American Express CAPN - What You Should Know

August 28, 2007 - In 2005, American Express announced changes to its authorization and settlement systems known as CAPN - the Credit Authorization and Processing Network program. Ultimately, American Express expects all US-based merchants to comply with the new CAPN standards.

Although the dates of CAPN compliance have changed several times since the program was originally announced, American Express ultimately has held firm to an August 31, 2007 requirement that merchants in the United States submit all authorization and settlement transactions following the new CAPN standards, or face non-compliance fees.

Merchants generally perform American Express transactions one of two ways: either by transmitting them along with their regular bankcard traffic to their processing network (the "conveyance" method,) or by directly submitting them to American Express (the "split mode" method.) Regardless of your transmission method, US merchants need to conform to the CAPN deadline to avoid the risk of additional transaction fees.

ICVERIFY, Inc. has been working with all its processing partners, including American Express, to certify our software products as CAPN-ready regardless of the processing network a merchant might use.

Consult the list below to determine the CAPN status of your software product.

ICVERIFY for Windows version 4.0.3 is CAPN ready on the following platforms:
• First Data Commercial Services - Atlanta, CARDnet, Nashville, Omaha, South
• First Horizon Merchant Services
• Global Payments - Central, East
• Heartland Payment Systems
• NOVA Information Systems
• RBS Lynk Systems
• TSYS Acquiring Solutions

ICVERIFY for Windows version 4.0.3 Service Pack 1 includes CAPN readiness on the following platforms:
• American Express Direct Dial
• Chase Paymentech - Tampa

ICVERIFY Enterprise Edition version 1.5.3 is CAPN ready on the following platforms:
• First Data Commercial Services - CARDnet, Nashville, South
• First Horizon Merchant Services
• Global Payments - East
• Heartland Payment Systems
• NOVA Information Systems
• RBS Lynk Systems

ICVERIFY Enterprise Edition version 1.5.3 Service Pack 1, available soon, will be CAPN ready on the following platforms:
• American Express Direct Dial
• Chase Paymentech - Tampa
• TSYS Acquiring Solutions

If you have an earlier version of software, ICVERIFY, Inc. suggests you consider upgrading to the latest version. While your current version of software may successfully process the majority of your American Express transactions in a CAPN-compliant fashion, ICVERIFY, Inc. makes no warranties regarding the CAPN readiness of earlier software versions. Your safest course of action is to upgrade before the CAPN mandates take effect on August 31, 2007.

About ICVERIFY, Inc. ICVERIFY, Inc., a First Data company, is a leading provider of payment software for merchants of all types. ICVERIFY’s products allow you to accept and process payments using credit cards, debit cards, checks, purchasing cards, stored value/gift cards and private label cards, while leveraging your existing investment in personal computer or electronic cash register equipment. Over 100,000 merchants in the USA and elsewhere use ICVERIFY solutions for retail, mail/telephone order, restaurant, lodging, and Internet payment environments. Visit ICVERIFY on the Web at www.icverify.com.

Media Contact:
Anthony Sana, Corporate Sales Manager
T: 805.552.8092
F: 805.552.1694
E: anthony.sana@firstdata.com