To search for a merchant registered for AMEX:

1. Open the Advanced Search - Merchant Search page.

   Express enables you to locate submitted back-end entities and banking elements using hierarchy and demographic information. To search for a merchant accounting entity, browse to the Advanced Search - Merchant Accounting Search page, then enter search criteria based on the entity you are trying to find.

   Search results are validated against the permissions associated with your User ID. If your search does not return the expected result, ensure that your search criteria are valid, then verify with your System Administrator that you have the appropriate level of access.

   Note: Front-end only clients cannot search for merchant accounting entities.

   To open the Advanced Search - Merchant Search page:

   1. From the Express Homepage, in the Other Searches panel, click the Advanced Search link.

      Tip: Click Main to open the Express Homepage.

      

      -or-

      From the Admin menu, click Advanced Search.

      

      The Advanced Search - Merchant Search page opens.

      

2. In the Other Searches panel, from the Accounting Entity or Front-end Entity drop-down list, select AMEX Merchant Registration Search (this is the default).

   

   -or-

   

3. Click the appropriate Select button.

   The AMEX Merchant Registration Homepage opens.

   

4. In the Search Criteria panel, from the Merchant Type drop-down list, select one of these merchant types to search on:
   • Full Service: Merchants who process both front-end and back-end data through TSYS.
   • BE Only: Merchants who only process clearing and settlement data through TSYS.
   • FE Only: Merchants who only process authorization and capture data through TSYS.

   The option you select here determines which of the search fields are enabled.

5. Enter any merchant information to search on in these fields:
   • Bank (not enabled if you selected a Merchant Type of FE Only): Enter the four-digit bank number.
   • Merchant Number: Enter at least the first four digits of the merchant number.
   • BIN: Enter the six-digit BIN number.
   • POS Merchant ID (only enabled if you selected a Merchant Type of FE Only): Enter the full 12-digit POS merchant ID.
   • Sales Channel Name

     The name of the direct or indirect TSYS client that is registering the merchant for the American Express OptBlue program. Typically, there is only one default option available here, and it is the name of the sales channel set up for the AMEX CAP Number.

   • Registration Status

     The current status of the American Express registration. Possible values are:

     • Amex Closed (A): This option is used when American Express notifies that a merchant needs to be removed from the OptBlue program, typically via the Seller Canceled Derogatory Notification file.
     • Client Denied (D): This indicates that the client has denied the merchant from the OptBlue program; this could be for any reason.
     • Closed (C)
     • Registered (R)
     • Reinstatement (I): If a client changes a merchant's registration status to Reinstatement (I), the status will be updated to Registered (R) within the TSYS Express AMEX Merchant Registration screen, after the Global SPOIG file creation. This logic is incorporated so that the merchant record is only sent once to American Express as Reinstated.
     • Saved (S): This indicates that the registration data has been saved, but the full registration process is not yet complete.
     • TSYS Closed (T): This option is for TSYS use only, should TSYS close an American Express registration account.
   • Original Registration Date

     The date the merchant was originally registered with American Express.

   • Marketing Indicator: Select Yes or No if you want to narrow your search to include only those merchants whose Marketing Indicator check box is selected (Yes) or not selected (No).

     When this check box is selected, it enables American Express direct mail, newsletters, or messages about products, services and resources to be sent to the merchant. Communications may also be sent via inbound telephone, email, fax, website and any other means identified by sales channel. If the merchant does not enable this option, they may still receive messages from American Express regarding services and programs designed to enhance the value of the American Express Network.

   • Federal Tax ID

     The merchant’s Federal Tax ID assigned by the IRS.

   • Seller ID: Enter at least eight characters of the Seller ID.
   • Seller DBA: Enter at least four characters of the Seller DBA.
   • Seller MCC: Enter the four-digit MCC.
   • Industry SE: Enter the full 10-digit Industry SE number.
   • Cap ID: Enter the full 10-digit Participant Cap number.
   • Disposition

     From the drop-down list, select one of these options to indicate the disposition status of the merchant with American Express:

     • 1B- AMEX ESA: This indicates the merchant is participating in ESA. This disposition status is intended for your internal reporting and tracking purposes only, along with the disposition status of 3F- ESA-New Provider.
     • 1C- AMEX OptBlue: This indicates the merchant is participating in OptBlue. If selected, the page refreshes to include the panels Acknowledgement, AMEX Registration Information, and Additional Terminal Information. This disposition status should be used to register merchants who are accepting American Express for the first time, if known, at the time of registration.

       Note: Once a merchant has been boarded with a disposition status of 1C- AMEX OptBlue or 3E- OptBlue-New Provide, its disposition status can only be changed to either of those options.

     • 2F- Declined AMEX: This indicates the merchant has declined to accept American Express transactions.
     • 3E- OptBlue-New Provider: This indicates the merchant was previously accepting American Express (either ESA or OptBlue) under a different PSE/processor but has now moved to a new PSE/processor. If selected, the page refreshes to include the panels Acknowledgement, AMEX Registration Information, and Additional Terminal Information.

       Merchant registration records with this disposition status will be considered as registered for OptBlue, along with those having a disposition status of 1C- AMEX OptBlue, and will be reported to American Express as an OptBlue Seller. Using the disposition status of 3E- OptBlue-New Provider will help to distinguish merchants who have previously accepted American Express from those who are new to American Express card acceptance. The disposition status of 1C- AMEX OptBlue should be used to register merchants who are accepting American Express for the first time, if known, at the time of registration.

       Note: Once a merchant has been boarded with a disposition status of 1C- AMEX OptBlue or 3E- OptBlue-New Provide, its disposition status can only be changed to either of those options.

     • 3F- ESA-New Provider: This indicates the merchant was previously participating in ESA or AMEX-Direct under a different Service Provider but has now moved to a new Service Provider. You should use this disposition status to indicate that the merchant is being loaded as ESA or AMEX-Direct (similar to the current disposition status 1B- AMEX ESA) but is already accepting American Express.

       This disposition status can provide flexibility when boarding merchants. Merchant registration records with this disposition status will not be considered as an OptBlue opportunity and will not be reported to American Express.

       This disposition status is intended for your internal reporting and tracking purposes only, along with the disposition status of 1B- AMEX ESA.

   • AMEX Sign Date

     The date the merchant signed up for American Express.

     Note: You can review a broader list of merchants by searching on the Bank, BIN, Industry SE, or Cap ID fields. This will yield a list of merchants under the specific bank-level identification numbers.

6. Click Search.

   If only one merchant meets your criteria, the AMEX Merchant Registration page for that merchant opens.

   If more than one merchant meets your criteria, the AMEX Merchant Registration Homepage refreshes to list the Search Results for Entity in a panel beneath the Search Criteria and Create New Entity panels.

   

7. From the Search Results for Entity list, click a Merchant ID (or a POS Merchant ID if link available) to open the AMEX Merchant Registration (or AMEX FE Merchant Registration) page for that merchant.

The Merchant Header panel includes these fields:

Activation Date

SPOIG Record Status

SPOIG Transmission Date

The AMEX Sales Lead panel includes these fields:

Reg Status Change Date

Registration Status

The Merchant Header panel includes these fields:

Original Registration Date

Registration Status