever the case, the best way to resolve any of these reasons would be to call your acquirer. They will always have the answer as to why you’re getting the error message. The sooner you resolve the issue, the sooner you should be able to continue taking payments.
Error messages like these when collecting payments can be a real headscratcher and a significant source of stress and anxiety for business owners. Nonetheless, there’s always a solution. So the next time you get slapped with an error, keep your cool and contact your acquirer. As long as you’re confident that your business is in good standing, you should be able to resolve the matter in no time.
