B. Transaction Card Acquiring
(Explanatory Notes)
This return [XLS 86K] collects statistics on the usage of transaction cards by delivery channel. Delivery channels include physical access points (card present) and remote access points (card not present). Physical access points include:
- Automated Teller Machines (ATMs);
- cash dispensers;
- Electronic Funds Transfer at Point-of-Sale (EFTPOS) terminals;
- other terminals capturing credit, charge and scheme debit card transactions including Credit Authorisation Terminals (CATs) and Credit Authorisation Terminals with capture functionality (CAT/CAPs); and
- over-the-counter access at branches and agencies (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point-of-Banking (EFTPOB) terminals and Bank@Post).
Remote access points include Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO) and the Internet.
The reporting period runs to the last day of the calendar month.
The acquirer of card transactions is responsible for completing the return. The acquirer is the organisation which, under arrangement with and on behalf of an issuer, provides services to the issuer’s cardholders when these cardholders undertake transactions via access points owned/controlled by the acquirer rather than the issuer. As a result, the acquirer engages in interchange activities with the issuer.
The arrangement with the issuer may be direct or through a third party. In some instances a merchant may undertake the acquirer's role and is therefore responsible for completing the return. Interchange activities are defined as the exchange of items for value between acquirers of transactions and issuers.
Go To
- B.1 ATM Transactions
- B.2 EFTPOS Transactions
- B.3 Scheme Debit Transactions
- B.4 Credit and Charge Transactions
B.1 ATM Transactions
This section covers transactions made with debit (including pre-paid) or credit/charge cards, using the ATM network, that are acquired by the reporting organisation.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are provided below.
| Own | A transaction acquired through the reporting organisation’s terminals initiated by a card issued by the reporting organisation. |
|---|---|
| Domestic Interchange | A transaction acquired through the reporting organisation’s terminals initiated by a card issued by another domestic issuer. |
| International Interchange | A transaction acquired through the reporting organisation’s terminals initiated by a card issued by an overseas issuer. |
| Total Interchange | The Domestic and International Interchange series added together. |
| Total | The Own and Total Interchange series added together. |
| ATM withdrawals | Withdrawals at ATMs/cash dispensers for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer. Transfers to other accounts carried out at ATMs are not to be included. Figures reported for the value of ATM withdrawals should not include the value of any surcharges imposed by ATM owners on card holders at the time a transaction is undertaken (and thus deducted from their account along with the amount physically withdrawn). Only the amounts received by card holders should be reported. |
| Deposit Account – ATM withdrawals from a deposit account. | |
| Credit/Charge Account – ATM withdrawals from a credit or charge card account. | |
| Total ATM acquiring | The Deposit account and Credit/Charge account ATM withdrawals added together. |
B.2 EFTPOS Transactions
This section covers transactions made with debit cards (including pre-paid cards), using the proprietary EFTPOS network, that are acquired by the reporting organisation.
A debit card enables a cardholder to access funds in a deposit account at an authorised deposit-taking institution. Transactions made using multi-function cards to access debit accounts should also be included.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are provided below.
| Own | This is as defined in section B.1. |
|---|---|
| Domestic interchange | This is as defined in section B.1. |
| Total | The Own and Domestic Interchange series added together. |
| EFTPOS transactions | Transactions made using debit cards through the proprietary EFTPOS network, at EFTPOS terminals for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer. Includes paper-based transactions used as a back-up when an EFTPOS terminal is temporarily unavailable. |
| Purchases only – Transactions made using debit cards through the proprietary EFTPOS network to obtain goods and services that are acquired through EFTPOS terminals for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer. The figures reported for both the number and value of purchases should be net of refunds (ie. if a customer returns goods or services and the purchase price is refunded, the reported figures should reflect the cancellation of the purchase transaction, netting the refund against the original transaction). On the other hand, if a ‘refund’ is given without a good/service return, such a refund should have no impact on the reported figures (ie. there is no netting as there is nothing to net against). | |
| Cash-outs only – Transactions made using debit cards through the proprietary EFTPOS network to obtain cash but not goods and services that are acquired through EFTPOS terminals for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer. | |
| Combined purchases and cash-outs – Transactions made using debit cards through the proprietary EFTPOS network to obtain both goods and services and cash that are acquired through EFTPOS terminals for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer. The value for such transactions is to be split into the purchase and cash-out components. Refer Purchases only above for treatment of refunds. | |
| Credit EFTPOS – Transactions made using debit cards through the proprietary EFTPOS network to transfer funds from merchants to cardholders’ accounts, which are acquired through EFTPOS terminals for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer. These transactions involve the use of the EFTPOS deposit transaction facility to be introduced in 2008. | |
| Total EFTPOS acquiring | The Purchases only, Cash-outs only, Combined purchases and cash-outs and Credit EFTPOS components added together. |
B.3 Scheme Debit Transactions
This section covers transactions made with scheme debit cards (including pre-paid cards), using a scheme network – such as Visa Debit, MasterCard Debit, Maestro and Visa Plus – that are acquired by the reporting organisation.
A scheme debit card enables a cardholder to access funds in a deposit account at an authorised deposit-taking institution.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are provided below.
| Own | This is as defined in section B.1. |
|---|---|
| Domestic Interchange | This is as defined in section B.1. |
| Total | The Own and Domestic Interchange series added together. |
| Card present transactions | Transactions where the scheme debit card is physically present when the transaction is made. The card is read and information captured or the card details imprinted. The figures reported for both the number and value of these transactions should be net of refunds (ie. if a customer returns goods or services and the purchase price is refunded, the reported figures should reflect the cancellation of the purchase transaction, netting the refund against the original transaction). |
| Electronic POS – Transactions made using an Electronic POS terminal for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer, through a scheme network (or, in the case of an own transaction, where the ‘credit’ button is pressed at the terminal). This includes paper-based transactions used as a back-up when an Electronic POS terminal is temporarily unavailable. The term Electronic POS terminal includes EFTPOS terminals and other terminals capturing scheme debit transactions including CATs, CAT/CAPs. | |
| Voucher – Transactions made using a card imprinter provided by the reporting organisation. This does not include voucher transactions used as a back-up when an Electronic POS terminal is temporarily unavailable. | |
| Total card present | The Electronic POS and Voucher components added together. |
| Card not present transactions | Transactions where the scheme debit card is not physically present when the transaction is made. The card is not read nor are the card details imprinted. The card details could be provided in writing (mail transactions), orally (telephone) or in digital form (telephone or Internet). BPAY transactions where the source of the funds to undertake the transaction is deposit account should not be included. The figures reported for both the number and value of these transactions should be net of refunds (ie. if a customer returns goods or services and the purchase price is refunded, the reported figures should reflect the cancellation of the purchase transaction, netting the refund against the original transaction). |
| MOTO – Mail order or telephone order (MOTO) transactions acquired by the reporting organisation. The card details are provided to the merchant by mail or telephone. | |
| Internet – Transactions acquired by the reporting organisation where the card details are provided to the merchant over the Internet. | |
| Other – Residual card not present transactions that are not MOTO or Internet. | |
| Total card not present | The MOTO, Internet and Other components added together. |
| Total scheme debit card acquiring | The Total card present and Total card not present components added together. |
B.4 Credit and Charge Transactions
This section covers transactions made with general-purpose credit cards and charge cards, to purchase goods or services, that are acquired by the reporting organisation.
A general-purpose credit or charge card can be used at many different merchants to make transactions. It is different from a store card, which can only be used at a limited number of merchants.
A credit card enables a cardholder to access a revolving credit facility. The credit card holder can use the card to make transactions up to a pre-arranged limit.
A charge card enables a cardholder to access a non-revolving credit facility. Charge cards often do not have an explicit credit limit.
Definitions of the terms used in this section are provided below.
| Own | This is as defined in section B.1. |
|---|---|
| Domestic Interchange | This is as defined in section B.1. |
| International Interchange | This is as defined in section B.1. |
| Total Interchange | The Domestic Interchange and International Interchange series added together. |
| Total | The Own and Total Interchange series added together |
| Card present transactions | Transactions where the credit or charge card is physically present when the transaction is made. The card is read and information captured or the card details imprinted. The figures reported for both the number and value of these transactions should be net of refunds (ie. if a customer returns goods or services and the purchase price is refunded, the reported figures should reflect the cancellation of the purchase transaction, netting the refund against the original transaction). |
| Electronic POS – Transactions made using an Electronic POS terminal for which the reporting organisation is the acquirer, through a scheme network. This includes paper-based transactions used as a back-up when an Electronic POS terminal is temporarily unavailable. The term Electronic POS terminal includes EFTPOS terminals and other terminals capturing credit or charge card transactions including CATs, CAT/CAPs. | |
| Voucher – Transactions made using a card imprinter provided by the reporting organisation. This does not include voucher transactions used as a back-up when an Electronic POS terminal is temporarily unavailable. | |
| Total card present | The Electronic POS and Voucher components added together. |
| Card not present transactions | Transactions where the credit or charge card is not physically present when the transaction is made. The card is not read nor are the card details imprinted. The card details could be provided in writing (mail transactions), orally (telephone) or in digital form (telephone or Internet). BPAY transactions where the source of the funds to undertake the transaction is a credit card account should not be included. The figures reported for both the number and value of these transactions should be net of refunds (ie. if a customer returns goods or services and the purchase price is refunded, the reported figures should reflect the cancellation of the purchase transaction, netting the refund against the original transaction). |
| MOTO – Transactions acquired by the reporting organisation where the card details are provided to the merchant by mail or telephone. | |
| Internet – Transactions acquired by the reporting organisation where the card details are provided to the merchant over the Internet. | |
| Other – Residual card not present transactions that are not MOTO or Internet. | |
| Total card not present | The MOTO, Internet and Other components added together. |
| Total credit and charge acquiring | The Total card present and Total card not present components added together. |
Please send an electronic version of the completed
return to payments@rba.gov.au.
