First American FAQ's

Jump ahead to:

• Rates & fees

• Payments

• Processing

• Purchaser information

• Refunds & errors

• WePay

• First American contact

 

Rates & fees

What is the rate for First American?

• 2.95% flat rate for all cards  

• $0.10 per transaction

• $5.00 monthly fee per location (to cover compliance and fraudulent payments)

• Free payment terminal per location

• ACH 1%

• Application

First American does provide flexibility. However, it typically depends on your transaction volume. If you want to send us your last 2-3 monthly statements we can have our First American representative review them and see what they can offer.

Send the statements to isvsales@first-american.net. Then schedule a meeting with you, the funeral home, and First American to review the rate they're offering.

 

Payments

Where can I see my monthly statements?

First American has a dashboard called Firstview where you can see all of your transactions and monthly statements. After you register with First American they'll help you setup a training and go through everything with you. You’ll also receive email notifications from Passare when a payment is processed. You can even choose who you’d like to receive the email notifications. Here's an attachment for how to use Firstview.

Why don't I see this payment in my batch?

The batch is settled daily at 3PM CST/4PM EST. If the payment was processed after 3PM CST/4PM EST it will show on the next day's batch. The process time can be found under the status history on the payments and adjustments page within the case.

Can I enter information off a physical check (as an ACH) to process that payment to avoid a trip to the bank?

Technically, yes. Legally, no, since you haven't been given explicit permission to do so. Additionally, after a check has been written, it could accidentally be cashed and therefore, the customer being double charged. 

Can I set up recurring credit card payments?

Currently this is not an option via Passare but can be done manually. 

 

Processing

Where can I purchase additional terminals? 

They can be purchased through First American. You can contact their support team at ISVMerchantSupport@first-american.net or call 844-898-0341.

Can I use the terminal on my Macbook or tablet?

Yes, you can. You'll just need an USB adapter to plug into the terminal.

How do the requirements work with prepaid Visa or Mastercard gift cards?

Prepaid cards work much the same as a debit card would. Sometimes the struggle may be not knowing the address, zip code, and/or the security code, which varies by the card issuer. If need be, use the contact information of the card presenter. 

 

Purchaser information

Why is the address required to take a payment?

"Card not present" transactions are viewed as riskier than "card present" transactions. To help mitigate this risk, all online payments require an address. This is a standard practice of all online transactions such as Amazon, Target, Best Buy, etc. 

Does the address entered need to be the actual billing address for the card? 

Ideally it would be the billing address of the cardholder, however, it will not be scrutinized unless there is a case of fraud. 

Is an email address required for the payer?

No, but there's an option to enter one to receive a digital receipt.

 

Refunds & errors

What is the time frame for a refund back to customer's card?

First American will release the funds immediately, but some banks take longer than others to post refunds. The standard for most banks is 3-5 business days. 

Do we have the ability to give a partial refund?

Yes, you can refund part of the received/completed payment back to the card/account used by clicking the gear icon on payment and then entering the amount of the refund to be processed. Refer to this knowledge base article for more information. 

If a credit card is declined, will we get notification immediately?

You will receive an email from First American right away that there was an issue with the payment. 

They should complete the attached form & email to isvsales@first-american.net to process this change within First American.

Is this the only credit card provider Passare integrates with?

​Yes, we're only able to support one provider at a time. We're looking to expand our processing capabilities, such as allowing families to process payments through the Planning Center and we can't maintain that growth with multiple providers.