Is the new Visa Regs. affect WSB?
 

We are considering WSB for our primary CC processor and I couldn't find any information on their site regarding the new Visa regulations.

Is there any annoucement yet from WSB?

Dear Webmasters,

WebSiteBilling.com would like to inform and update you on several new Visa
regulations that will affect the way WebSiteBilling.com, an Internet Payment
Service Providers (IPSP) and our clients conduct business. Visa has mandated
that a new, unique set of operating guidelines will be implemented by November1st.

Under the new Visa rules, WebSiteBilling.com along with other providers in our
market space will be considered IPSP's. An IPSP is a company that provides a
broad array of services and has financial responsibility and liability for
merchant accounts whereby you, our clients (Sponsored Merchants) are allowed
to process and settle Internet transactions.

It is our mutual responsibility to ensure that we fully comply with all
regulations implemented by the card associations. We are committed to seamlessly
implementing the new regulations while retaining a business model that is good
for the industry. Below is a summary of the requirements for Visa that we must
implement by November 1st:

VISA
* Each Sponsored Merchant must complete a registration form that we will submit
to Visa on your behalf. A form will be provided to you by WebSiteBilling.com
electronically as soon as possible. Some of the data elements required are:
company name, address, transaction counts, dollar volumes, URLs, etc.

* An initial registration fee of $750.00 per company (not per url) will be
charged to register each Sponsored Merchant. $500.00 of this fee is payable by
the Acquiring Banks to Visa, the balance are administrative fees to the banks
and processors. These fees are due November 15th.

* An ongoing annual registration fee of $375.00 will be charged. $250.00 of this
fee is payable by the Acquiring Banks to Visa, the balance are administrative
fees to the banks and processors.

* Sponsored Merchants must be approved by Visa for processing Visa transactions
under the new rules, and will be checked against Visa's TMF list (Terminated
Merchant File) and the MATCH File, a joint Visa / MasterCard database. You are
obviously processing now, so that service will not be interrupted if you have
paid your registration fee and completed your registration form.

* IPSP's can only register Sponsored Merchants in the country where the Sponsored
Merchant has a presence.

* IPSP's are required to provide Visa with monthly sales, chargeback and credit
data for their review, by Sponsored Merchant and down to the URL of each Sponsored
Merchant site. Sponsored Merchants who are out of compliance on chargeback and /
or credit ratios may be terminated at Visa?s discretion. Please Note: Your
ratios at all IPSP's will be evaluated by Visa.

* The credit card descriptor on the cardholder's statement must be the IPSP's name,
as well as the Sponsored Merchant's identifier, such as your company code.

* The IPSP's Join Form must disclose the IPSP's name and the fact that the billing
descriptor will be the name of the IPSP and the Sponsored Merchant's identifier.

* IPSP's will display, on the Join Form, their Privacy Policy along with Terms
and Conditions.

MasterCard
* The MasterCard logo cannot be displayed on the client's sites.

* Several other rules will be changed and we will advise you as soon as these
are solidified.

October is the month to implement these changes. We expect the transition should
be a relatively smooth process. The following is a timetable for preparing for
the November 1st deadline:

* By October 8th we will begin the Visa registration process. We will email you
a form which must be completed immediately.

* By October 15th, we will have a Privacy Policy up on our Join Pages.

* By October 15th you must have all MasterCard logos removed from your sites.

We will provide you with additional updates on these initiatives throughout the
month. Thank you in advance for helping us to ensure the successful implementation
of these new regulations.

Sincerely,

WebSiteBilling.com

But there's also more:

check any site that uses WSB, their pay pages now show this legend:

You will be billed as: WebsiteBilling. Customer Service (US) 1-800-297-3308. A London, U.K. Company.

What is that?, are they preparing a move?

I was under the impression that they were based in Israel. Last time I bought software that used WSB as the processor, my statement said "Israel" as location for the company.

No way!, they are in US, i've spoke with Richard Kwiat (CEO) many times on the phone, and they ARE in the US.

That's why this London UK move is strange, they just pulled this up

The UK is one of the countries where it is possible to get banks to allow merchant accounts for adult companies.

Depends where their banking relationships are... smells like a "modification" to relationships!

The middle east is one of the 6 Visa regions, so it would make sense that they would be in Isreal for that region.

http://www.corporate.visa.com/av/regions/cemea.shtml

But if it is UK then, accordingly to Webby, they are outside the US region and therefore that region is free of the visa regulation, right?

Also, as you mention UK, now that explain that strange WSB move

I still have no confirmation on whether these Visa rules apply by country or by Visa region.

Ron (CEO of CCBill) says that you will need to be located in the same country as the merchant bank (not just the Visa region).

But I don't know how much I believe what Ron knows anymore.

But again, those are the rules for VISA US, not for VISA Intl.

I know for definate the UK does not have this shit... Also, tis not that problematic with banks their on adult ("problemy" but not relating to VISA US rules)...

I'm still not sure if this is only a Visa USA policy or if all Visa regions have gone with this policy as well.

The big 3 have said that it is all Visa regions, but I don't know if we should believe what they say.

Many people said here that this shit was not accepted by VISA Intl., therefore this is only a VISA USA affair.

Also i find the language in the 3 stooges emails too confusing, too much indeed, looks like thay want to hide something in order to get us tied up. i.e. they said:

"Under the new VISA USA regulations,"

OK this is USA

" an IPSP will only be permitted to
register Sponsored Merchants for processing if the Sponsored Merchant has
their corporation based in the same Country as the IPSP's Acquiring Bank for
VISA transactions."

What country then?, if it is VISA USA then it only takes cares for USA region.

I think that this can be read as:

"VISA USA will only process trans for USA porn webmasters, the others are fired."