Terms & Conditions

2.1 Honoring Cards. Merchant will accept all valid Cards when properly presented by Cardholders in payment for goods or services, subject to applicable Card Association rules requiring Merchant to elect whether it will accept credit only, debit only or both debit and credit Cards. Merchant’s election is set forth in the Application. Merchant may not establish minimum or maximum amounts for Card sales as a condition for accepting any Card. Merchant may not require any Cardholder to pay as a surcharge any part of any discount or charge imposed upon Merchant by this Agreement, whether through any increase in price or otherwise require a Cardholder to pay any charge or price as a condition of sale that is not also required from a customer paying cash. However, Merchant may not, by this term, be prevented from offering discounts to Cardholders for cash purchases. Merchant may not engage in a Transaction (other than a mail, Internet, telephone order, or preauthorized sale to the extent permitted under this Agreement) if the person seeking to charge the purchase to his or her Card account does not present the Card to permit Merchant to compare the signature on the Card to the signature on the Sales Draft and obtain an Imprint or otherwise use the physical Card to complete the Transaction.•

2.2 Advertising. Merchant will prominently display the promotional materials provided by Settlor in its place(s) of business. Merchant’s use of promotional materials and use of any trade name, trademark, service mark or logo type (“Marks”) associated with a Card is limited to informing the public that the Card will be accepted at Merchant’s place(s) of business. Merchant’s use of promotional materials and Marks is subject to Settlor’s direction. Merchant may use promotional materials and Marks only during the term of this Agreement and will immediately cease use and return any inventory to Settlor upon termination thereof. Merchant may not use any promotional materials or Marks associated with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover in any way which suggests or implies that either endorses any goods or services other than Bank Card services.

2.3 Card Acceptance. When accepting a Card, Merchant will follow the steps provided by Settlor for accepting Cards and will: (a) Determine in good faith and to the best of its ability that the Card is valid on its face; (b) obtain Authorization from the Card Issuer to charge the Cardholder’s account; (c) unless the Sales Draft is electronically generated or is the result of a mail, Internet, phone or preauthorized order, (i) obtain an Imprint of the Card including embossed data from the merchant imprinter plate; and (ii) obtain the Cardholder’s signature on the Sales Draft and compare that signature to the signature on the Card; (d) enter a description of the goods or services sold and the price thereof (including any applicable taxes); (e) deliver a true and completed copy of the Sales Draft to the Cardholder at the time the goods are delivered or services performed, or, if the Sales Draft is prepared by a point-of-sale terminal, at the time of the sale; (f) offer the Sales Draft to Settlor for purchase according to Settlor’s procedures and the terms of this Agreement; and (g) make a Card Imprint, if the Transaction is not based upon a mail, Internet, phone or pre-authorized order.

2.4 Authorization. Merchant will obtain an Authorization for all Card sales. If Merchant cannot, for any reason, obtain an electronic Authorization through the use of a terminal, Merchant will request a Voice Authorization from Settlor’s designated authorization center and will legibly print the authorization number on the Sales Draft. Merchant will not obtain or attempt to obtain authorization from Settlor’s authorization center unless Merchant intends to submit to Settlor a Transaction for the authorized amount if Authorization for the Transaction is given. Merchant may not divide a single Transaction between two or more Sales Drafts on a single Card to avoid Authorization limits that may be set by the Card Issuer. Merchant acknowledges that an Authorization provides only that the Cardholder account has sufficient credit available to cover the amount of the current sale and that an Authorization is not a guarantee that the Transaction will not be subject to dispute or Chargeback and does not warranty the Cardholder’s identity. Merchant may not attempt to obtain an authorization by successively decreasing the sale amount. Settlor may refuse to purchase or process any Sales Draft presented by Merchant: (a) unless a proper authorization or approval code has been recorded on the Sales Draft; (b) if Settlor determines that the Sales Draft is or is likely to become uncollectible from the Cardholder to which the transaction would otherwise be charged; (c) if Settlor has reason to believe that the Sales Draft was prepared in violation of any provision of this Agreement; or (d) if Merchant submits any travel and entertainment card (“T&E) transaction for processing by Settlor without a valid agreement with the respective T&E Card company, such as American Express. For the T&E Card transactions designated on Schedule A, upon transmission of such Sales Data by Merchant, Settlor will forward the Sales Data to the appropriate T&E Card company on Merchant’s behalf. Payment of the proceeds due Merchant will be governed by whatever agreement Merchant has with that T&E Card company, and neither ISO nor the Bank bears any responsibility for the performance of the T&E card company nor is responsible for providing support to the Merchant for such services. If Merchant’s agreement with a T&E Card company requires the T&E Card company’s consent for the Settlor to perform the limited processing services contemplated by this Agreement, Merchant is responsible for obtaining that consent Merchant will use, and may not circumvent, fraud identification tools requested by Settlor, including Address Verification System processing and CVV2 processing, and acknowledges that the use of these tools may prevent Merchant from accepting certain Cards as payment. Merchant acknowledges that its use of fraud identification tools may not prevent fraudulent Card usage, and agrees that any fraudulent Transaction may ultimately result in a Chargeback, for which Merchant retains full liability under this Agreement.

2.5 Retention and Retrieval of Cards. Merchant will use its best efforts, by reasonable and peaceful means, to retain or recover a Card when receiving such instructions when making a request for Authorization or if Merchant has reasonable grounds to believe the Card is counterfeit, fraudulent or stolen. Merchant’s obligations under this section do not authorize a breach of the peace or any injury to persons or property, and Merchant will hold ISO and Bank harmless from any claim arising from any injury to person or property or other breach of the peace in connection with the retention or recovery of a Card.

2.6 Multiple Transaction Records; Partial Consideration. Merchant may not prepare more than one Sales Draft for a single sale or for a single item but will include all items of goods and services purchased in a single Transaction in the total amount on a single Sales Draft except under the following circumstances: (a) for purchases in separate departments of a multiple department store; (b) for partial payment, installment payment, delayed delivery, or advance deposit; or (c) for delayed or amended charges governed by rules for travel and entertainment merchants and Transactions.

2.7 Telephone Orders, Mail Orders, Internet, Preauthorized Orders and Installment Orders. Unless Merchant has been approved by Settlor to accept mail, Internet or telephone orders, Merchant warrants that it is a walk-in trade business, located in a retail business place where the public moves in and out freely in order to purchase merchandise or obtain services. If Settlor determines Merchant has accepted unapproved Card Transactions which are placed by telephone, generated through telephone solicitation, mail order or other means that does not create a Sales Draft that bears the Card imprint and Cardholder’s signature, this Agreement will be immediately terminated and the value of all Sales Drafts collected from the first day of processing may be charged back to Merchant and all funds therefrom held as provided in Article IV. Unless approved by Bank, this Agreement does not contemplate regular acceptance of Cards for sales accepted by mail, Internet or telephone nor through preauthorized orders. If an occasional Card Transaction is made by mail, phone or preauthorized order, the Sales Draft may be completed without the Cardholder’s signature or an Imprint, but in such case Merchant will create a sales slip containing Cardholder data, an Authorization number, the sale amount and the letters “MO”, “TO” or “PO”, as appropriate. Receiving an Authorization will not relieve the Merchant of liability for Chargeback on any Transaction for which the Merchant did not obtain an Imprint or the Cardholder’s signature.

2.8 Lodging and Vehicle Rental Transactions. Merchant must estimate and obtain Authorization for the amount of the Transaction based upon the Cardholder’s intended length of stay or rental. Additional Authorization must be obtained and recorded for charges actually incurred in excess of the estimated amount. Regardless of the terms and conditions of any written preauthorization form, the Sales Draft amount for any lodging or vehicle rental Transaction must include only that portion of the sale, including any applicable taxes, evidencing a bona fide rental of real or personal property by Merchant to the Cardholder and may not include any consequential charges. Nothing contained herein is intended to restrict Merchant from enforcing the terms and conditions of its preauthorization form through means other than a Card Transaction.

2.9 Returns and Adjustments; Credit Vouchers. Merchant’s policy for the exchange or return of goods sold and the adjustment for services rendered will be established and posted in accordance with operating regulations of the applicable Card Association’s regulations. Merchant will disclose, if applicable, to a Cardholder before a Card sale is made, that if merchandise is returned: (a) no refund, or less than a full refund, will be given; (b) returned merchandise will only be exchanged for similar merchandise of comparable value; (c) only a credit toward purchases will be given; or (d) special conditions or circumstances apply to the sale (e.g., late delivery, delivery charges, or other non-credit terms). If Merchant does not make these disclosures, a full refund in the form of a credit to the Cardholder’s Card account must be given. Disclosures must be made on all copies of Sales Drafts or invoices in letters approximately 1/4″ high in close proximity to the space provided for the Cardholder’s signature or on an invoice issued at the time of the sale or on an invoice being presented for the Cardholder’s signature. Any change in Merchant’s return or cancellation policy must be submitted in writing to Bank not less than 14 days prior to the change. Settlor may refuse to process any Sales Draft made subject to a revised return or cancellation policy of which Settlor has not been notified as required herein.

2.10 Cash Payments. Merchant may not receive any payments from a Cardholder for charges included in any Transaction resulting from the use of any Card nor receive any payment from a Cardholder to prepare and present a Transaction for the purpose of affecting a deposit to the Cardholder’s Card account.

2.11 Cash Advances; Scrip Purchases. Merchant may not deposit any Transaction for the purpose of obtaining or providing a cash advance either on Merchant’s Card or the Card of any other party and may not accept any Card at a scrip terminal, and either action will be grounds for Settlor’s immediate termination of this Agreement.

2.12 Duplicate Transactions. Merchant may not deposit duplicate Transactions. Settlor may debit Merchant for any adjustments for duplicate Transactions and Merchant is liable for any Chargebacks resulting therefrom.

2.13 Deposit of Fraudulent Transactions. Merchant may not accept or deposit any fraudulent Transaction and may not under any circumstances present for processing or credit, directly or indirectly, a Transaction which originated with any other merchant or any other source other than Transactions arising from bona fide purchases from Merchant for the goods and services for which Merchant has been approved under this Agreement. If Merchant deposits any prohibited Transaction, Settlor may: (a) immediately terminate this Agreement; (b) withhold funds and demand an escrow as provided in this Agreement; (c) report Merchant to Visa, MasterCard, and Discover under Section 4.4. Merchant’s employees’ actions are chargeable to Merchant under this Agreement.

2.14 Collection of Pre-existing Debt. Merchant may not prepare and present to Settlor for purchase any Transaction representing the refinancing of an existing Cardholder obligation including, but not limited to, obligations: (a) previously owed to Merchant; (b) arising from the dishonor of a Cardholder’s personal check or relating to a Chargeback; or (c) representing the collection of any other pre-existing indebtedness, including collection of delinquent accounts on behalf of third parties.

2.15 Data Security/Personal Cardholder Information. Merchant may not, as a condition of sale, impose a requirement on Cardholders to provide any personal information as a condition for honoring Cards unless such information is required to provide delivery of goods or services or Merchant has reason to believe the identity of the person presenting the Card may be different from that of the Cardholder. Merchant will not, under any circumstances, release, sell or otherwise disclose any Cardholder Information to any person other than Settlor or the applicable Card Association, except as expressly authorized in writing by the Cardholder, or as required bylaw. Karma Holdings, LLC DBA Process Payments Now acknowledges that while cardholder information is in its possession it is responsible for the security of such cardholder data and any ensuing storage, processing or transmitting activity on behalf of the customer and would, to that extent only, be responsible for and store and secure such cardholder information under normal industry standards.

(a) Safeguards. Merchant will maintain appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards for all Cardholder Information. These safeguards will (i) ensure the confidentiality of Cardholder Information; (ii) protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of Cardholder Information; (iii) protect against unauthorized access to or use of Cardholder Information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any Cardholder; and (iv) properly dispose of all Cardholder Information to ensure no unauthorized access to Cardholder Information. Merchant will maintain all such safeguards applicable to Merchant, ISO, or Bank in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and guidance.

(b) Compliance with Card Association Rules. Merchant represents, warrants and covenants that it is and will remain throughout the term of this Agreement in compliance with Card Association bylaws, operating regulations and rules related to data security, data integrity and the safeguarding of Cardholder Information including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI”), MasterCard’s Site Data Protection Program (“SDP”), Visa’s Customer Information Security Program (“CISP”), and Discover Information Security Compliance (“DISC”), , in effect and as may be amended, supplemented or replaced. Merchant will cause all of its service providers, subcontractors and agents to comply with PCI, SDP and CISP requirements at all times. Merchant will report any non-compliance immediately to Bank. To accomplish the foregoing, Merchant will encrypt all debit, credit or stored value card numbers whether in storage, transport or backup and will not store data security codes on its systems, network or software. Provide the acquirer with information on any service providers the merchant uses or intends to use The ISO may not subcontract, sublicense, assign, license, franchise, or any manner extend or transfer to any third party, any right or obligation of the ISO set forth in the Merchant Agreement. The Bank may not waive, forgive, release, assign, or fail to insist on strict performance of each requirement.

(c) Annual Certification. Merchant will provide an annual certification to Settlor if requested by Settlor (in a form acceptable to Bank) certifying compliance with the data security provisions of this Agreement, including compliance with applicable Card Association requirements such as PCI, SDP and CISP. Merchant will provide annual certifications for Merchant’s service providers, subcontractors and agents.

(d) Information Use Limitations. Merchant may not sell, disclose, or otherwise make Cardholder Information available, in whole or in part, in a manner not provided for in this Agreement, without Bank’s prior written consent. Merchant may, however, disclose Cardholder Information to its service providers, subcontractors and agents who have a need to know such information to provide the Services described in this Agreement, provided that those individuals or entities have assumed confidentiality obligations in accordance with this Agreement, or as may be required by legal process or applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and guidance and have entered into a written agreement with Merchant containing Merchant’s and such individuals’ or entities’ agreement to the foregoing data security provisions including compliance with Card Association rules, regulations or bylaws.

(e) Response to Unauthorized Access. Merchant will notify Bank within 24 hours after it knows of any breach in security resulting in an unauthorized access to Cardholder Information. Merchant will provide any assistance that Settlor, the issuing bank of any Cardholder, and their regulators and the Card Associations deem necessary to contain and control the incident to prevent further unauthorized access to or use of Cardholder Information. Such assistance may include, but not be limited to, preserving records and other evidence and compiling information to enable Settlor and the issuing bank(s) or the Card Associations to investigate the incident and provide assistance and cooperation to: (i) file suspicious activity reports (as applicable); (ii) notify their regulators (as applicable); and (iii) notify the affected Cardholder (as required). Unless the unauthorized access was due to Settlor’s acts or omissions, Merchant will bear the cost of notifying affected Cardholder.

(f) Forensic Investigation. The merchant, if undergoing a forensic investigation, must fully cooperate with the investigation until completed.

(g) Miscellaneous. Merchant may not make a claim against Bank or ISO or hold Bank or ISO liable for the acts or omissions of other merchants, service providers, Card Associations, financial institutions or others that do not have a written contractual relationship with Bank and/or ISO or over which Bank and/or ISO have no control. These provisions supplement, augment and are in addition to obligations of indemnification, audit, confidentiality and other similar provisions contained in this Agreement. This Section 2.15 and each of its subsections will survive this Agreement’s termination. Merchant may not store in any system or in any manner discretionary Card read data including without limitation CVV2 data, PIN data, address verification data or any other information prohibited by Card Association rules.

(h) International Airline Merchants. For International Airline Program participants and Multinational Merchant Acceptance Program participants, both must comply with Visa Core Rules, specifically section 5.2.1.8 of the Visa Core Rules (https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/about-visa/visa-rules-public.pdf)

2.16 Compliance with Card Association Rules. Merchant will comply with and conduct its Card activities in accordance with all applicable Card Association rules and regulations. Failure to comply with such rules and regulations may result in Merchant being terminated for cause and listed on various Card Association and industry databases, including the Terminated Merchant File and the Merchant Alert to Control High Risk Merchants file (“MATCH”). With respect to MasterCard, Visa USA, or Discover, Merchant may not: (a) accept Cardholder payments for previous Card charges incurred at the Merchant location; (b) establish a minimum or maximum transaction amount as a condition for honoring a Card; (c) require a Cardholder to complete a postcard or similar device that includes the Cardholder’s account number, card expiration date, signature, or any other card account data in plain view when mailed; (d) add any surcharge to transactions; (e) add any tax to transactions, unless applicable law expressly requires that Merchant be permitted to impose a tax (any tax amount, if allowed, must be included in the transaction amount and not collected separately); (f) enter into interchange any transaction receipt for a transaction that was previously charged back to Settlor and subsequently returned to Merchant, irrespective of Cardholder approval (Merchant may pursue payment from the Cardholder outside the Card Association system); (g) request or use an account number for any purpose other than as payment for its goods or services; (h) disburse funds in the form of travelers checks, if the sole purpose is to allow the Cardholder to make a cash purchase of goods or services from Merchant; (i) disburse funds in the form of cash, unless: (i) Merchant is a lodging or cruise line merchant disbursing cash to a Cardholder, (ii) Merchant is dispensing funds in the form of travelers checks, Cards, or foreign currency, or (iii) Merchant is participating in the Card Association cash back service; (j) accept a Card for the purchase of scrip; (k) accept a Card for manual cash disbursement; (l) accept a Card to collect or refinance existing debt that has been deemed uncollectible by the Merchant providing the associated goods or services; (m) enter into a Transaction that represents collection of a dishonored check; (n) accept a Card for an unlawful Internet gambling transaction. Merchant will pay all Card Association fines, fees, penalties and all other assessments or indebtedness levied by Card Associations to Bank which are attributable, at Settlor’s discretion, to Merchant’s Transaction processing or business; (o) submit a transaction into the payment system that is illegal or that the merchant knows or should have known was illegal. Transactions must be legal in both the cardholders and merchant’s jurisdiction; (p) submit a transaction into the payment system that the merchant knows or should have known to be fraudulent or not authorized by the cardholder.

2.17 Merchant’s Business. Merchant will notify Bank immediately if it intends to (a) transfer or sell any substantial part of its total assets, or liquidate; (b) change the basic nature of its business, including selling any products or services not related to its current business; (c) change ownership or transfer control of its business; (d) enter into any joint venture, partnership or similar business arrangement whereby any person or entity not a party to this Agreement assumes any interest in Merchant’s business; (e) alter in any way Merchant’s approved monthly volume, average, or maximum ticket; or (f) change its return policies or to use another fulfillment house different from those identified in Merchant Application. Merchant will notify Bank promptly in writing if it becomes subject to any voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency petition or proceeding. Merchant’s failure to provide notice as required above may be deemed a material breach and will be sufficient grounds for termination of Merchant and for Settlor’s exercise of all its rights and remedies provided by this Agreement. If any change listed above occurs, Settlor may immediately terminate this Agreement.

2.18 Merchant’s Warranties. Merchant represents and covenants that: (a) all information contained in the Application or any other documents delivered to Bank or ISO in connection therewith is true and complete and properly reflects Merchant’s business, financial condition and principal partners, owners or officers; (b) Merchant has power to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement, and this Agreement is duly authorized, and will not violate any provisions of law, or conflict with any other agreement to which Merchant is subject; (c) Merchant holds all licenses, if any, required to conduct its business and is qualified to do business in every jurisdiction where it is required to do so; (d) there is no action, suit or proceeding at law or in equity now pending or to Merchant’s knowledge, threatened by or against or affecting Merchant which would substantially impair its right to carry on its business as now conducted or adversely affect its financial condition or operations; (e) each Sales Draft presented to Bank for collection is genuine and is not the result of any fraudulent or prohibited Transaction or is not being deposited on behalf of any business other than Merchant as authorized by this Agreement; (f) each Sales Draft is the result of a bona fide Card Transaction for the purchase of goods or services from Merchant by the Cardholder in the total amount stated on the Sales Draft; (g) Merchant has performed or will perform all of its obligations to the Cardholder in connection with the Card Transaction evidenced thereby; (h) Merchant has complied with Settlor’s procedures for accepting Cards, and the Card Transaction itself does not involve any element of credit for any other purposes other than as set forth in this Agreement, and is not subject to any defense, dispute, offset or counterclaim which may be raised by any Cardholder under the Card Associations’ rules, the Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 USC §1601) or other relevant state or federal statutes or regulations; and (i) any Credit Voucher which it issues represents a bona fide refund or adjustment on a Card sale by Merchant with respect to which a Sales Draft has been accepted by Bank.