Frequent asked questions
Having been involved in payment processing for numerous years and having handled millions of transactions, we have identified the key queries that merchants typically have when it comes to payment processing.
We have organised our FAQs into relevant sections to make navigation easier. If you cannot find an answer to your query, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Questions about Appletree
Who are Appletree?
Appletree are a Payment technology provider with its operations in Mauritius and its development in the UK. We are veterans of the payments world with more than 19 years of experience in taking payments
Why should I use Appletree payment technology (merchant servicer) and not go straight to the bank?
- We make the integration of your website to the banks gateway simple
- We provide full customisation of your payment page so it looks like your website rather than a banks payment portal.
- We provide an added layer of security with our Level 1 PCI Compliance.
- We hold your hand throughout the administration process, helping you complete all of the necessary forms and documentation.
Who are Paybeagle?
Paybeagle is Appletree’s brand for the processing service.
What’s an acquirer?
An acquiring bank is a bank or financial institution that processes card payments on behalf of a merchant, they enter an arrangement where the merchant is provided with a merchant account allowing card activity to be processed.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
No
How much does it all cost?
Appletree costs vary and are discussed on a case by case basis with the potential customer.
Set up fees start from Rs0 and commissions start at 0.5% based on volume. We regularly review costs and commissions, we also work with the acquiring banks so that commissions are bundled together with any bank costs.
Appletree have no hidden costs
Are you affiliated with any financial bodies?
We are a Facilitator with the MCB and a registered service provider with Visa. It’s recommended that as part of a Merchant’s due diligence they should only use a service provider that’s listed on the Visa Registry for outsourcing their payment-related services.
This link will allow you to search for registered companies, check for Appletree
https://www.visa.com/splisting/searchGrsp.do
Do you offer services outside of Mauritius?
Yes we have acquirers that with work with in the UK and other parts of the world.
Do you only offer website payments?
We also offer payments via WhatsApp and secure email payment links (epay)
Application and Bank Related Questions
What banks do you work with?
In Mauritius we work with all of the acquiring banks, Absa, Bank One, Cim Finance, MCB and SBM.
What kinds of business are accepted?
There are many lines of businesses that are accepted by an acquiring bank, each type of business is assessed on its element of risk to the acquirer, charges and costs are decided based on the element of risk. Below is a list of business types that are seen as high risk so may be refused a merchant account, the Bank of Mauritius issue guidelines for the acquirers to adhere to.
Tobacco Products, cigarettes and liquor
Weapons
Violent Pictures
Content related to child abuse
Adult material and content (This restriction also extends to merchants from other categories that provide direct links from their websites to adult content sites)
Replica or fake products of any kind
Terrorism funding activities and any other activities listed under the Bank of Mauritius Guide notes on AML/CFT (could provide link to it?)
Travel Services and Future services such as travel tickets, holidays and event sale tickets, travel and tour operators, prepaid vouchers, ticket sales for future events etc
Sale of goods that involve an extended delivery time (such as special orders and drop shipping)
Unregulated recurring payments and auto debits and free trial
Lottery ticket sales/gambling or cash competitions
E-wallet/digital wallet operator (DWO)/certain types of unregulated e-wallets and other pre-paid devices/eVoucher merchant models.
Time share
Nutraceuticals (Diet Pills/Glucose Strips/Acal or helath related teas/Male enhancement/Teeth whitening/colon cleanser/Psychoactive herbal product; kratom and other detox products)
eLearning/Internet based work from home plans
Software download/Online technical support/Antivirus software/IT ‘Help desk’ services
Debt counselling or collection/Loan/Credit Modification/credit/mortgage/Debt reduction/foreclosure protection/credit card interest rate reduction
Prepaid cards/VOIP credit
Pharmaceuticals(including counterfeit medical and dental devices)
Penny Auctions
Circumvention devices (Black Boxes)
Binary Options
Illegal Wildlife trade/Elephant Ivory
Fantasy Sports merchants
Any other line of business prohibited as per Bank of Mauritius
The list is extensive and covers many areas that you may think shouldn’t be restricted but its important to discuss your business line with the acquiring bank of your choice. They will assess the risk and then make an informed decision, they work on a case to case business so its always important to discuss your application.
What’s a MID and a Merchant Account?
Appletree are a Payment technology provider with its operations in Mauritius and its development in the UK. We are veterans of the payments world with more than 19 years of experience in taking payments
What documents are required for an application?
- Bank Forms
- Cert of inc
- BRN
- Proof of address
- 6 months bank statements
- Business Plan
- ID
- Merchant agreement
- Board resolution for shareholders
- You will also need to provide website information like URL etc
Will you help me through the admin process with the bank?
A rolling reserve is a set amount of the business’s money that is put aside by the acquiring bank as a security deposit. It’s a small percentage of a merchant’s gross sales in a non-interest-bearing account that is reserved for an agreed amount of time then released to the merchant. The reserve is put in place to protect the acquirer from potential loss due to chargeback’s, the higher the risk of the line of business then potentially the rolling reserve amount and length of time to be released is higher and longer.
How long does it take to set up payments on my website?
Once you have been given you live Merchant ID a simple integration to a well known e-commerce platform can take a few hours.
What currencies do you accept?
We accept any currency, when you apply for your Merchant account you can select which currencies you would like to process payments in.
Does my business have to be set up and registered in Mauritius?
Yes your business needs to be registered with the Mauritian registrar, local GBC1 with corporate business accounts.
What’s a rolling reserve?
A rolling reserve is a set amount of the business’s money that is put aside by the acquiring bank as a security deposit. It’s a small percentage of a merchant’s gross sales in a non-interest-bearing account that is reserved for an agreed amount of time then released to the merchant. The reserve is put in place to protect the acquirer from potential loss due to chargeback’s, the higher the risk of the line of business then potentially the rolling reserve amount and length of time to be released is higher and longer.
How long does my application take to be approved?
From 1 week to 1 month depending on the documents and complexity of the application.
Integration
What’s a plugin and do you provide any - which ones?
These extensions are WooCommerce plugins that integrate those payment services into your WooCommerce checkout process. The following are the most popular
A plugin is an extension that integrates payments services to your websites payment page. Appletree currently have plugins for Woocommerce, Shopify and Prestashop, we are able to develop others when requested so please tell us your requirements.
Will you connect to my website?
Provided there are agreements in place we are able to help the integration to your website.
Do you have anything that I can use for testing, any API documentation?
We have a free sandbox test platform that we can provide you access to for testing along with the relevant documentation.
Do you work with e-commerce platforms like Shopify?
Yes we have plugins that allow connections to various e-commerce platforms.
Will you help me create and develop my website?
Yes we can help you with your websites
Security & Privacy
What security do you offer?
We are level one PCI Compliant so your customers data will be safe when being used as part of your website.
Why should I use Appletree payment technology (merchant servicer) and not go straight to the bank?
- We make the integration of your website to the banks gateway simple
- We provide full customisation of your payment page so it looks like your website rather than a banks payment portal.
- We provide an added layer of security with our Level 1 PCI Compliance.
- We hold your hand throughout the administration process, helping you complete all of the necessary forms and documentation.
What is PCI DSS?
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard is an information security standard for organisations that work with credit cards. The PCI Standard is controlled by the card brands and the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.
Are you compliant with GDPR regulations?
Yes
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