BECU merchant services: payment-processing reference

Card acceptance through BECU merchant services

BECU merchant services enable acceptance of all major card networks plus contactless payment methods, with settlements depositing to the business's linked BECU checking account.

BECU merchant services are set up through BECU's business banking team and operate through a payment processing partner that provides the acquiring-side infrastructure. The business receives a merchant account tied to its BECU business checking account; transaction settlements from card sales are deposited to that account on the processor's standard funding schedule, typically one to two business days after the transaction date.

The card-acceptance capability covers the four major card networks — Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express — as well as contactless payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and tap-to-pay debit cards. Accepting contactless payments requires a terminal equipped with NFC capability; most current-generation countertop and mobile terminals include NFC as a standard feature.

Payment acceptance methods through BECU merchant services

Payment method	Terminal needed	Processing class
Credit/debit card — chip insert (EMV)	Countertop EMV terminal	Card-present rate; lowest fraud liability exposure
Contactless / NFC (Apple Pay, Google Pay, tap card)	NFC-enabled countertop or mobile terminal	Card-present rate; equivalent fraud liability to chip insert
Mobile card reader (phone or tablet)	Bluetooth or headphone-jack reader paired to device	Card-present rate when chip-read; manually keyed falls to card-not-present rate
E-commerce / online checkout	Payment gateway integration; no physical terminal	Card-not-present rate; higher fraud liability; 3D Secure reduces chargeback exposure
ACH / bank transfer (B2B)	No terminal; configured via payment gateway	Flat per-transaction fee; slower settlement (2–5 business days)

Terminal and point-of-sale options

BECU merchant services support a range of terminal form factors from countertop devices to mobile readers — the right choice depends on whether the business takes payments at a fixed location, on the go, or online.

Countertop terminals are the standard choice for businesses with a fixed checkout location — a retail shop, a service desk, a restaurant counter. Current-generation countertop terminals accept chip insert, contactless, and magnetic stripe in one device and typically include a customer-facing PIN pad for debit PIN entry. Some models include a built-in receipt printer; others output to a separate printer. BECU's payment processing partner supplies terminal hardware on a lease or purchase basis depending on the merchant's preference.

Mobile card readers pair with a smartphone or tablet and handle chip or contactless transactions in the field. They are the practical choice for trades businesses that take payment at the job site, market vendors, service providers who invoice on the spot, and any business whose transaction point is not at a fixed address. Mobile readers that accept chip insert carry a lower processing rate than those that only swipe the magnetic stripe — the chip-read provides a stronger authentication signal to the card network, which reduces interchange.

Virtual terminals — browser-based interfaces where a staff member keys card numbers manually — handle telephone or mail-order transactions where the customer provides card details remotely. These process at the card-not-present rate and carry higher chargeback risk, since the cardholder is not physically present at transaction time.

E-commerce integration

BECU merchant services connect to e-commerce platforms through a payment gateway that passes the transaction from the website to the card network and back.

An e-commerce business accepting card payments through its website needs a payment gateway in addition to a merchant account. The gateway is the software layer that encrypts card data entered on the checkout page, passes it to the card network for authorisation, and returns the approval or decline response to the website. BECU's merchant services program works with a payment processor partner that provides gateway access; the business receives API credentials and integration documentation as part of the merchant account setup.

Most modern e-commerce platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento are the most common among small businesses — support multiple payment gateway options and have documented integration flows for each. The business's web developer or platform administrator completes the gateway integration using the credentials provided. The BECU-partnered processor's developer documentation covers the specific API fields and authentication headers the integration requires.

Implementing 3D Secure (the cardholder authentication step that sends the buyer a one-time code from their card issuer before approving an online purchase) shifts chargeback liability back to the card issuer in most dispute scenarios. For businesses with high-value or high-risk online transactions, enabling 3D Secure is worth the small amount of checkout friction it adds. The NCUA's account-protection guidance covers secure payment handling more broadly.

Dispute handling and chargeback workflow

A chargeback dispute follows a defined sequence with set response windows — missing the window means the business automatically forfeits the transaction amount, so prompt evidence submission matters.

When a cardholder disputes a transaction, the sequence begins at the card issuer: the issuer receives the complaint, issues a provisional credit to the cardholder, and initiates a chargeback through the card network. The network routes the chargeback to the merchant's acquirer — BECU's processing partner — who notifies the merchant and debits the transaction amount from the settlement balance while the dispute is pending.

The merchant then has a defined window, typically 30 to 45 days from notification, to submit a rebuttal with supporting evidence. Useful evidence includes a signed receipt or delivery confirmation, an order history showing the cardholder's name and billing address, a tracking number with proof of delivery to the cardholder's address, the terms and conditions the cardholder agreed to at checkout, and any communication between the business and the cardholder showing the transaction was authorised and fulfilled.

If the evidence satisfies the card network's rules, the provisional chargeback is reversed and the funds are returned to the merchant. If the evidence is insufficient or the merchant does not respond within the window, the chargeback stands. Businesses with repeated chargebacks above the card network's threshold — typically one percent of monthly transaction volume — may be placed in a chargeback monitoring program, which carries additional fees and eventually risks merchant account termination. The FTC's guidance on small-business payment practices is a useful external reference for maintaining healthy dispute rates.