Tokens & Network Tokenization

Generating different types of payment method tokens with Everyware APIs.

Everyware supports PCI Tokens and Network Tokenization (NT) for merchants who want to save customer cards on file for recurring payments, subscription plans, and speedy return customer checkouts. Network Tokens, specifically, are ideal for merchants interested in:

  • lower interchange rates
  • higher approval rates
  • fewer declines
  • lower risk of fraud
  • improved customers’ payment experience
  • automatic payment method updates
  • optional card art

Benefits of Network vs PCI Tokens

PCI Tokens are generated by Everyware on behalf of merchants who do not opt for Network Tokenization. These tokens meet PCI DSS standards and can be used for completing online transactions in place of a credit card number. While PCI tokens are interoperable, they can only replace a cardholders' Primary Account Number (PAN) for the merchant and the acquirer steps of the transaction lifecycle.

Network Tokens are provisioned by Everyware through payment networks serving as Token Service Providers (TSP) such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover, who generate unique "token" IDs to disguise cardholders' Primary Account Numbers (PANs) and other card details. Network Tokens are restricted in usage to a specific device, merchant, transaction type or channel. Every PAN can have multiple network tokens—each issued and used by different merchants. Network tokens, unlike every other secure token type, adhere to EMV security standards, which allow them to be used by absolutely all the players involved in a transaction's lifecycle - merchants, acquiring banks, networks, issuing banks.

More Secure

The most important difference between Network and PCI tokens is that card details are protected throughout a transaction lifecycle with Network Tokens unlike with PCI Tokens, which are more vulnerable to fraud at various points.

Network tokens are merchant-specific and each Network Token transaction is protected with a one-time use cryptogram. As a result, instances of fraud decline with network token use. Card on File Token case studies have reported 26-30% reduction in fraud.

Lower Interchange Incentives

Because network tokenization enhances payment security and helps prevent payment fraud, adoption is incentivized. Merchants may receive lower interchange rates from card brands like Mastercard and Visa for payments with Network Tokens. While some card issuers will discount interchange for merchants that adopt network tokenization others may charge higher rates without it.

Higher Authorization Rates, Higher Revenue

Because Network tokens are issued in partnership with issuing banks their transactions have a higher authorization rates when compared to payments made without network tokens. NT case studies have resulted in 1-3% revenue growth from boosted authorization rates. Merchants equipped with Network Tokens are also poised for globalization as these tokens are increasingly accepted across borders.

Better Experience, Automatic Updates & Card Art

Modern customers are likely to load card info with multiple online merchants and forget where they have saved their information over time. Later when cards without a Network Token expire, merchants and customers must reconnect to have payment methods manually updated. This can be expensive for customers and merchants to keep up with.

With Network Tokens, there is a higher level of consistency for all. Everyware can refresh stored tokens efficiently without intervention from merchants or consumers. Network tokens receive proactive updates from the card networks, meaning Card on File Network Tokens automatically update themselves when cards expire.

In certain use cases, merchants can choose to leverage detailed card art provided with the Network Token. This means Everyware can swap generic or text-only payment method options with official card brand icons for higher visual appeal and greater trust in recognized brands at the point of payment.

Enable Network Tokenization

To activate Network Tokens for your Everyware transactions, you must request your account be updated by an Everyware Representative. Your account will be authorized under Everyware's Token Requestor ID (TRID) which covers all Network Token provisioning for integrated card networks.

As an exception, Everyware can accept existing merchant TRIDs or can help facilitate the acquiring TRIDs from supported card networks when necessary. To acquire a new TRID or provide an existing one, contact your Everyware Representative who can help gather your information, confirm its receipt and configuration into your Everyware account.

The Everyware representative who updates your account settings will notify you when you're Network Token provisioning will begin and offer to walk through a test CreateToken call with you to confirm activation.

Provisioning Network Tokens

Once a merchant's Everyware Account has been enabled with Network Tokenization, any API calls involving tokens will result in a network token being provisioned.

The response for a CreateToken call will indicate:
• if a token was provisioned / "TokenStatus": true
• the tokens status / "TokenResult": "card_1A23bcDefGHiJKlMNopQrS4T"

If you want to provision tokens for all new payment methods, Everyware suggests leaving the CreateToken:True parameter in place for all payment requests. This way Network Tokens will be requested and Card on File functionality will not be impacted.

The element CreateToken does allow merchants to set the value to false and bypass provisioning. This may help merchants who wish to do A/B testing and want maximum control of their payment methods. Not including isToken in a request has the same effect as false.

Transacting with Network Tokens

Once tokenized, payment methods saved on file for a contact will appear in the Everyware portal under the contact’s Payment Methods profile tab.

The CreatePayment call, when CreateToken: true, will either create a token only if the amount due is $0.00 OR the customer's card will be used to pay for the amount due above $0.00 and generate a token simultaneously. The response will indicate:
• if a token was provisioned / "TokenStatus": true
• the tokens status / "TokenResult": "card_1A23bcDefGHiJKlMNopQrS4T"

The CreateSubscription call requires the CardToken input parameter and will associate the customer's subscription payments with the token provided.

Note: Success of the underlying transaction is independent of the success of the network token provisioning. Errors with the network tokenization provisioning process do not prevent the PAN from being retained and an Everyware payment method token from being issued. If for any reason, a Network Token fails to generate, Everyware will use a PCI Token in its place.