How to use Authorize.net as your gateway with RaiseDonors (Part 1 of 2)

Please ensure you complete all four steps to ensure your integration to Authorize.net is working successfully. Your integration may still work having completed only some of these steps, but it will likely present issues in the future.

If you have an existing merchant account with Authorize.net, proceed to step #2.

Step 1a
First, you'll need a merchant account at Authorize.net. We have a partnership with Authorize.net's #1 reseller, EVO Merchant services -- we are happy to facilitate an introduction to one of our trusted partners. Just let us know and we're happy to make a connection.

Step 1b
If you are proceeding with EVO merchant services, be sure to review our check-list to make the setup process as smooth as possible.

Step 2
Once your Authorize.net account is activated, the next step is to integrate it with your RaiseDonors account.  To accomplish this, you'll need to enter two pieces of information from your Authorize.net account into RaiseDonors:

• API Login ID
• Transaction Key

API Login
The API Login ID is a complex value that identifies your account to the payment gateway when submitting transaction requests from your website. While not valid for logging into the Merchant Interface, its purpose is similar to a login ID—it's like your website logging onto the payment gateway. The API Login ID is at least eight characters in length, includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and/or symbols.

You can obtain the API Login ID for your account in the Authorize.net Merchant Interface:

1. Log into the Merchant Interface at account.authorize.net —or— if you are already logged, click the Home tab near the top of your screen.
2. Click Settings under Account in the main menu on the left
3. Click API Login ID and Transaction Key in the Security Settings section (It may also be named "API Credentials & Keys").

Your API Login ID is displayed on the page if one has been generated already. If not, enter the Secret Answer to the Secret Question for your user account. The API Login ID and the Transaction Key (see below) will then be generated.

Important: The API Login ID is sensitive account information and should only be shared on a need-to-know basis.

Transaction Key
The Transaction Key is a 16-character alphanumeric value that is randomly generated in the Merchant Interface and is used as an additional layer of authentication when submitting transaction requests from your website.

You can generate a Transaction Key for your account in the Merchant Interface:

1. Log into the Merchant Interface at account.authorize.net —or— if logged in already, click the Home tab near the top of your screen.
2. Click Settings under Account in the main menu on the left
3. Click API Login ID and Transaction Key in the Security Settings section (click here if this setting is not available)
4. Enter the Secret Answer to the Secret Question for your user account
5. Click Submit

The Transaction Key is provided on a confirmation page.

Important: The Transaction Key will not be visible at any other time in the Merchant Interface. You must record it temporarily or copy and paste it to a secure file location immediately. Like the API Login ID, the Transaction Key is sensitive account information and should only be shared on a need-to-know basis, for example with your Web developer for the purposes of integration with the payment gateway.

If you do not have the option to click the API Login ID and Transaction Key setting in the Merchant Interface, you have not yet activated Multiple User Accounts for your payment gateway account. Multiple User Accounts is a standard payment gateway feature that allows you to strengthen account security and streamline transaction management by creating unique login IDs and user accounts for each employee who accesses the Merchant Interface. Activating Multiple User Accounts does not mean that you have to create additional user accounts; however, in order to view the API Login ID for your account in the Merchant Interface, you must enable this feature.

Note: The person who originally signed up for your payment gateway account or the primary user of your account should activate the Multiple User Accounts feature for your account, as they will be asked to enter sensitive account information.

To enable Multiple User Accounts:

1. Log into the Merchant Interface at account.authorize.net. The New Multiple User Accounts Management page appears.
2. Enter your user information including your First Name, Last Name,Title, Phone, Extension, and Email Address.
3. Enter a new User Login ID and Password for your payment gateway account. This will be a distinct User Login ID and Password that only you use to log into the Merchant Interface.
   
   Note: As soon as you finish activating Multiple User Accounts, the old password for your payment gateway account will expire and will no longer be valid for logging into the Merchant Interface. However, your old login ID will stay the same but is now only valid for submitting transactions from your website and is renamed the API Login ID. You are not required to change anything for your website integration. For information about the API Login ID, see the beginning of this article.
4. Provide the current Secret Answer to the Secret Question that you configured when the payment gateway account was originally set up.
5. Next provide a New Secret Question and New Secret Answer. This will be a distinct Secret Question and Secret Answer that only you will use for your own user account.
6. Click Submit

Once Multiple User Accounts is activated, the API Login ID and Transaction Key setting will appear in the Merchant Interface and you will be able to view your API Login ID. You will have a one-time opportunity to reset your API Login ID from this same page by entering your Secret Answer; however, future resets must be handled by calling Customer Support.

Step 3
You now need to provide your Authorize.net Transaction Key and API Login ID to RaiseDonors.

1. Login to RaiseDonors.
2. Go to your Account Settings -> Payment Providers section.
3. Select Authorize.net as your payment provider. 
4. Supply your API Login ID and Transaction Key.
   (You can leave the "Duplicate Window" as 120)
5. Click Save.

You have now successfully connected Authorize.net to RaiseDonors! But you are not finished, please continue reading.

What's next? 

Now that Authorize.net is configured with RaiseDonors, there are a few settings that need to be reviewed and configured in order to take full advantage of the integration.  Features such as recurring giving, ACH gifts, and more.

Although the gateway may work with RaiseDonors if you ignore these steps, you will miss key aspects to provide a better experience to yourself and your donors.

Continue to Part Two of the setup process.