Merchant boarding API process

[bartleby]

We are in process of developing an online POS system that will require our customers to use an existing Auth.net gateway or sign up for one while signing up for our service. To clarify, I am not a developer, but I need to understand the process and get some suggestions.

We will be gathering basic business information during signup, but looking at the Merchant Boarding API it appears there is a considerable amount of additional information including items such as the owner's SSN that will be required for the gateway application. I am trying to figure out the best way to integrate this into our sign up process without my customers potentially abandoning the process.

First question, are all the fields indicated in the boarding api required to sign a merchant up for the gateway? If not, what are the bare minimum fields required? Second, can anyone suggest a live example of someone using the boarding API so I can see the process in action? Can I direct them to an online auth.net application form post signup (concerned they won't want to give me their SSN using my sign up forms) for them to fill out the application?

As you can see my main concern is avoiding abandonment and streamlining the process with minimal personal information. Any suggestions on how best to accomplish this would be appreciated.

Thanks

[RaynorC1emen7]

First question, are all the fields indicated in the boarding api required to sign a merchant up for the gateway? If not, what are the bare minimum fields required?

From the documentation, the fields that are optional are marked Optional or Conditional

http://www.authorize.net/support/MB_guide.pdf

Second, can anyone suggest a live example of someone using the boarding API so I can see the process in action?

Here is where you can get a list of existing reseller http://www.authorize.net/solutions/merchantsolutions/resellerdirectory/

Can I direct them to an online auth.net application form post signup (concerned they won't want to give me their SSN using my sign up forms) for them to fill out the application? 

From the documentation, didn't look like they offer one.

[Trevor]

The Merchant Boarding API can currently only be used by why Authorize.Net resellers that also provide merchant accounts. This type of reseller has a banking relationship with the customer and, generally, has most of the required fields already on file in their system. It is not expected under these circumstances that they are asking the merchant to re-enter all of the same data again. In fact, the purpose of the API is largely to prevent the need for the merchant to fill out all of the same information twice when they are going through a reseller.

For resellers that do not also issue merchant accounts (what we call "Affiliate Resellers"), we offer the Reseller Landing Pages which include a standard application form that collects all of the required fields directly. We may offer upgrades to the Merchant Boarding API in the future so that it can be used by Affiliates but, as you pointed out, Affiliates generally do not have the type of relationship with the merchant that makes it appropriate to collect all of the necessary details themselves.

In regards to your question about working samples, I don't have one that I can provide. I can tell you that the resellers that the integration is practically invisible to those that are applying.  As I described above, they are already collecting this information for the purpose of creating a merchant account and are simply passing us the necessary details in the background.