No, your Rapid Connect User ID is systemically generated and cannot be changed once you have enrolled in the site.

Yes - Any developer may visit www.rapidconnect.com, click the “Sign Up” button and complete the enrollment page. If you are not an existing certified payment partner, someone from the IPS team will contact you prior to approving your registration request to discuss any applicable business requirements.

Yes – By clicking on the “My Profile” tab in the Rapid Connect web application you are able to update personal information (such as address, phone, email, etc.).

Yes, each certified payment partner will have an “Administrator” within their company who is able to approve or deny new Rapid Connect users (for their company only). Please contact your Rapid Connect Company Administrator for important information regarding additional enrollment requests.

After successfully logging into Rapid Connect, you may click on the “Change Password” link at the top right of the web pages and follow the instructions.

After successfully logging into Rapid Connect, you may click on the “My Profile” tab. Once there, you will need to click on the “Reset Security Question” link and follow the instructions.

Visit www.rapidconnect.com, click the “Sign Up” button and complete the enrollment page. If your company is a certified payment partner to Fiserv, and already has access to the Rapid Connect web application, please contact the Rapid Connect Company Administrator within your organization for the Company ID that should be entered with your enrollment request.

For the majority of users requesting access into the Rapid Connect web application, enrollment will be automatic, and should only take a few minutes to complete. Users who are requesting “read-only” access to the site (to view Marketplace, reference materials, FAQs, etc.) will be granted immediate access at the time of enrollment. For users who are requesting “development” access to the site (which allows a user to open projects, view the Sandbox, download SDKs, etc.) – the request will go into an approval queue. If the user enters their Rapid Connect Company ID on the enrollment screen, the Rapid Connect Company Administrator for their organization is able to approve, without waiting for Fiserv. If the user does not enter their Rapid Connect Company ID (or does not have one), the request will be sent to an approval queue to be reviewed by the IPS team. Before approving, someone will reach out to the payment partner to discuss this new opportunity.

Each certified payment partner is assigned a Rapid Connect Company ID. This ID is a six (6) character code that identifies you, and anyone else from your company, when signed into or opening projects within the Rapid Connect web application. Your Rapid Connect Company Administrator will have this information – please contact them before submitting your enrollment request to ensure your registration is properly routed for approval, and there is no delay in the approval process.

The Rapid Connect “Administrator” for your company will be able to view your user profile information.In addition, select Fiserv personnel will have access to view all user profiles within Rapid Connect (for trouble-shooting, help desk assistance, etc.). Users from other companies will not be able to access your user profile information.

Yes, during the initial phase of the project life cycle, known as the “Development” phase, you may update the project (add or delete industries, payment type options, transaction features, etc.) through the Project Profile screen. However, once the project moves into the second phase of the project life cycle, known as the “Certification” phase, changes are no longer permitted.

Once you have successfully registered, and logged into Rapid Connect, click the “Create New Project” link within the My Projects component of the “Dashboard” tab. That action will open the New Project Profile screen, where you will input the requested information regarding your application development effort. Once you have completed the New Project Profile screen, you will click the “Submit” button, and your project will automatically be generated.

Yes– click the “Create New Project” link within the My Projects component of the “Dashboard” tab to initiate your new project. You will follow the same steps as before; complete the New Project Profile screen; once you have entered in all relevant information regarding your certification, click the “Submit” button, and your new project will automatically be generated.

A series of events take place after a new project is submitted: Test IDs: The system is automatically assigning the project a set of Test MIDs and TIDs that match the project criteria. TPP/Project ID: When the “Create New Project” link was selected, the Rapid Connect web application automatically created a new TPP/Project ID to the project Once you have completed your certification, this TPPID will be passed with each transaction, and will be used to identify your application within Rapid Connect. Manual Intervention: Each time a project is created, multiple personnel within Fiserv are alerted. It is possible that someone from Fiserv will make contact with the developer depending on functionality selected in the new project questionnaire. Test cards: If you have selected a face-to-face industry, a Level-2 technical representative will be contacting you to ensure you have the proper test cards prior to certification. SDK Creation: the Rapid Connect web application is compiling a tailored Software Development Kit (SDK), specific to each project, and contains Tailored Global Message Format (UMF) Specification, Tailored Test Script, Quick Reference Guides, Code Snippets, XML Schema, and Integration Guides.

When you are designing or developing a new payment application, you may create a new project within the Rapid Connect web application. The Project Life Cycle, Tailored SDKs, and the Sandbox, are tools to assist you with your design and development efforts; however they should not be utilized for random project creation. Each time a project is opened; multiple personnel within Fiserv are alerted that a new project is in the queue, and assistance may be required.

Once you submit a project request through the web-site, a tailored SDK (which includes the message format specification, test scripts, XML Schema, etc.) will be available for download through the Project Profile screen.

When you enroll, you will provide Fiserv with your e-mail address. Fiserv will use the current e-mail address on file (this address can be verified by clicking on the My Profile screen) to send you a notification when new versions of the Rapid Connect specification are created.

Yes - The Rapid Connect technical documents have normalized the front-end message formats into a single specification – known as the “Universal Message Format” or UMF. While each developer SDK will be tailored for the particular project it represents, the contents and the formats will not differ based on the platform the transactions will route to.

The purpose of code snippets is to illustrate the basic coding technique required to generate and parse UMF XML request and response messages from a variety of programming languages. For simplicity, only minimal fields are used to create a basic UMF transaction request and parse simple transaction response. The developer can view the code snippets to help them understand what classes need to be used in order to create or parse UMF XML transaction in a particular language.

These documents serve as the network layer integration definitions and procedures for the various communication methodologies enabled through Rapid Connect. This critical information will be present in the SDK, and will be tailored to address the specific communication type and protocol that is selected during the project creation and submission process.

The Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) are the functional documents that help further explain the best practices, payment types, product functionality, card association regulations, and merchant environment guidelines associated with developing a payment application. These documents are to be used by you, the developer, in conjunction with the Tailored UMF Specification to provide a comprehensive overview of the processing guidelines for specific functionality.

The following items are available for download within your Software Development Kit (SDK); Universal Message Format (UMF) Specification, Tailored Test Script, Quick Reference Guides, Code Snippets, XML Schema, WSDL File, and Integration Guides. These documents make up your SDK, and will be used in conjunction with each other when integrating into Rapid Connect

The Tailored Test Script document contains a list of all relevant, defined test cases for the functionality that was selected during the project creation and submission process. Each time a project is created (or modified) within Rapid Connect; a new test script will be generated and made available to you. Note: Within the SDK, test scripts will be defined as Unit or Cert.Unit test scripts are available for you to perform functional tests on a wide variety of transactions. Cert test scripts include the test transactions that you'll need to process to achieve your official certified application status

The XML schema is a file of all the UMF XML field tag names, field groupings, and (in some instances) applicable field values. This file is meant to be integrated into the payment application as the source file for the construction of UMF XML messages

The Software Development Kit (SDK) is the compilation of all development resource materials necessary to build an application, utilizing the Rapid Connect interface.

The Tailored Universal Message Format (UMF) Specification is the technical specification that defines the fields, field attributes, processing rules, and transaction types within the UMF and XML Schema. It is intended to be the primary reference document for you, the developer, when creating the code for a payment application. Upon the creation (or modification) of a project within Rapid Connect, the tailored UMF will be available for download in your SDK.

Once you have successfully completed the project creation process, you will receive an e-mail letting you know that a project is now active. Within a few minutes, you will receive a follow-up e-mail that lets you know the SDK is ready for retrieval and or download.

The SDK can easily be located on the Project Profile screen. Under the View Project Assets header, click on the “Download SDK Documents” link and the information will be made available.

Yes - a fully staffed technical help desk is available at department email address: IntegratedPartners@Fiserv.com to trouble-shoot issues when needed. When the project is moved to the “Review” status – a Level 2 technical representative will contact you to review such items as receipt format, best practices, manual review items, etc.

Login to Rapid Connect and check the Maintenance Schedule in the Resources section.

Your merchant should continue to utilize the 800# located on their merchant processing statement for production assistance. That help desk is staffed to fully support your merchant’s needs.

Contact the Rapid Connect department email address: IntegratedPartners@Fiserv.com.

Managed Router Solutions (VPN Solution): If you are connecting to Rapid Connect through a VPN, you should first contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ensure there are no outages or reported issues on their side. Once you have attempted to trouble-shoot with your ISP, your next point of contact would be the Network Operations Control Center at 800-555-9966. Make sure you identify yourself and your company, provide pertinent information regarding your issue, and ensure you are provided with a trouble ticket number for your reference. Managed Router Solutions (MPLS Solution): Contact the Network Operations Control Center at 800-555-9966. Make sure you identify yourself and your company, provide pertinent information regarding your issue, and ensure you are provided with a trouble ticket number for your reference. Secure Transport (Internet Solution): If you connecting to Rapid Connect through the internet, you should first contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ensure there are no outages or reported issues on their side. Once you have attempted to trouble-shoot with your ISP, your next point of contact would be the Rapid Connect department email address: IntegratedPartners@Fiserv.com.

There are two (2) options for assistance: The first, and fastest way, is to visit Rapid Connect web site, click the “Log-In” button, and utilize the “Forgot Password/User ID” option. You will need the email address under which you registered and will need to answer your Secret Question on file to reset your password automatically. If you have attempted to trouble-shoot, but continue to have issues, you may contact the Rapid Connect department email address: IntegratedPartners@Fiserv.com for further assistance.

Yes – when you are on the Sandbox screen, you have access to transaction log information for each transaction that has been tested. By clicking on the "LogTran" link beside a transaction, you will be able to see the log file of the actual XML request and response messages along with any errors that were identified with the fields in the request. By clicking on the "DebugTran" link beside a transaction, you will be able to see the parsed request and response message fields in a text format. Data storage for transactions is as follows: Transactions that are tested during a “non-Certification” phase of the project life cycle will be stored and remain available for viewing for 14 days. Transactions that are tested during the “Certification” phase of the project life cycle will be stored and remain available for viewing until your project is completed, and your application has been promoted to production.

Once you have navigated to the Sandbox screen, you are able to search for specific test transactions by one or more search parameters.The search parameters available are:  Transaction Type, Payment Type, Transaction Amount, Terminal ID, Full or Partial Account Number, and Date. The Sandbox will then return the requested transaction(s) to the screen for viewing. Transactions performed in a "non-Certification" phase of the project will be available for search and display for a period of 14 days.

There are several ways to access your test transactions, after successfully logging into Rapid Connect. From the “Dashboard” tab, locate your project within the My Projects component. By clicking on the “View Sandbox” link from there, you will be directed to the Sandbox, and your test transactions will be populated automatically. From the Project Profile screen, you may click on the “View Sandbox” link; from there, you will be directed to the Sandbox, and your test transactions will be populated automatically. You may click on the “Sandbox” tab; once on the Sandbox screen, you may search for specific test transactions, or search for all test transactions associated with a specific project number. With this option, no information will be auto-populated, as you must define the project or transactions you are searching for first.

There are two (2) ways to get help diagnosing error messages. The first, and fastest way, is to locate the test transaction on the Sandbox screen, and click the “LogTran” link. This will populate valuable information regarding the transaction, and why it did not pass validation. You may use this information to trouble-shoot your errors. If you have attempted to trouble-shoot, but are unable to resolve the issue, you may contact theRapid Connect department email address: IntegratedPartners@Fiserv.com for assistance.

During the “Review” status of the project life cycle, you will need to print/scan copies of “test” receipts, and forward those items to the Rapid Connect Level-2 technical representative for validation.

The length of the certification process is dependent upon each developer – the online project life cycle allows the developer to set their own pace. The Sandbox module allows for automated analysis of message content and format, therefore reducing the amount of time it takes to integrate into First Data.Only a small percentage of the project life cycle requires manual intervention.

No - transactions that are sent to Rapid Connect for functionality that was not certified will receive an error prior to being routed to a front-end platform for authorization. If such functionality is needed, a new project will need to be initiated by clicking the “Create New Project” button on the Rapid Connect “Dashboard” tab, and following the appropriate steps for project creation.

Yes– click the “Create New Project” link within the My Projects component of the “Dashboard” tab to initiate your new project. You will follow the same steps as before. Complete the New Project Profile screen, and once you have entered in all relevant information regarding your certification, you will click the “Submit” button, and your new project will automatically be generated.

Once all of the required test cases have been passed (in a single test run), you will need to click the "View Validation Report" link from either the Sandbox page or the Project Profile to request that the certification tests be scored as a comprehensive unit. If you received a "pass" validation for all transactions, the system will automatically promote your project to the “Review” status of the project life cycle. At that point a level 2 technical representative will contact you to discuss any manual items that need to be reviewed as well as the remainder of the project life cycle process. If you received a "fail" or "incomplete" status on any transactions, the project will remain in the "Certification" status and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Once you have completed your development process and are confident that all test cases will achieve a “pass” status in a single test run, you may promote the project to the “Certification” phase of the project life cycle. This can be performed in one (1) of two (2) ways: From the Project Profile screen, click on the "Edit Project" link, then select “Certification” from the “Update Status” drop down menu, and click the submit button. From the Sandbox screen, search for the specific project ID. Once you have located your project, select “Certification” from the “Update Status” drop down menu, and click the submit button. Once you have promoted your project to the “Certification” status, you will receive an e-mail notification confirming the change.

Yes - The “Development” and “Certification” phases of the project life cycle are automated (and logging and de-bug information is provided for each test transaction), however a fully staffed technical help desk is available to trouble-shoot issues when needed. When the project is moved to the “Review” status of the project life cycle – a Rapid Connect Level 2 technical representative will contact you to review such items as receipt format, best practices, etc. Your project will not be promoted to production until you speak to an individual from Fiserv.

Yes, in order for transactions to be properly formatted and translated to the appropriate Fiserv front-end(s), each merchant must be boarded to Rapid Connect.

If the merchant is connecting through Secure Transport (Internet Solution), the production URL and applicable DID will be provided in the “Merchant Configuration Sheet” that is e-mailed directly to the merchant. If the merchant is connecting via a Managed Router Solution (VPN or MPLS) someone will provide them the appropriate IP address and ports for production directly.

The boarding to Rapid Connect is being automated through the existing Fiserv merchant boarding processes. For any merchant that back-ends to the Fiserv North platform, the appropriate Rapid Connect MAI code will need to be selected during the normal merchant boarding processes. This will allow the boarding to Rapid Connect to successfully take place. Additional boarding policies and procedures will be developed as we enhance the features and functionality of Rapid Connect and expand its reach to additional Fiserv platforms.

Yes, once Rapid Connect has received the necessary information for the merchant account, a “Merchant Configuration Sheet” will be e-mailed to the merchant to properly configure their software or gateway solution.