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Payment Gateway Configuration

tip

Chargent does not fully support BluePay with tokenization of card data. We are now looking at Braintree and Stripe as alternatives. This will require us to migrate our tokens from BluePay to this vendor right before we go live.

-- 2025/02/03 Jeff Sikes

Summary​

This document outlines the potential solutions for handling recurring payments, PAC contributions, and Point of Sale (POS) transactions as AANP transitions from Aptify to Salesforce. Key focus areas include compliance with PAC contribution regulations, the current use of POS at conferences, and future requirements for handling in-person transactions. Additionally, the document discusses using Chargent for Salesforce payment processing versus relying on Salesforce's native order and payment handling functionalities.

CardConnect (CardPointe) is our payment processor and BluePay is our current payment gateway. We are considering migrating to CardPointe for its modern APIs and broader mobile SDKs. However, the migration would require a vault transfer to securely move payment data and modify integrations. CardPointe also offers more advanced POS hardware options with EMV and NFC support, which could enhance the in-person transaction experience at conferences.

AANP also has a relationship with BrainTree and PayPal Payflow Pro, which could be considered as alternative payment processors.

A third party integration, Chargent, is a Salesforce-native payment solution that integrates with BluePay and CardPointe. It is highly configurable, making it suitable for managing complex PAC contributions, POS transactions, and auto-renewals. Chargent may be able to automate contribution limits, manage auto-renewals for memberships, forum subscriptions, and PAC contributions, and more easily integrate with POS hardware for secure in-person transactions.

It's a solution we have discussed previously with I2C as well.

1. Background​

AANP currently uses BluePay for processing transactions in its Aptify system, which manages payments for memberships, PAC contributions, and other financial activities. AANP's transition to Salesforce requires ensuring a smooth continuation of these processes, especially the compliance-heavy PAC contributions and in-person payments at conferences through Point of Sale (POS) systems.

2. Current Products and Processes​

Memberships:​

  • Annual Renewals: AANP offers annual membership renewals (considering future multi-year renewals), with payments set up as either one-time payments or auto-renewals.

Forums:​

  • Forums can be subscribed to at any point during the year and are prorated to match the membership’s end date. Forum payments may be one-time or set to auto-renew.

PAC Contributions:​

  • PAC contributions are either one-time or recurring (off-cycle from membership renewals), and may be scheduled annually, monthly, or quarterly.
  • PAC contributions made via cash or check are categorized separately and transferred to a dedicated bank account for legal reasons.

Fellows:​

  • Fellows have a separate membership with dues that are prorated if they are off-cycle from the member’s AANP membership.
  • AANP requires magic link invoices for both company and individual memberships, enabling payments without logging in.

Auto-Renewal Management:​

  • AANP wants to enable members to easily update or cancel auto-renewals** without needing support intervention.

3. Current and Future POS Usage​

Current Usage:​

AANP currently utilizes iPads at conferences, particularly in the exhibit hall, to process PAC contributions. This system integrates directly with AANP's AMS and enforces PAC legal requirements, such as ensuring the contributor is a current member, resides in the U.S., and adheres to daily and annual contribution limits. In addition to direct dollar contributions, the PAC team sells related products like sweepstakes entries or custom pins through this system.

Future Requirements:​

Moving forward, AANP needs a POS solution that can be web-based, a mobile app, or available as kiosks at events. The system must meet the following PAC contribution requirements:

  1. Current Membership: Contributors must be current AANP members.
  2. Address Validation: Contributors must not have an international address.
  3. Contribution Limits: Contributions must adhere to daily and annual limits.
  4. Product Integration: Ability to take contributions tied to specific products (e.g., sweepstakes, pins) and process direct dollar contributions.

The POS system should integrate seamlessly with Salesforce, either directly or through a middleware solution, to ensure compliance and ease of transaction processing at conferences.

4. Potential Transition to CardPointe​

CardPointe, a payment gateway under CardConnect, offers modern APIs (JSON-based) and broader mobile SDKs than BluePay. However, moving to CardPointe would require a vault transfer to securely migrate payment data and modify integrations. It also offers more advanced POS hardware options with EMV and NFC support, which may enhance the in-person transaction experience at conferences. This is no integration with Chargent, but it might provide our Salesforce vendor, I2C, with the necessary tools to build a more robust custom integration than they could with BluePay.

5. Chargent Integration with Salesforce​

Chargent is a Salesforce-native payment solution that integrates with BluePay and CardPointe. It is highly configurable, making it suitable for managing complex PAC contributions, POS transactions, and auto-renewals.

  • PAC Compliance: Chargent can automate contribution limits, member verification, and address validation for PAC contributions.
  • Recurring Payments: It manages auto-renewals for memberships, forum subscriptions, and PAC contributions, integrated with BluePay’s credit card updater.
  • POS Integration: Chargent works with POS hardware supported by BluePay and CardPointe for secure, in-person transactions. This can be essential for AANP’s conference needs.

Possible Paths Forward​

Option 1: Continue with BluePay and Integrate Chargent​

This option involves continuing with BluePay while using Chargent to handle payment processes within Salesforce. Key benefits include:

  1. PAC Compliance: AANP needs to enforce legal limits, membership verification, and contribution reporting for PAC contributions.
  2. Recurring Payments: Chargent manages recurring billing, ensuring seamless auto-renewals for memberships and PAC contributions.
  3. POS Integration: BluePay’s existing POS devices can be used for processing transactions at conferences, meeting all compliance requirements.
  4. Avoid Migration Overhead: This option avoids the complexity of migrating to CardPointe, allowing for a smoother Salesforce transition.

Option 2: Migrate to CardPointe with Chargent Integration​

info

After further review, it does not appear that Chargent has a direct integration with CardPointe.

Option 3: Use Basic Salesforce Orders Without Chargent​

In this option, AANP would use Salesforce Orders without Chargent. Key limitations include:

  1. Manual PAC Compliance: Salesforce Orders would require custom development to manage PAC contribution limits, membership verification, and address validation.
  2. No Built-in Recurring Payments: Salesforce Orders lacks native support for recurring billing, necessitating manual processes or custom development.
  3. Limited POS Integration: Without Chargent, there is no built-in integration with BluePay or CardPointe POS devices, making in-person payments at conferences harder to manage.

Aptify Contract​

One item we have to take into consideration is that our BluePay and CardConnect contracts are tied to our Aptify contract. We need to ensure that we are not locked into a contract as we transition to Salesforce.

Appendix / References​

Conclusion​

The recommended approach is for AANP to continue using BluePay with Chargent. This solution ensures compliance with PAC contribution regulations, provides robust handling of recurring payments, and allows for seamless POS integration at conferences. If AANP requires more advanced POS hardware or mobile integration in the future, migrating to CardPointe or even another vendor like Braintree could be a viable option. Alternatively, using Salesforce Orders without Chargent would save costs but would require significant custom development to meet AANP’s needs for PAC compliance and recurring payments.