Saving your credit card(s) or banking information to your account is a safe and convenient way to simplify the checkout process, keep track of upcoming payments, and authorize organizations to automatically charge them towards future purchases or an existing balance in your account.
In this article, you will learn:
Click here to learn more about replacing (or deleting) your saved payment methods and managing authorizations in your Wallet.
1. Accepted forms of online payment
Here are the online payment methods supported in an organization's SmartRec store:
Payment Cards: Visa, Mastercard, Discover and debit cards. Some (but not all) organizations allow payments with Amex, Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit and/or prepaid cards.
Bank account: Most organizations can accept bank transfers (ach/eft).
It's at the organization's discretion which method of payment(s) they accept. If you have any questions, contact them directly.
2. Add a credit card and/or a bank account
There are two ways you can store your credit card(s) and/or banking information in your user account:
When making a purchase, opt to save your payment information at checkout.
👛 The Wallet Tab
Click the Wallet tab to add and manage payment information.
Choose a payment method to add. You can only add one at a time. Hit Save.
Next time you make a purchase in an organization's SmartRec store, you can use your saved card(s) and/or bank account(s) from your Wallet. You can save up to 10 credit cards and 10 bank accounts.
To learn more about the Wallet, click here.
💾 Save your Payment Information at Checkout
You can save a credit card or bank account when proceeding through checkout. To do this, you must give authorization to the organization to charge it in the future (if they make a purchase on your behalf or wish to clear a balance in your account).
Select to pay with a credit card or a bank account. Enter the payment details and tick 'Save (payment method) to my account and allow (the organization) to charge my (payment method) for future agreed upon purchases.' When finished, click on Make payment.
Your saved payment method is stored in the Wallet tab in your personal account. Anytime you shop in an organization's SmartRec store, it'll be ready for quick use.
👉 You'll notice you can only save one payment method when you proceed through the checkout. If you want to save multiple credit cards and/or bank accounts at a time, you can save up to ten of each in the Wallet tab in your user account.
3. Pay with a different credit card or bank account at checkout
Saving your credit card(s) and/or bank account(s) doesn't mean you have to pay with them every time. You can still use a different card or bank account at checkout.
Say you already have two credit cards saved in your account. Here's what to expect at checkout:
Both saved credit cards are available to use.
If necessary, you can update an already saved credit card's billing address. This also updates the record of the card's billing address in the Wallet tab. You can also update an expired credit card at checkout.
Use a different card if you don't want to use your saved credit card(s). After filling in the details, you may opt to save it alongside your existing saved credit cards. To do this, tick 'Save card to my account, and allow (the organization) to charge my card for future agreed upon purchases' before clicking on Make payment.
If you used a different card and saved it at checkout, it's automatically added in your Wallet and will be available to use the next time you make a purchase.
👉 If you have 10 credit cards and 10 bank accounts saved in your account, you can still use a different card or bank account at checkout, but you will not have the option to save it. You can only save up to 10 cards and 10 bank accounts.
You can replace or delete saved payment methods in the Wallet.
4. Using a credit card vs a bank account
The process of using a credit card or a bank account at checkout is very similar, however there are some behavioral differences between each payment method.
💳 Credit Cards
Credit card information is not saved in SmartRec. It’s sent to the payment processor which is certified by Visa and Mastercard. You may notice a $0.01 pending transaction on your credit card the first time you opt to save it. This is a temporary validation method and disappears within 5 business days.
SmartRec detects if a credit card number is valid. You can't proceed with an invalid card number. If a saved credit card in your Wallet expires, you can update it at checkout.
You must input the card details again during checkout the first time you pay with it after it is saved in the Payment Method tab. This is for security purposes.
If the funds are unavailable on the credit card, you can't proceed with the purchase.
🏦 Bank Accounts
Bank account information is not saved in SmartRec. When you first save your bank account number, it’s sent to the payment processor, which returns a token. This token number is saved in SmartRec, rather than the bank account number itself.
SmartRec can’t detect if your bank account number is valid. Fill out your bank account details as written on a paper check or bank statement. If the bank transfer bounces (days later) due to mistakes, the organization may charge you.
Paying by bank transfer works the same way as a paper check. If you don’t have the funds in your bank account at the time of purchase, you’ll still be permitted to proceed with a purchase. The payment will bounce once it's been fully processed, which can take up to 10 business days.
Bank transfers don't work across borders, meaning both the paying and receiving bank accounts need to be in the same country. If you plan on making payments to an organization located in a different country than your own, use your credit card instead.
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