Terminology

 (also card authorization, pre-authorization, or pre-auth) is the practice within the banking industry of authorizing electronic transactions done with a debit card or credit card and holding this balance as unavailable until the FasCard system clears the transaction (also called settlement).  Debit card holds can linger anywhere from 1–5 days after the transaction date depending on the bank's policy; in the case of credit cards, holds may last as long as 30 days, depending on the issuing bank.

A service which provides the complex infrastructure and security necessary to ensure fast, reliable and secure transmission of credit/debit card transaction data. Authorize.net is an example of a gateway service provider, gateway service providers generally provide their services for a monthly fee along with various transaction fees.

The term Location is used to describe an install site where FasCard readers and FasSat wireless access points are installed.  A Laundromat will most often be considered a single location where as an apartment complex that has multiple laundry rooms may consider each room as a location.  FasCard users with the appropriate privileges can group locations in Location Groups to make it easier to manage multiple locations with similar configuration and pricing options.

A merchant processor bank establishes a merchant account which is a type of bank account that allows businesses to accept payments by debit or credit cards. A merchant account is established under an agreement between an acceptor and a merchant acquiring bank for the settlement of credit card and/or debit card transactions.

Term used to describe a machine which may offer multiple prices based on which options or cycle the user chooses.  For example, the host machine may charge more for a hot cycle versus a cold cycle.  Machine options vary from manufacture, some machines offer 'extra rinse' or 'super wash' cycles which are often sold as an up charge.  This type of vend sequence requires an integrated communication interface between the FasCard reader and the host machine.  The typical vend sequence includes the user selecting a cycle, the machine telling the FasCard reader which cycle has been chosen, the FasCard reader displaying the appropriate vend price and either allowing the machine to start or deny depending on card status and balance.  This type of interface is sometimes also referred to as 'Serial Communication'.

The term to describe the central access point from which FasCard readers wireless communicate within a location.  There may be multiple SAP's in a single location, often determined by the number of readers being serviced at the location.  SAP's provide FasCard readers access to the FasCard remote servers via wired or wireless internet connection, FasCard readers will only operate if they are properly configured/paired with a SAP.

The term to describe a machine which has only one vend price regardless of which options or cycle the user chooses.  These machine types operate on a simple 'pulse' signal from the FasCard reader, no information on the machines status is relayed to the FasCard reader.  Once the FasCard reader has signaled the machine to start the reader only maintains an estimate of the cycle time based on how the equipment type was configured.

The term user describes a person who has access to the FasCard admin website, a user may have various privileges depending on what was configured when the users account was created.  A user is typically the owner of a FasCard account or an employee of the FasCard account.  Users can only access their functions via the FasCard admin site with an appropriate username and password.

The term retail user describes a person who patrons a FasCard account, often described as a customer.  Retail users may create a retail account with a FasCard system, this account allows them to view/edit their account details and take advantage of loyalty features that may be available.  Retail users can access their account via internet browser, often with a mobile device such as a smart phone or tablet.