Non-compliance fees on American Express transactions
Description
American Express (AMEX) is assessing a non-compliance fee on certain transactions. These transactions have a "Transaction Identifier Invalid" response in AMEX's records and may also be listed as "Error 2022". Paya and TSYS will not see either of these error descriptions anywhere.
On the AMEX statement, these fees will be listed as "Other Activity" under the Details for Settlement Period.
Resolution
Every transaction is assigned a 15-digit Transaction Identifier (Trans ID) at the time of authorization. When a transaction is settled, the Trans ID is part of the data sent to AMEX.
In some cases, there is a need to enter an offline transaction, in which an authorization code is inputted manually. The most common reasons to offline a transaction are:
- A previously authorized transaction was voided in error
- A previously authorized transaction was not settled in seven days and has expired
- The approval was obtained directly from the card-issuing bank, instead of through a payment terminal or online payment application. This normally is the result of calling for a Voice Authorization when there has been difficulty authorizing a card.
When a transaction is entered offline, and a previously obtained authorization code is input, the offline transaction is not associated with the original authorization; therefore no Transaction ID is generated. AMEX assesses a non-compliance fee of 0.75% in these instances.
If you have any further questions or need assistance, please submit a ticket and we will be in touch with you shortly.
