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Payments FAQ

Updated this week

INTERNAL FAQ ONLY - CANNOT BE SHARED WITH CUSTOMERS.

  1. What are the key tips for successful hotel and travel bookings?

    1. Use the Right Card Types:

      1. Always use a recurring payments or multi-usage card for hotels and travel bookings

      2. Single-use cards are not recommended as they expire at the end of the following month

      3. Recurring & multi-usage cards remain valid for deposits and potential extra charges

    2. Pre-booking Setup:

      1. Ensure your phone number is added in "My Profile > Security phone number"

      2. Download the Spendesk mobile app for 3DS authentication

      3. Check that your card has sufficient funds (including buffer for incidentals)

      4. Verify your billing address matches your Spendesk card information

    3. Payment Best Practices:

      1. Choose "pay now" options rather than "pay at hotel" when possible

      2. For e-tickets/mobile tickets, select to be charged before arrival

      3. If you need to show the card upon arrival, access it via the mobile app

      4. Add 6% to your budget for foreign currency transactions to cover FX fees

    4. If Payment fails

      1. Check if 3DS authentication is required

      2. Verify if the merchant supports virtual cards

      3. Try a second attempt if the first fails (some merchants require multiple tries)

      4. Contact the merchant to ensure they trigger proper authentication

  2. What are the best practices when paying on Amazon?

    1. Choose the Right Card Type:

      1. For one-time purchases: Use Single-Use Virtual Cards

      2. For Amazon Business/Prime subscriptions: Use Recurring Cards

      3. For orders with items shipped at different dates/by different sellers: use multi-usage cards, as the order payment may be split, where you're debited once one item is shipped and not as a whole.

      4. For regular business purchases: Consider a Recurring Card with monthly budget

    2. Managing Amazon Business Accounts:

      1. Use one dedicated recurring card per Amazon account

      2. Don't share cards across multiple accounts

      3. Set monthly budgets based on average spending

  3. Here's how to explain MCC (Merchant Category Code) restrictions to customers:

    1. What are MCCs?

      1. MCCs are 4-digit codes that identify the type of business/merchant 1

      2. Every merchant is assigned an MCC when they start accepting card payments

      3. These codes help categorize and control spending type

    2. Common MCC Categories:

      1. Business Services: Office supplies ; Professional services ; Software/Technology

      2. Travel & Entertainment: Airlines ; Hotels ; Restaurants

      3. Retail: Department stores ; Electronics ; Online marketplaces

    3. Important: Restricted Categories (commonly blocked)

      1. Gambling services

      2. Adult entertainment

      3. Cryptocurrency exchanges

      4. Gift card specialists

  4. How is it possible for single-use cards to have multiple authorizations?

    1. Types of Authorizations:

      1. Test Transactions: Merchants may perform small test charges (1-2 EUR/USD) to verify card validity

      2. Pre-authorizations: Temporary holds to verify available funds

      3. Final Charge: The actual purchase amount

    2. Best Practices:

      1. Request slightly higher budget than needed to cover test charges

      2. Use recurring cards for travel/hotels instead of single-use cards

      3. Monitor "Pending Transactions" section for authorizations

    3. Important Notes:

      1. Multiple authorizations don't mean multiple charges

      2. Funds are only deducted once for actual payment

      3. Authorizations appear in "Pending Transactions" until settled or expired

  5. Why some merchants reject virtual cards as a mean of payment?

    1. Technical Limitations:

      1. Merchant's payment system not configured for virtual cards

      2. Outdated payment processing systems

      3. Internet connectivity issues at merchant side

    2. Security Policies:

      1. Some merchants require physical cards for verification

      2. Strict fraud prevention measures

      3. Non-compliance with 3DS authentication

    3. Business Rules:

      1. Travel/Hotel industry often requires physical cards

      2. Marketplace restrictions for multiple charges

      3. Gift card/voucher specialists may block virtual cards

  6. How to Troubleshoot 3DS Payment Failures?

    1. Check Your Phone Number Setup

      1. Verify your phone number is correctly added in Avatar > My Profile

      2. Ensure your mobile device's time is set to "AUTOMATIC"

    2. Mobile App Issues

      1. Download and install the latest version of the Spendesk mobile app

      2. For EEA (EUR) customers: In-app validation is mandatory, SMS codes are not supported

      3. For UK (GBP) customers: You'll need both SMS codes and payment password

    3. Pop-up Window Problems

      1. Disable AdBlock or similar extensions

      2. Disable VPN if active

    4. SMS Code Issues

      1. If you're not receiving the code:

        1. Click "Send a new code"

        2. Try restarting your phone

        3. If still not working, contact support with:

          • Your mobile network provider name

          • Geographical location

          • Phone number

          • Date/time of last attempt

    5. Merchant Compliance Issues: If payment is declined due to merchant non-compliance:

      1. Try the payment again with the same card

      2. The authentication typically activates on second or third attempt

      3. If still failing, contact the merchant to trigger proper authentication

    6. Important Notes

      1. For recurring payments: Authentication may still be required for amounts exceeding €500, even with merchant exemptions

      2. Some network providers may not be supported by the authentication system

  7. How correct CVC matter to make successful payments?

    1. Security Purpose:

      1. Acts as an additional security layer for online transactions

      2. Helps reduce fraud by verifying that the person making the purchase has physical possession of the card

    2. Payment Processing Impact:

      1. For online payments, correct CVC is typically required alongside the card number and expiry date

      2. Incorrect CVC will likely result in payment failure

      3. Some merchants may require CVC validation as part of their fraud prevention measures

    3. Important Considerations:

      1. CVC is one part of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements under PSD2 regulations

      2. For recurring payments, CVC is usually only required for the first transaction

      3. Never share your CVC with colleagues or store it in unsecured locations

    4. Best Practices:

      1. Always verify CVC when making first-time online purchases

      2. For recurring payments, ensure the first payment includes correct CVC validation

      3. If a payment fails, double-check the CVC along with other card details

  8. What alternative users have to cards' limits?

    If the payment amount is higher than the card limits, customer cansplit the payment into smaller amount or choose the invoice payment method.

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