Copyright (c) 1998-2003 Verisign, Inc. All Rights Reserved


CONTACT INFORMATION
-------------------

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Verisign, Inc. 
http://www.verisign.com

See contact.txt for additional contact information
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In addition to this readme file, full product documentation is
available. Download the "Payflow Pro Developer's Guide" from the
"Downloads" page of the VeriSign Manager website:
https://manager.verisign.com
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Thank you for choosing Verisign Payment Services to provide a complete
electronic commerce solution for your business. This document provides
the information you need to:

* Register with Verisign Payment Services
* Obtain an Internet Merchant Account
* Understand how credit cards are processed from taking an order to
  depositing the funds into your bank account

For additional information, visit our website at:

    http://www.verisign.com/products/payflow/index.html



Features of Verisign Payment Services Payflow Pro Client
--------------------------------------------------------
 
The Payflow Pro Client provides enhanced commerce capabilities, and
enables the following capabilities:

* Secure handling of sensitive information
* Real-time credit card authorization for transactions
* Automated funds settlement with your merchant bank
* Delayed Funds Settlement



Getting Started with Credit Cards
---------------------------------

Follow this step-by-step list to start accepting credit card purchases
on your Web site:

1.  Register for a Payflow Pro account with Verisign Payment Services at:

	http://www.verisign.com/products/payflow/pro/index.html

2.  Obtain an Internet merchant account with a bank - for more information:

	http://www.verisign.com/products/payflow/merchant.html

3.  Configure and test your Web site with the Payflow Pro payment service
    using your unique user, vendor, partner and password that you created
    during registration.

    See chapter 5 of the Payflow Pro Developer's Guide located in the
    "Downloads" section of VeriSign Manager for information needed to test
    your account and web site.

4.  Once testing is complete, activate your account by "Going Live" and
    provide the Internet merchant account and processor information given
    to you by your merchant bank.   (See "Obtaining Merchant ID Numbers" below).

    At this time change the URL from the test to the live server.



Obtaining Merchant ID Numbers
-----------------------------

When your merchant bank has completed your account setup, the bank will supply
you with a merchant account number and account information for the processor
that your account is setup with.  This information is used by Verisign Payment
Services to configure your site for credit card processing.  You will need to
supply this information to Verisign Payment Services when you activate your
account by "Going Live".

To obtain the information needed for your processor, please search for
"Processor Information" at the VeriSign Knowledgebase located at:

    http://kb.verisign.com/esupport/esupport/payments/esupport.asp?  



Credit Card Processing Overview
-------------------------------

A credit card transaction involves at least two steps -- authorization,
followed by settlement (also known as capture).  Because the buyer is not
present, a merchant needs positive assurance that they will be paid for
goods shipped or services rendered.  Authorization provides this guarantee
in the form of an authorization code generated by the card holder's bank.
Authorization does not initiate actual payment to the merchant.  From the
merchant's perspective, an authorization code is like a promissory note --
they could bring it to the bank and exchange it for cash.  

Settlement is the natural final step in a credit card transaction: the
process of exchanging the authorization code for cash.  Settlement ensures
that the merchant is paid for the goods or services. In practice, the merchant
settles a batch of authorization codes once each day, and funds are deposited
into the merchant's bank account. All transactions ready for settlement are
sent as records to the processing host (sometimes referred to as 'posting'),
where they are stored in a capture database.  

As required by the credit card and banking industries, interface systems
(such as Payflow Pro Client Gateway Processing service) must ensure both
reliable transport to the host and accurate data content. Payflow Pro Client
ensures authorization and capture of funds with your credit card processor.