Consumers may not know when a payment transaction involves more than the merchant who they buy from and the bank that has the debited account. They have no reason to know that there are often other "links" in the payment processing "chain." One such link is the third-party payment processor (processor).
The processor works between the business and the bank, providing payments services to the business while serving as a connection point to the banking system. The processor facilitates automated clearing house, or ACH, payments; credit, debit, and prepaid card payments; and remotely created check payments.
Banks that have processors as their customers must be careful to minimize the risk associated with adding another link to the payments process. Central to this risk mitigation is for the bank to conduct due diligence, including "know your customer" (KYC)—in this case, the processor—and also "know your customer's customer" (KYCC)—in this case, the businesses on whose behalf the processor is transmitting payments. Regulators, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, have published and updated guidance emphasizing the essential importance of banks' risk-based management of their processor relationships.
Bank risk mitigation includes taking steps at the time of onboarding new processors as well as on an ongoing basis to monitor for any problems related to changes in those relationships. Recommended practices during onboarding include verifying the legitimacy of the business by visiting the processor's office and reviewing marketing materials and websites. It is essential that the bank understand the business lines that the processor's customers support and be aware of any payments-related concerns. For example, processors should provide the bank information on any law enforcement actions and consumer complaints related to its customers.
A bank's ongoing monitoring should include knowing about changes with either the processor or its business customers. Requiring the processor to inform the bank of new customers or business lines is one way to identify developments that require further study. Banks should also require processors to report any changes in the nature of consumer complaints, particularly if they include claims of unfair and deceptive practices that a business customer may have used. Monitoring for warning signs of potential fraud can be aided by receiving reports from the processor on its return rates and those of its business clients. High return rates for certain reasons, such as unauthorized or insufficient funds, should be investigated for the underlying cause and then addressed with the processor.
Furthermore, banks are advised to keep their board members aware of processor relationships by providing periodic reporting on transaction volumes, return rates, and types of businesses served.
Banks that focus on securing the processor link in payments transactions will mitigate their risk, support the payment efficiencies that processors bring to their merchant clients, and protect the payments system for the benefit of consumers.
We would like to hear what processes your institution has in place to monitor processors.
By Deborah Shaw, a payments risk expert in the Retail Payments Risk Forum at the Atlanta Fed