Q.What is Online Merchant Services? A. Online Merchant Services (OMS) is our free web-based payment reconciliation tool that gives you secure and easy access to your statement information whenever you want it. OMS is designed to help you keep track of payments and submissions, making it easier for you to manage your account. Click here to view a demo. [Back to Basics]

Q.What are the benefits of reconciling my payments online? A. You can access your payment information online whenever you need it and download your statement into spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft ® Excel for further analysis. In addition, OMS allows you to see whether we have received your most recent submissions (usually the day after you send them to us) and to see the payment details up to 2 days before the funds reach your bank account. Our Search functionality enables you to search for settlements, transactions, adjustments or chargebacks on your account. You can search within a date range or for a specific amount or card number. So, if someone is querying a transaction, you can use this function to look it up in no time at all to find out the details. Financial data for all your branches can be accessed with one UserID, which makes it easier if your payments are reconciled centrally at a Head Office. [Back to Basics]

Q.Is there a fee for Online Merchant Services? A. There is no fee for this service. [Back to Basics]

Q.Will I still receive paper statements if I enrol for Online Merchant Services? A. No. Your next Merchant statement and all Payment Advice Detail will now only be available online. If you experience a problem in accessing any information, please contact Customer Service at (01273) 675533, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm*. For Corporate Purchasing Card Suppliers, please contact Customer Services at (01273) 607000, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.* [Back to Basics]

Q.How do I enrol for Online Merchant Services? A. Click here to enrol online for Online Merchants Services. You will need to tell us your: -    Merchant PAYE number -    Bank account details -    Email address [Back to Basics]

Q.Will Online Merchant Services affect my American Express discount rate? A. No it will not impact your American Express discount rate. [Back to Basics]

Q.Will enrolling in Online Merchant Services affect the time in which I receive payments from American Express? A. No, enrolling in OMS will have no impact on the time in which you receive payments for American Express charges. [Back to Basics]

Q.Am I eligible to enrol for Online Merchant Services? A. All merchants who are paid by bank transfer in Pound Sterling can apply online now. We cannot grant immediate access to online information to merchants who: -    Are paid by cheque. In this case we would suggest you contact Customer Service at (01273) 675533, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm* and sign up to receive payments directly into your bank account, and then we will be able to provide you with your data online. -    Submit and get paid in any currency other than Pound Sterling. In this case please contact Customer Service at (01273) 675533, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm* and we will advise you, and follow up with you in order to provide you online data for currencies other than Pound Sterling. -    Have cancelled their agreement with us. If you have recently terminated your agreement with us, or if we have terminated it, then we will not be able to provide you with any information online. [Back to Eligibility]

Q.What are the minimum technical requirements for using Online Merchant Services? A. You will need Netscape® Navigator, Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 4.0, or America Online version 4.0 or higher. You may use either an IBM compatible or Apple Macintosh® personal computer that can run Netscape® Navigator, Microsoft® Internet Explorer version 4.0 or higher, or America Online® 4.0 or higher. For optimum viewing, we recommend using a 14.4 kbps or higher modem. [Back to Eligibility]

Q.Can I reconcile my payments online if I submit in multiple currencies? A. Yes. Please contact Customer Service at (01273) 675533, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm and we will advise.* [Back to Eligibility]

Q.Can my employees have a different username and password for my account(s)? A. Yes, you can have more than one UserID and password for you account, so every employee using OMS can have separate access. [Back to Functionality]

Q.I have multiple locations. Can I access financial data for all my locations with one UserID? A. Yes. To view payment data for all your locations, you need to enrol with your Head Office American Express merchant number. If your individual locations are already enrolled separately you need to enrol again with your Head Office merchant number and banking information to create a new ID and password. The Head Office account will then be able to view financial data for each location in the chain. Each of the separate locations will still only be able to view their own payment information. If you require assistance please contact Customer Service at (01273) 675533, Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm. For Corporate Purchasing Card Suppliers, please contact Customer Services at (01273) 607000, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.* [Back to Functionality]

Q.How long after I sign up for Online Merchant Services will I be able to access my data? A. Your financial data will be available to you as soon as you have successfully completed the online enrolment process. [Back to Functionality]

Q.How much payment data is available online? A. You can view up to 35 days payment reconciliation data online at a time but you can access any payment data from the last 12 months. [Back to Functionality]

Q.Can I export financial data for further analysis? A. Yes, you can export your statement details into spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft ® Excel. [Back to Functionality]

Q.Can I view individual transaction data online? A. Yes, you can review transaction level data from your statement. Click on the figure which indicates the number of transactions for each submission. You can also search for specific transactions, by amount, date range or card number. [Back to Functionality]

Q.Can Online Merchant Services help me manage my dispute cases and chargebacks? A. You can search for the disputed transaction by selecting Search on the Account Main page. You can then enter the details (i.e. date, amount or card number) and the OMS will display the relevant transaction. You could also use the card number search functionality to see how many times a fraudulent card has been used in your business. [Back to Functionality]

Q.What if I cannot access my Online Merchant Services account? A. If you have a persistent problem accessing the site, you should call American Express Customer Services on (01273) 675533, Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm*, for assistance. For Corporate Purchasing Card Suppliers, please call 01273 607000, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. They should be able to advise when you will be able to view the site again. [Back to Functionality]

* Please have your American Express merchant number and bank account details ready when you call.