Non-availability of PIN payment system

It can be most inconvenient if the PIN payment system is not available. Fortunately, problems affecting PIN POS terminals, printers or the data communication network are a rarity. For the odd occasion when this does happen, however, the simplest solution is to ask your customers to use a different method of payment, but that might not always be possible. The organisation with which you have a contract (generally your bank) may be able to offer alternative forms of processing in case the PIN payment system goes down.

The most common alternative method of processing involves the use of a special PIN Single Direct Debit (Eenmalige Machtiging PIN), on which more information is given below.

Eenmalige Machtiging PIN (PIN Single Direct Debit) forms
The organisation with which you have entered into an PIN contract (generally your bank) is required to provide an alternative method of payment in case the PIN payment system is unavailable. An example is the special PIN Single Direct Debit (Eenmalige Machtiging PIN). In order to offer this alternative, you will need to have the special Eenmalige Machtiging PIN forms, which you can obtain from your PIN processing contractor. To order the forms, you will need to give the precise details, such as name and address and the number of the account into which the money is to be paid. Your business details will be preprinted on the Eenmalige Machtiging PIN forms, with the rest of the details added at the time of payment. Manual alterations to the preprinted details invalidate Eenmalige Machtiging PIN forms.

How does it work?
The PIN Single Direct Debit can be used for payments of between €5 and €350, but only in the event of problems affecting the POS terminal equipment or the data communication connection. While you are free to offer the facility of mandating a PIN Single Direct Debit, you are not obliged to do so. You and your customer can obviously also agree to make the payment later instead. When the PIN Single Direct Debit form has been completed, you send it, using the addressed envelope provided, to Unisys. Unisys then converts the form into a digital direct debit order and sends it to Equens (formerly Interpay). Equens will keep you informed of the status of the payment. You will receive a message to the effect that the payment has been processed (the funds have been debited to the payer’s account and credited to your account), that a second attempt to debit the funds needs to be made or that the direct debit has failed, for example because the details on the form were not correct. In the case of a second direct debit attempt, you will also be notified whether the transaction has been successful or failed. A third attempt is not made. If a PIN Single Direct Debit fails, it will be your responsibility to recover the funds from your customer in some other way.

Not a guaranteed payment
It is important to note that PIN Single Direct Debits – unlike ordinary PIN payments – are not guaranteed. It is therefore very important that customers enter the correct details and that you verify these details. You should preferably ask to make a copy of a driving licence or passport. If the transaction fails because the direct debit cannot be completed, it will be up to you to get in touch with the customer concerned in order to obtain payment.

If you make use of the PIN Single Direct Debit facility, take particular care that:

• your details, including address details, and your bank account number preprinted on the PIN Single Direct Debit form are still correct;
• the amount and the date of the transaction have been correctly entered on the form;
• the details of your customer, such as name (matching the name on the bank card), account number and signature are present on the form;
• you have your customer’s address details;
• you have a copy of your customer’s ID.

PIN Single Direct Debits will be processed, provided that:

• there was a problem affecting the POS terminal equipment or the data communication connection;
• the preprinted details on the form relating to you are correct;
• you have not made any manual alterations to these details;
• the amount of the PIN Single Direct Debit is between €5 and €350;
• the PIN Single Direct Debit form has been correctly completed with all the required details.