Last updated: 20-September-2022
Mastercard is implementing new requirements to help ensure a more positive cardholder experience and to mitigate negative practices associated with the utilization of a subscription/recurring billing model, a negative option billing model, or both.
Please read the information below which details requirements that are changing, what will be changing in Anthology Encompass, and what changes you will need to make on your Encompass site.
When do these new standards need to be met?
Sept 22, 2022
What are the requirements that Mastercard is requesting be put into place?
Initial Payment Terms of Subscription Discloser: On the donation form you must clearly disclose the basic terms of the subscription at the point of payment and capture the cardholder’s affirmative acceptance of such terms. The review page must include the price that will be billed and the frequency of the billing.
Confirmation Emails: An email confirmation must be sent at the time of enrollment in a subscription/recurring payment plan that provides the terms of the subscription and clear instructions about how to cancel the subscription.
Reminder of Payment Notifications: A reminder notification to the cardholder that the subscription plan will commence if the cardholder does not cancel. This notification must include the basic terms of the subscription and instructions about how to cancel. This reminder can be completed by email message or any other electronic method.
For any subscription/recurring payment plan that bills a cardholder less frequently than every six months (180 days), the merchant must send a notification no less than three days and no more than seven days before the billing date that includes instructions about how a cardholder may cancel the subscription.
Recurring and Scheduled Payment Confirmations: An email receipt must be sent after every billing that includes clear instructions for how to cancel the subscription.
Cancellation Method Must Be Provided: Electronic cancellation method must be provided. This can be via phone and email or form.
What is changing in Encompass to help meet the needs of Mastercard’s new standards?
- Encompass is enabling a default setting for perpetual gift cancellation for all sites. This places a "cancel payment" link to the right of a next payment listed in the transaction history of member profiles.
- Scheduled email notifications will no longer be optional. Changes to this functionality will be made in Encompass prior to Sept 22, 2022.
- The Encompass team will adjust the long-term product roadmap to include a more user-friendly recurring payment cancellation method.
What do I need to do to ensure my instance of Encompass meets these new Mastercard recurring payment standardizations?
Confirm that all recurring and scheduled payment forms have the Member Confirmation and Recurring Billing Emails active and that there are clear instructions on how to cancel scheduled payments.
The Encompass support site provides details on how to send member and recurring billing emails.
- Member Confirmation Emails: https://support.imodules.com/hc/en-us/articles/218798517-Customizing-Admin-and-Member-Confirmation-Emails#Customizing_the_Member_Confirmation_Email
- Ensure that the [Form No Blanks] Token is used so that the payment terms are included on the confirmation.
- Ensure that the [Form No Blanks] Token is used so that the payment terms are included on the confirmation.
- Recurring Billing Email: https://support.imodules.com/hc/en-us/articles/218798797-Recurring-Billing-Email-Management
- Ensure that the [Payment Information] Token is used so that the payment terms are included on the confirmation.
- Include Recurring Payment Cancellation Instructions:
By default, receipt content in Anthology Encompass meets Mastercard’s new payment regulations except for including payment cancellation details. Below is sample text (to be added to the bottom of your confirmation emails) to assist in meeting the requirement regarding the cancellation of existing recurring billing payments:
Please know that you can cancel your scheduled payment at any time by contacting us at 555-456-7899 or email at EMAIL ADDRESS.
Has Mastercard extended the new standard for non-profits to March 21, 2023?
We are aware of articles and discussions indicating that the date at which this enters into force for non-profits is changing to March 21, 2023. Our team has tried to confirm this with Mastercard and through other contacts but has not received confirmation to date. As such, we are continuing to operate with the assumption that changes are required by September 22, 2022. Our team will meet that deadline regardless of additional updates with a planned release on September 20, 2022.
What happens if the new Mastercard standards are not met? What are the repercussions?
We have not been able to determine what repercussions Mastercard has in place or how they will confirm all the new standards have been addressed. You can contact Mastercard directly via their support site: https://www.mastercard.com/global/en/personal/get-support.html
Membership has an Auto-renew function setting and will reminders be sent for these recurring charges?
A payment notification email will be sent seven days prior to auto-renewal charges being made. The email sent will use the system “Upcoming Charge Reminder” email found in the “Recurring Billing Emails” section of the “Manage Category” dropdown. This new feature will be included in the October (64.6) release.
When will the changes in Encompass be made?
There will be a scheduled Maintenance on the evening of Tuesday, September 20. Release Notes will be posted to our support site as soon as they are available.
The Membership Auto-renewal email notification functionality will be a part of the October (64.6) release.
Whom can I contact for further details about these new Mastercard requirements?
You can contact Mastercard directly via their support site: https://www.mastercard.com/global/en/personal/get-support.html