Sola FAQ

Category 1: Getting Started & General Support

Article 1: Contacting Sola Payments Support

Summary: Learn how to reach our specialized support teams and what information you need to have ready.

Body:

At Sola, we provide "People Helping People." We offer five specialized in-house support teams to ensure you get the right expert for your specific needs.

• Merchant Support: For assistance with chargebacks, deposit details, and reconciliation.

• Gateway Support: For optimizing account settings, advanced transaction issues, and feature support.

• Technical Support: For troubleshooting card readers, payment software, and hardware configurations.

• Developer Support: For API integrations, SDKs, and plugin assistance.

How to Reach Us:

• Phone: [phone]

• Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM EST.

• After-Hours: We provide after-hours coverage; our service team will ensure a technician contacts you as soon as possible for urgent issues.

Pro-Tip: Please have your Merchant ID (MID) ready. You can find this on your merchant statement or on the side/bottom of your payment terminal.

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Category 2: Merchant Operations & Best Practices

Article 2: Managing Refunds and Voids

Summary: Understand the difference between a void and a refund and which one is better for your business.

Body:

When you need to undo a transaction, you have two primary options: Voids and Refunds.

• Voiding a Transaction:

  • When to use: Use this before a transaction has been batched out (usually the same business day).

  • Benefit: It is much faster for the customer. A void cancels the pending transaction, removing the hold on funds immediately.

• Refunding a Transaction:

  • When to use: Use this if the transaction has already been batched out and settled.

  • Process: Refunds take longer to process as the funds must be moved back from the processing bank to the cardholder.

Best Practice: Whenever possible, void the transaction rather than refunding it to save on fees and provide a better customer experience.

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Article 3: How Batch Processing and Funding Works

Summary: Learn how your transactions are batched and when you can expect to see funds in your account.

Body:

Sola simplifies your daily operations by automating the batching process.

• Automatic Batching: Sola closes batches automatically every day. There is no need for you to manually close a batch on your terminal or in the portal.

• Funding Timeline: Once a batch is closed, the processing bank begins the funding process. Ensure your business bank account does not have a "debit block" or "debit filter" that might prevent the acquiring bank from depositing funds or withdrawing processing fees.

• Verification: You can view your daily batch totals and individual transaction details in the Sola Merchant Portal.

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Category 3: Technical & Security

Article 4: Protecting Your Account: PCI DSS Compliance

Summary: A guide to staying compliant and protecting your customers’ sensitive payment data.

Body:

Maintaining Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance is essential to avoid fines and protect your business from fraud.

Key Requirements:

1. Never Store Prohibited Data: Do not store CVV codes or full magnetic stripe data after authorization.

2. Use Sola iFields: For online merchants, we recommend using Sola iFields. This technology uses iframes to ensure sensitive data bypasses your server entirely, keeping you out of "PCI Scope."

3. Update Passwords: Ensure you change vendor-supplied default passwords on all routers, POS systems, and computers.

4. Physical Security: Restrict physical access to your payment terminals and server rooms.

Need help with your SAQ? If you have questions about your annual PCI compliance questionnaire, contact our PCI specialists at [phone] x110.

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Article 5: Troubleshooting Terminal Connection Issues

Summary: Simple steps to resolve communication errors on your countertop or mobile device.

Body:

If your terminal is failing to connect or displaying a "Communication Error," follow these steps:

1. Check the Power: Ensure the device is fully charged or plugged into a stable power source.

2. Verify Internet/Signal:

   • Ethernet: Check that the cable is securely plugged into both the terminal and the router.

   • Wi-Fi: Ensure the terminal is connected to the correct network and has at least two bars of signal.

3. Perform a Reboot: Power the device off completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on.

4. Test Transaction: Attempt a $0.01 test sale to verify the connection.

If the issue persists, contact Sola Technical Support with your terminal's serial number and MID.