Card Acquiring Service

REQUIREMENTS
In order to participate in the Card Acquiring Service, agencies must complete a Card Acquiring Service Application and submit it to FMS for approval.  An application is required for:

1. Option 1:  Adding Location(s) to an Existing Account:  For agencies adding a new merchant ID to an existing cash flow or account
2. Option 2:  Create New Account:  For agencies new to card processing and agencies wanting to begin card collections for a new cash flow*; Application enables account set up with the acquiring bank and creation of Merchant ID(s).

*All New Accounts applications are required to complete an Agency Participation Agreement.

Agencies interested in setting up Internet card processing with Pay.gov  should complete the Card Acquiring Service Application concurrently with the Pay.gov Forms because a Merchant ID will be required to establish a Pay.gov account.  Please also contact JoDee DeVillier of Pay.gov at 202-874-6920 to schedule a kick-off call to begin Pay.gov set up.

APPLICATION & INSTRUCTIONS
Click here for the most up-to-date version of the Card Acquiring Service Application form.

Please complete the application electronically by typing into the form fields and checking the boxes provided in the Microsoft Word Document (with the exception of the “Authorizing Official Signature” in the ‘Contact Information’ Section).  If possible, please avoid printing the application and filling in the requested information by hand. 

If your agency is applying for multiple locations at once, please only file one application and use our spreadsheet template to list all of the location information, instead of filing an application per location.

Please also refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Sheet to assist you in completion of the application.

When completed, return the Card Acquiring Service Application form to Barbara Harper by e-mail: barbara.harper@fms.treas.gov or by fax: (202) 874-6575.

For questions about this form, please contact Dena Corson at (202) 874-0807.

TIMEFRAME
Turnaround time for FMS application approval is approximately two weeks. Once approved by FMS, your application will be sent to Fifth Third Bank for account set up. It will take about a week for Fifth Third to set up merchant accounts and your agency may be contacted with some additional questions. The total approximate time from application to set up should be approximately three weeks, at which point your new account information will then be provided to you.