Fact gathering on Card Present accounts

[ss1289]

I'm very familiar with authorize.net CNP accounts and their apis. However I'm working on a new web app that needs to handle Card Present transactions, and have very little experience on this side. I've done a lot of searching for answers to my questions and my next step is to ask them here.

1) Our web app is mainly used at a sales desk through a web browser on a desktop computer, specifically for paying Invoices generated through our web app. Does reading track data from a card swipe into our opened browser app and sending that to the auth.net API fullfill Card Present requirements?

2) If the answer to #1 is no, how would I go about integrating the data from a Card Present swipe transaction with the Invoice data of our Web App?

3) Is there a sandbox for Card Present accounts, and how do I go about getting one?

[RichardH]

Hello @ss1289

Most Authorize.Net accounts will support either Card Not Present (CNP) or Card Present (CP) transactions.

For accepting in-person payments, we suggest using our in-person SDK which is available for mobile devices and Windows.

Sandbox accounts also support in-person payments using the SDK, although you're need to obtain a special device to test EMV transactions in the sandbox.  Check the SDK documentation for details.

Richard 

[ss1289]

Thanks @RichardH,

So I've checked out the in-person SDK and I guess the only way that would work for our web app is if we built a mobile version of it so our users could use it with a mobile device. However, I'm looking for the same functionality through a web browser on a desktop. That's where I'm having the disconnect. It is even possible?

[RichardH]

You might consider using our Virtual Point of Sale (VPOS) solution which runs in a browser.

https://www.authorize.net/payments/vpos/

Richard

[ss1289]

@RichardH

Can VPOS integrate with my web app? How would I associate the data in the VPOS with the Invoices in my web app?

That's essentially the answer I'm trying to get to. How do I take Card Present data and put it into my web app? That's all I'm trying to figure out.

Also, is there a test or example version of the VPOS that I can play with? Having access to play with it may answer some more of my questions about VPOS.

Thanks

[ss1289]

In other words, if I pass track data through the API after a card is swiped, is that considered Card Present?

[ss1289]

I found it in the API docs that it does count as Card Present if I pass track data.

[maninderp]

Hi,

Inorder to connect and get the reader data for CP transaction from Web Browser you need to create a browser extension which can interact with underlying native application. 

You can make use of Chrome's Native messaging technique to interact with a native application.

You can create a native app which leverages Inperson Windows SDK support for quick chip transaction.

Browser can then send a message/command to extension and the extension can then take this message forward to the underlying app using Native messaging technique and vice versa.

So basically you need to have a browser extension which will be communication channel between the browser and underlying native application to process CP transactions with devices.

[3Dmerchant]

Whoa hold on there. Your questions and comments raise some flags. I suggest reading this for background:

https://developer.authorize.net/api/reference/features/payment_transactions.html

1. Ecommerce, MOTO (key entered) and retail all have unique transaction flag indicators that must be sent with the transaction in order for them to qualify as that transaction type. You'll need two authorize.net accounts- one for retail and one for ecommerce. Depending on the acquirer, you can use two TID's with one merchant account or you might have to get two merchant accounts.
2. You want to swipe into opened browser app and have it pass data to authorize.net. If you touch the card data at any point before it gets to authorize.net, you'll need to get the app PA DSS certified- expensive and time consuming.  Read the Inperson Windows SDK and supported devices here https://partner.posportal.com/authorizenet/auth/ to confirm it will meet needs.

[ss1289]

Great thank you, this is a lot of the info I was looking for.

Knowing all this now, do you have a suggestion on how I can accomplish what I'm trying to do without needing to get my app PA-DSS certified?

Basically I need two key things

1) Credit card swipe

2) The ability to get the resulting transaction data into my app, as immediate as possible.