Are you about to set up your website to accept payments using NMI? Then you’ve already made a great call for your high-risk business. That said, it’s always important to make sure that everything is running smoothly, and testing new software or plugins is a crucial step when adding a new element to your online store. This is why we’re covering the NMI test mode here – to give you some guidance that will help you test your gateway thoroughly before you go live and start accepting credit card payments online.

At Blue Payment Agency, we make payment gateways easy. We dedicate ourselves to helping high-risk businesses like yours grow and prosper. Whether you have a smaller e-commerce website or run a larger corporation – we’re here to help. This is why we’ll give you some up-front details here that will help you test your NMI payment gateway.

Please note: If you’re planning on testing your NMI gateway on an already live site that currently accepts payments online, setting your NMI account into test mode will cause real transactions to stop processing while in test mode. Please remember to switch your account off of test mode after you test the NMI payment gateway. 

Now let’s jump into some practical steps and how you can test your NMI gateway account.

How to set your NMI gateway to test mode

There are four simple steps to follow to put your active account into test mode.

1. Log into your gateway account, click “Options,” and then “Settings.”
2. Once you’re in settings, look for “Test Mode” under the “Transaction Options” section.
3. Click on the blue “Enable Test Mode” button.
4. Save your setting updates.

It’s that simple to turn on the test mode feature for NMI. However, we want to stress this again, any transactions made when the gateway is in test mode will not process at the bank, and you won’t be paid on those transactions.

This is why it’s just as essential to turn off test mode so that you can process legitimate payments again through your gateway once you’re satisfied.

How to turn off test mode in your NMI account

To turn off test mode or toggle your NMI account from test mode to live, you follow the same steps as above.

• Click “Options”
• Select “Settings”
• Go to the “Transaction Options” to find “Test Mode”
• Click the button to turn Test Mode off
• Remember to save your changes.

Now that you know how to toggle test mode on and off for your NMI account, we’ll give you some details on how you can test different cards and perform various types of tests.

Information for testing your NMI gateway

One of the great features of NMI that many high-risk businesses love is their multi-merchant account capabilities through one gateway login. In terms of testing your NMI account, you can perform test transactions for any connected merchant account. Keep in mind that if an account is in test mode, valid credit cards will appear as approved. However, no charges will be processed.

To perform credit card test transactions, you can use the following test card information:

• Visa: 4111111111111111
• MasterCard: 5431111111111111
• Discover: 6011601160116611
• American Express: 341111111111111
• Diner’s Club: 30205252489926
• JCB: 3541963594572595
• Maestro: 6799990100000000019
• Credit Card Expiration: 10/25
• Account (ACH): 123123123
• Routing (ACH): 123123123

You can also trigger and test error messages, AVS matches, and more by using the following information:

• Triggering errors in test mode to cause a declined message: pass an amount less than 1.00.
• Trigger a fatal error message: pass an invalid card number.
• Simulate an AVS match: pass 888 in the address field, 77777 for the ZIP code.
• Simulate a CVV match: pass 999 in the CVV field.

Deleting old test transactions

To delete old test transactions, you need to verify that the account is in test mode. Once you’ve confirmed that, proceed following these steps:

• Log into your gateway account
• Click on options
• Click on settings
• Click on Test Mode

Once in Test Mode, you’ll see the option to “flush transactions.” Then proceed to select the type of record you wish to flush (“Transactions,” “Subscriptions,” “Vault Records,” or “Invoices”). It’s also important that you select the “Date Range” (so that you only flush transactions made while performing your tests) and click Flush Test Transactions. Once all the test transactions are flushed out, they will no longer show up in the reports or be reflected in the graphs.

Remember to toggle your account back to “active” once you’re done testing and cleaning up. 

Can you move NMI transactions that were processed in test mode to active mode?

No. Any transaction that was done while your account is in test mode cannot be moved to active mode. You’ll need these transactions to be made again once your account is back in active mode.

Get expert assistance any time

Testing and verifying payment gateways and merchant account integrations can be tricky. If you don’t feel comfortable getting under the hood, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re more than happy to help and give you the expert high-risk credit card processing advice you need.

We can help you set up a new NMI gateway only account or set you up with both a merchant account and NMI too. All you need to do is to contact us here or give us a call at 844-253-9769.

Fiserv, or First Data as most know them, is one of the largest providers of credit card processing and merchant services in the United States, supporting businesses of all shapes and sizes. Although First Data was acquired in July 2019 (for $22 billion, no less) by Fiserv, it’s expected to take years before the brand transitions fully to Fiserv. Since this does present some potential for confusion, we’ll simply refer to the company’s merchant service provider as First Data for simplicity’s sake.

However, while First Data offers a range of point-of-sale (PoS) equipment and e-commerce and mobile app solutions for accepting payments, we’re frequently asked if and how it can be integrated into the NMI payment gateway.

Why can’t website owners get their gateway from First Data?

Even though First Data offers a couple of payment gateways, First Data Gateway and Payeezy Gateway, there are several reasons why business owners specifically look for ways to make use of the NMI payment gateway. Unfortunately, it’s easy to feel like you’re turning up a blind alley at this point. While First Data does integrate and work well with a range of shopping carts and gateways, finding compatible third-party software is not the easiest task for many.

This is why e-commerce owners who need to use the NMI payment gateway for their First Data merchant account will benefit greatly from signing up through a trusted NMI reseller, like us at Blue Payment Agency.

At Blue Payment Agency, we’ve helped countless merchant account owners, across a wide range of providers, get set up with NMI. Most often, the business owner is looking for ways to manage and use multiple merchant accounts from a single login platform. NMI also enables them to easily utilize landing page and sales funnel builders, like ClickFunnels.

Are you looking to integrate your First Data merchant account with NMI? Then look no further, you can sign up here! If you’d still like to know more, please read on below.

Why First Data merchants need an NMI account

There are many reasons why a First Data merchant would benefit from an NMI account. You and your business can rely on the fact that First Data is one of the largest processing companies out there, as we’ve touched upon earlier.

However, when you’re looking to use specific site builders, shopping carts and e-commerce platforms, NMI could be the gateway that opens new doors for your business.

In other words, the only real question to answer is how you can start using First Data and NMI together in an effective way. It’s also worth mentioning that NMI, while being one of the best gateways for high-risk e-commerce, also works well for low-risk product and service sales (regardless of who your merchant account provider is).

Use multiple First Data merchant accounts with NMI

The biggest reason most First Data merchant account owners look to use NMI is because they sell a variety of product types across the risk level spectrum. Each requires separate merchant accounts in order to be sold safely and effectively. For example, some products might be more prone to experiencing higher chargeback ratios than others. Regardless, using multiple merchant accounts is the more reliable way to go. However, the difficulty here lies in the fact that you invariably end up with multiple payment gateway accounts in addition to merchant accounts. That is – unless you use NMI.

NMI’s patented multi-merchant account system makes it exceedingly simple to manage more than one merchant account through a single gateway log-in. This allows you to balance sales volumes between your different accounts while managing your overall processing with ease. Using NMI as your payment gateway is a great way to avoid running low-risk products through more expensive high-risk accounts, and helps prevent volume cap issues.

It becomes clear why so many online business owners actively look for a way to make use of NMI’s unique multiple merchant account feature. It makes day-to-day activities so much easier. You can easily manage your various First Data merchant accounts by using NMI.

Expert assistance integrating your First Data account with NMI

Aligning and integrating First Data merchant accounts in the back end of the NMI payment gateway can quickly become both intricate and very technical. Even after obtaining your VAR, you’ll need to enter various VAR(s) fields correctly, and thoroughly test the gateway for full functionality. Even if it can be tedious, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Many merchants trying to overcome these issues seek our expert advice.

At Blue Payment Agency, we’re happy to help you keep your First Data merchant accounts while using the NMI payment gateway – regardless of your business’ industry niche. You’ll get the full benefit of our years of experience, and we’ll help you throughout the process and set it all up for you. You’ll get expert advice, a fast set-up, and one-on-one support while we help you work with First Data to get the VAR sheet info your gateway needs.

Call Blue Payment Agency INC today at 844-253-9769 to sign up for NMI, or contact us with any questions.

If you are trying to decide whether NMI or Authorize.Net is better for your high-risk business, you have already taken an important step in the right direction.

Established e-commerce entrepreneurs and start-ups that are looking to grow their business both need to find the ideal way to accept credit card payments online. Choosing the right payment gateway is crucial, and this is especially the case when you are running a high-risk business.

At Blue Payment Agency, we make accepting online payments simple. We dedicate ourselves to helping you grow your business. Regardless of whether you are a small website or a large corporation, we are here to help. In this article, we aim to help you decide which is better for your business – NMI or Authorize.Net.

Below we cover the strengths of both gateways so you see which better fits your unique business.

Please note. The information below is for general information only. It would be impossible for us to accurately tell you whether NMI or Authorize.Net is better for your high-risk business without knowing more about you, your industry, and product type. For the best answer to which is better for high-risk processing – Authorize.Net or NMI – you should contact us today.

Which gateway is compatible with the most e-commerce software or platforms?

It can be quite difficult to keep track of which is compatible with more platforms and software than the other. Authorize.Net and NMI are both compatible, when set up correctly, with some of the biggest e-commerce facilitators out there.

If we look at the numbers, both are compatible with 149+ shopping carts, and there is some inherent overlap.

Here are some high-risk friendly site builders and e-commerce software that are compatible with both gateways, although some do require 3rd party plug-ins and additional software in order to accept high-risk payments.

• BigCommerce
• Foxy.io
• Wix
• Magento
• OpenCart
• PrestaShop
• Weebly
• WooCommerce

However, there are some noteworthy high-risk friendly software and shopping cart examples where only one of the payment gateways is compatible. For example, NMI doesn’t integrate with Shopify, whereas Authorize.Net does. Similarly, Authorize.Net doesn’t integrate with ClickFunnels, while NMI does.

With the right help, you’ll be able to create your high-risk site on most platforms with one of these gateways (provided the gateways themselves are correctly set up with the right high-risk merchant account).

If you need help setting up a merchant account and gateway account for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can reach us here and we will happily answer your questions and pair you with either Authorize.Net or NMI based on which gateway suits your high-risk business best.

Compatibility with processors

Authorize.Net and NMI are both big players in the payment game. Effectively speaking, Authorize.Net works with all major US processors and some international ones. On the other hand, NMI has exceptionally broad processor compatibility both in the United States and internationally.

In short, if most of your business is based on international e-commerce, then NMI may very well be the best option for your high-risk site. If you mostly sell only within the US, either is a perfectly valid choice.

Are some high-risk industries better served by NMI versus Authorize.Net?

The answer to whether there are distinct differences that make NMI or Authorize.Net better than the other based on industry compatibility is not straightforward. What we can say is that both generally work very well for a few industries, like:

• CBD
• Coaching
• Online Education
• Nutritional supplements

Feature comparison between NMI and Authorize.Net

When we look at features, NMI offers a more expansive service. However, we want to underline that this statement is in no way meant to put Authorize.Net in a bad light. Authorize.Net offers a great array of features that are instrumental in making a payment gateway effective, user-friendly, and secure.

In terms of features, with both NMI and Authorize.net you’ll get fraud prevention, PCI compliant customer information management, data security, mobile application integration, virtual terminals, and various degrees of reporting capabilities.

NMI certainly stands out in terms of feature range. Among their many notable features is batch processing, transaction routing, automatic card updaters for recurring billing and card on file processing, and the simple QuickClick Shopping Cart, to mention only a few.

Choosing between Authorize.Net and NMI based on business type

When we start to compare benefits for different business types, we can see clearer differences between NMI and Authorize.Net.

For example, NMI is excellent for businesses selling a diverse range of product types, or ones that offer a wider range in terms of point of sale. If you have a physical store or location that you sell from in addition to an e-commerce presence, then NMI may be the better option for you.

Authorize.Net, on the other hand, provides a reliable and straightforward payment gateway that is ideal when your business is run almost entirely online. Authorize.Net makes it possible for you to start accepting credit cards on your website.

The biggest distinction, however, is that NMI is the better choice if any of the following applies to your business:

• You run multiple websites selling different high-risk products
• Your business sells a range of products – some high-risk, some low-risk
• You sell products at multiple locations, as well as online

If any of the above apply to your high-risk business, then NMI is likely to be the better option for you. This is largely due to NMI’s unique ability to integrate multiple merchant accounts into one payment gateway with one login. This is also supplemented with excellent volume balance loading and ease of access.

On the other hand, if any of the following characterizes your high-risk business, Authorize.net might be a better fit for you:

• You sell your high-risk products from one website
• You don’t sell products that are vastly different in terms of risk
• You only use one high-risk merchant account for your business

Details matter when evaluating whether NMI or Authorize.Net is better

The devil is in the details when it comes to choosing payment processing. This is especially true when choosing a high-risk friendly payment gateway. The best way to find out which gateway best serves your business’ unique needs is by getting in touch with a high-risk payment industry expert.

If you need help choosing between NMI and Authorize.Net, please don’t hesitate to contact us. At Blue Payment Agency, we’re more than happy to talk through your options, discuss your unique needs, and pair you with the gateway that will make your life easier.

As official NMI resellers and Authorize.Net payment gateway experts, we can help you decide which will make the biggest positive impact on your business and sales.

Contact us today by getting in touch with us online or give us a call at 844-253-9769.

We look forward to helping you find the best gateway to fit your unique high-risk business.

One question that often surfaces when creating your first online store or reassessing your existing e-commerce set-up: “Should I set up my payment gateway myself, or should I use a gateway my processor provided for me?”

At Blue Payment Agency, we help new and established high-risk businesses by meeting their payment needs in a simple, elegant way. We believe that assisting in the research stage is an integral part of our work, and we give business owners the insights they need to make beneficial, informed payment decisions. This time around, we’re looking into whether it’s better to find a payment gateway for your site by yourself – or whether you should opt for a gateway that your processor provides. Read more

Are you selling high-risk products online and considering adding more payment methods to your e-commerce store? We would like to offer some expert advice to see whether accepting e-checks might be a good option for you.

At Blue Payment Agency, we help a range of high-risk businesses address their online payment needs. We help e-commerce site owners set up payment gateways with NMI, and we offer both merchant account and payment gateway accounts and “gateway only” accounts. In our pursuit of making online payments as easy as possible for high-risk site owners, we provide a wide range of advice and recommendations as well. Read more