Online Payment Services
Merchants can easily connect to the Agathis Payment Gateway, which provides the complex infrastructure and security necessary to ensure fast, reliable and secure transmission of transaction data.
The Agathis Payment Gateway is available 24/7 for processing transactions. We also offer a number of value-adding services to assist merchants in managing their businesses and protecting themselves from fraud.
Merchants log into a secure Web site called the Merchant Interface to manage their transactions, configure account settings, view account statements, generate reports and more. Since the payment gateway is a browser-based, hosted solution, there is no software to install or maintain.
Typical service fees—setup, monthly, and per- transaction
The payment gateway offers many features and options that can be tailored to specific merchant business models.
SMS Payment Solution
Through this product, Agathis has placed itself in a unique position to allow payments to take place anytime and anywhere. Our core engine has enabled connectivity to mobile operators, major financial institutions, utility providers and key retailers. We ensure that integration is fast and "right first time" which in turn allows our key clients to focus on their core business and not have to incur costly up-front capital expenditure and the associated on-going operating expenditure. We have the ability to interface with mobile operators, banks systems, utility providers and retailers. This expertise is a core asset of our company. Our clients do not have to expend resources and capital creating, developing and maintaining their own software and multitude of integration links.
The mobile arena and the payments world have seen dramatic changes over the last 10 years. It is evident that the mobile and banking industries are converging; just witnessing smart card technology gives strong proof of this. The SIM card that sits in the vast majority of mobile phones is essentially identical to the smart card that sits on hundreds of millions of Visa and MasterCard cards in the world. With both industries effectively utilizing the same technology, the prospects for synergies are significant. We are not saying that the days of plastic are dead, but what is sure is that there are more mobile phones in the world than there are people that have access to bank accounts, and it brings unique opportunities to make payments take place. Agathis has developed ways in which the mobile phone customer can use existing infrastructure to pay for goods and services in a manner that is straightforward and convenient.
As this convergence takes place, Agathis does not see itself as a competitor to banks, merchants, mobile operators or payment associations like Visa. Rather, we see our platform linking these parties in a safe, secure and efficient manner. All of our services are supported on a 24/7 basis, run in secure environments and have full disaster recovery facilities.
Our technical team has extensive GSM and payment technology experience. Because we own our own system, we have the ability to tailor solutions that meet our clients' needs. Our business team also works with our clients to ensure that we use best practice to ensure that the end consumer understands the power of the offering. This is often overlooked and underestimated – we have gained valuable insights from our live programmes and ensure that customers sign up/register for the service offered, see the benefits and keep using them. Our pricing approach to clients demonstrates our faith in our own solutions. We do not price on a massive up-front fee, rather on a transactional basis assuming minimum volumes are achieved. In essence, we deliver a service that pays when it is actually used – success for our clients ensures success for Agathis.
3D Secure Service
Agathis 3D Secure service is an "on-behalf-of" service that forms part of Visa's Verified by Visa (VbV) and MasterCard Secure Code (3D Secure) programme. It reduces the risk of unauthorized use of a cardholder account and makes internet shopping safer for both buyers and sellers.
The service enables card issuers to verify a cardholder's token/PIN online and provides results to the merchant in real time during the check-out process. This reduces the merchant's exposure to fraud and frivolous disputes and protects cardholders from fraudulent use of their credit cards.
Systems and functions of card issuers and cardholders
Card issuers enroll and activate cardholder accounts to participate in the payer authentication programmes. The card issuer is responsible for authenticating the cardholder during the check-out process.
Systems and functions of acquirers and merchants
Merchants communicate with Agathis 3D Secure Service to initiate the communication process. Once authentication is completed, the authentication data is attached to the financial transaction that is sent to the gateway or processor.
Systems and functions allowing the issuer domain to inter-operate with the acquirer domain
Agathis 3D Secure communicates with the various directory servers to facilitate the communication between the cardholder and the card issuer. Once cardholders are redirected to their card issuer, they will be prompted for their authentication credentials.