Banking and Merchant Services for Higher Education Advertised July 13, Request for Proposals (RFP) for

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1 Request for Proposals (RFP) for Banking and Merchant Services for Higher Education Technical Questions Due: July 28, 2017 Proposer s Conference: N/A Proposals Due: August 3, 2017, no later than 12:00 p.m. For additional information, contact: Seema Menon Associate Administrative Director of Business Operations Phone: Fax: menons@sunysuffolk.edu All Proposals must be signed in ink and accompanied by a signed transmittal letter, County Disclosure SCEX Form 22 and Bid Certification SCPD-7 Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope with the RFP number, services, due date and time clearly identified. Late Proposals Will Be Rejected Page 1 of 37

2 Section I Administrative Information Table of Contents 1. Purpose of RFP 2. Background Information 3. Coordinating Departments 4. Evaluation Committee 5. Administrative and Technical Questions 6. Proposer s Conference 7. Due Date for Proposals 8. Number of Copies 9. Proposal Format 10. Selection Process 11. Award Criteria 12. RFP Policies and Procedures Section II Award Criteria 1. General Qualifications 2. Proposed Services/Products 3. Cost Proposal Section III Scope of Work Section IV Model Agreement asp Section V Suffolk County Request for Proposals (RFP) Legal Appendices/ Forms revised as of 10/22/02 asp Section VI Miscellaneous Forms Page 2 of 37

3 1. Purpose of RFP Section I Administrative Information (College) invites proposals (Proposal(s)) from qualified financial institutions located and authorized to do business in the State of New York to provide financial services described below. The College intends to select one or more institutions to provide various banking services, including but not limited to, those listed below. Proposers may submit responses that include one or more of the following services: A. General Banking Services B. Payroll Processing C. Merchant Services D. On Site ATM/Branch Services E. Investments F. Other Services Proposers should note that proposal submissions for General Banking Services, Payroll Processing, and Investment Services are limited to those firms approved by Suffolk County Legislature Resolution No It is anticipated that one or more contracts will be awarded with a term of five (5) years with five (5) additional one-year renewal options to be exercised at the College s discretion. The terms of each option period shall be as mutually agreed upon by all parties. 2. Background Information The College is a non-resident, public, two-year institution with three campuses (located in Riverhead, Brentwood and Selden) and extension centers located throughout Suffolk County. The College annually enrolls approximately 27,000 students and is a member of the State University of New York (SUNY). Page 3 of 37

4 3. Coordinating Departments i. Prior to Award of Contract The College s Office of Business and Financial Affairs (contact listed below) is responsible for coordinating the issuance of the RFP. Contact: Seema Menon Associate Administrative Director of Business Operations 533 College Road, Rm. 16, NFL Building Selden, New York Tel: (631) Fax: (631) menons@sunysuffolk.edu ii. After Award of Contract/Prior to Execution of Contract The College s Office of Legal Affairs will be responsible for coordinating with Company regarding the negotiation and execution of the contract. iii. After Execution of Contract The Office of Business and Financial Affairs is responsible for administration of Company s contract, including payments. 4. Evaluation Committee A College Evaluation Committee will make the final selection of Company. The Evaluation Committee will include, but not be limited to, individuals in the following roles: Vice President, Business & Financial Affairs; Associate Dean of Finance; Assistant Vice President, Human Resources; Director of Payroll; Campus Director of Business Services; Director of Legislative Affairs; Executive Director of Facilities Support. 5. Administrative and Technical Questions a. Administrative Questions may be submitted by to the contact listed in paragraph 3 above. b. Technical Questions must be submitted by on or before July 28, 2017 to the contact listed in paragraph 3 above. The College Evaluation Committee will develop responses to the technical questions. Responses will be issued by the College in the form of an Addendum to this RFP. Page 4 of 37

5 c. Office of Business and Financial Affairs is Sole Contact during RFP Process All communications during the RFP process should be directed to the Office of Business and Financial Affairs or, as appropriate, the College s Office of Legal Affairs. Communication with any other College or County employee or any member of the College Evaluation Committee or any incumbent company for the goods and services being procured pursuant to the RFP may be cause for disqualification from the RFP process. 6. Proposer s Conference No proposer s conference is scheduled. 7. Due Date for Proposals Proposals must be submitted to the attention of Ms. Seema Menon, at the address listed in paragraph 3 above by August 3, 2017 no later than 12:00 p.m. In the interest of fairness to all participants, no extensions or exceptions will be permitted, unless issued as an Addendum to this RFP and applicable to all companies. 8. Selection Process The College will evaluate the submission through a point rating system, set forth below in Paragraph 11. The College may invite firms to make presentations to the Evaluation Committee to demonstrate their qualifications and approach to the project. The final selection will represent the best interests of the College. 9. Award Criteria Proposals will be evaluated and ranked based on the award criteria below which is further described in Section II. Award Criteria: Points a. General Qualifications 25 b. Proposed Services/Products 45 c. Cost Proposal Proposal Submission a. Number of Copies Total 100 Proposers must submit one hardcopy original (clearly labeled) and seven (7) copies of Page 5 of 37

6 their proposal submission. In addition, Proposers must submit a CD or thumb drive, with the MSWord or PDF format of the entire proposal submission. Envelopes or boxes containing RFP responses must be clearly labeled with the Proposer s name, due date and title of the Request for Proposal. Do not submit proposals that are permanently/perfect bound. Binders 2 inches or below, spiral binding, staples, etc., are acceptable. b. Proposal Format Proposals must include the information requested below, and in the order listed. Each section and sub-section must be separated by tabs that are clearly labeled, and the pages numbered. Further details of the Proposal Submission Format is provided at the end of this section. i. Table of Contents A Proposal Checklist has been provided at the end of this Section I Administrative Information, to assist with assembly and ensure completeness of the proposal package. This Proposal Checklist must be included as the first item of the Proposal and used as the only Table of Contents. ii. Transmittal Letter on Company Letterhead Signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of Company iii. iv. General Qualifications Proposed Services/Products v. Cost Proposal: 1) The Cost Proposal must be submitted along with the other items requested under this RFP. 2) One original (clearly labeled) and seven (7) copies of the Cost Proposal are required, along with an electronic copy, as reflected in item 8.a above. vi. Requested Changes to Model Agreement Company should identify any items not set forth in the Model Agreement (reference Section IV) which Company requests be negotiated. A lack of comments will be considered full acceptance of the contract terms on the part of the Company. Page 6 of 37

7 vii. County Bid Certification Form SCPD-7 One original, signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of the Company must be included as a separate and clearly labeled section of the original hardcopy of the Technical Proposal. Form SCPD-7 is included in the Section VI entitled Miscellaneous Forms. viii. Local Business Certification Form SCDP-8A (if applicable) One original, signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of the Company must be included as a separate and clearly labeled section of the original hardcopy of the Technical Proposal. Form SCDP-8A is included in the Section VI entitled Miscellaneous Forms. ix. County Disclosure SCEX Form 22 Three originals, signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of Company and notarized, must be included as a separate and clearly labeled section of the original hardcopy of the Technical Proposal. SCEX Form 22 is included in the Section VI entitled Miscellaneous Forms." 11. RFP Policies and Procedures a. All RFP documents are available for download from the Suffolk County Community College website under the following link: The Office of Business and Financial Affairs has responsibility for maintaining a control list of all potential Proposers. Companies who intend to submit a proposal must complete Bid-RFP Vendor Registration Form included in the RFP documents and submit it to the contact person identified in Section I. b. It is the College s intent to select the Company that provides the best solution for the College s needs. c. Reference is made to the Model Agreement attached (set forth in Section IV) for the terms and conditions of the Agreement to be entered into, including indemnification and insurance. The Model Agreement is subject to revision arising out of the terms and conditions imposed by law or deemed appropriate by the College s Office of Legal Affairs. d. This RFP and the Company s response to this RFP, as may be subsequently modified in negotiations with the College, may be included as exhibits in any contracts that the College may execute with Company. Page 7 of 37

8 e. The College reserves the right to amend this RFP. The College reserves the right to reject any or all of the proposals, or any part thereof, submitted in response to this RFP, and reserves the right to waive formalities, if such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the College. The College reserves the right to request additional information from any Proposer. The College reserves the right to award negotiated contracts to one or more Companies. f. This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the College to pay any costs incurred in connection with any proposal or to procure or contract for any services. g. The decision to award a contract shall be based on Company s ability to provide quality services and products and to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including without limitation the Local Preference Law and other Suffolk County local laws set forth in Section VI entitled Miscellaneous Forms." h. The College is required to comply with the Suffolk County Local Preference Law as amended. This local law establishes a preference for businesses located within Nassau and Suffolk Counties when selecting firms for award of consulting services contract(s). Proposers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of this local law as this law may impact the selection process. i. The award of any contract will be made as judged to be in the best interest of the College. The final selection of the company will be made by the College Evaluation Committee, including but not limited to, the representatives set forth in paragraph 4, entitled Evaluation Committee of Section I of this RFP. j. The College General Counsel acts as counsel to the Evaluation Committee, but does not vote in the selection process. k. Each Proposal will be examined to determine whether it is responsive to the requirements of this RFP. All responsive proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth herein. l. While the College is under no obligation to contact companies for clarifications, it reserves the right to do so. Depending on the number and quality of the proposals submitted, the College, at the sole discretion of the College Evaluation Committee, may elect to interview all or some of the companies during the selection process and to request presentations, including demonstrations of products and services. Page 8 of 37

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS This form MUST be included in your proposal as the only Table of Contents. PROPOSAL MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE ORDER LISTED BELOW. TAB ITEM I. TABLE OF CONTENTS Please check if Included II. III. TRANSMITTAL LETTER GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS a) General Information / Company History b) i. ii. iii. iv. v. Expertise of Company and all proposed sub-consultants, including Qualifications and Experience of Personnel Experience References Staff Qualifications/Resumes, List of Sub-consultant(s), Organizational Chart College/County Contracts Supplemental Information c) Quality Control i. ii. iii. Operational Plan Record and Reporting Systems Operating Problems d) Financial Viability i. ii. iii. IV. a) Financial Statements Indebtedness to County and/or College Liens and Litigation TECHNICAL PROPOSAL Understanding of Project Requirements, Management Techniques and Approaches b) Anticipated Issues and Resolution V. COST PROPOSAL Page 9 of 37

10 TAB VI. VII. VIII. IX. X XI. ITEM REQUESTED CHANGES TO MODEL AGREEMENT (To be submitted with Original proposal only & not with any of the copies) COUNTY BID CERTIFICATION FORM SCPD-7 (To be submitted with Original proposal only & not with any of the copies) LOCAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION FORM SCPD-8A (If applicable, to be submitted with Original proposal only & not with any of the copies) COUNTY DISCLOSURE SCEX FORM 22 (To be submitted with Original proposal only & not with any of the copies) VENDOR REGISTRATION FORM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF ADDENDA, if any (To be submitted with Original proposal only & not with any of the copies) Please check if Included XII. CD-ROM or THUMB DRIVE OF ORIGINAL HARDCOPY SUBMISSION For the asterisked items: Please provide one copy of the requested forms as part of the original proposal only. The required number of originals as indicated in Section I of the RFP, should be unbound and provided in a separate envelope. End of text for Section I Page 10 of 37

11 Section II Award Criteria Responses to the items set forth under each of the categories below, will be used by the College s Evaluation Committee to assess the appropriateness and relevance of the information provided in the proposals and make a recommendation for award. Failure to include information as requested under any of the sub/sections in the Proposal may lead the firm to be disqualified. The responses to each of the categories must be separated by clearly labeled tabs into the sections and sub-sections identified below, and reflected in the Table of Contents (form provided in Section I) of the Proposal submitted. Proposers can submit a response for one or more of the services identified under Item II Basic Services of Section III Scope of Work. Proposer shall clearly indicate which specific services are included in the RFP response. In addition, the Proposer shall address the relevant requirements and provide appropriate/applicable information under each evaluation category for the specific services proposed in the RFP response. 1. General Qualifications: a. General Information/Company History i. Company Name, , main address and all branch office addresses. ii. iii. iv. Describe the nature of your organization (e.g. corporation, not-for-profit organization, sole proprietorship, etc.). If applicable, identify all principals and the ownership interest of each. Year Company was founded and brief history. Total number of employees. Include an organization chart as relevant. v. Location(s) from which majority of the staff will be providing services. vi. Annual fee income for the past three (3) years. vii. The general and specific specialties/expertise and overall resources. b. Expertise of Company and all Sub-consultants, including Qualifications and Experience of Personnel i. Experience: Provide general background information explaining why the firm and its sub-consultants are well suited to perform the requirements of this RFP, and how the qualifications of the firm and its personnel relate to the scope of services described in this RFP. Provide a brief history and description of the firm s and sub-consultant s experience in the public sector, particularly for governmental entities, colleges or universities, especially at community colleges. Page 11 of 37

12 For any projects undertaken and identified in this sub-section, Proposer is not required to provide client contact information. ii. References: References must be provided. This sub-section must be clearly labeled and separated by a tab, and must include clearly identified references for both the Prime Consultant and any subcontractor/sub- consultant firm. Proposer must submit a list of at least three representative clients, including any other public entities, along with a description of the type of work performed for each client and the name of a contact person at the client who can evaluate the firm s work. For each engagement, include: o A detailed description of the scope; o Client/company name; o Name, title, and role of reference; o Client/Company address, phone number, and address. The College reserves the right to contact any client listed. Proposers should check the references they submit to ensure that each reference and the associated contact information is current. iii. Staff Qualifications/Resumes: Describe the specific qualifications and background of your staff, and all proposed sub-consultants staff in this subsection, insofar as they relate to these services. Qualifications should include but not be limited to prior relevant experience. If sub-consultant(s) are not being used, Company shall include a statement indicating this. The information submitted must include: Company Information o Identify your firm s management team, clearly identifying and describe the title and role of the staff who will be assigned to the College s account. Proposer must include organizational chart in this section. o Describe the experience and qualifications of your firm s management team, and the team that will be assigned to the College s account. Indicate the availability of the management team and all other personnel required for this assignment. o Provide resumes of proposed key staff who will be assigned to the College s account, inclusive of a description of the qualifications, educational background, and work experience for all personnel who will perform services under this Agreement. o Any changes to the team members identified in the proposal must be submitted to the College for approval. The College reserves the right to deny payment for any services provided by a team member not approved, in writing, by the College. Page 12 of 37

13 iv. College/County Contracts: In this sub-section, provide a list of all contracts with the College or the County of Suffolk, if any, within the last five years (regardless of type of service) and the time period for those services. v. Supplemental Information: Include any brief supplemental information that may be relevant to your qualifications for the work. Elaborate or superfluous material should not be presented and may count against the company in the evaluation. c. Quality Control i. Operational Plan: Describe how Company ensures performance through adequate management, supervision, review and control. ii. iii. Record and Reporting Systems: Describe Company s system for selfmonitoring and ensuring maintenance of complete and accurate records. Operating Problems: Discuss any operating problems, other than litigation, which you have experienced within the past five years, and their resolution. d. Financial Viability i. Financial Statements For nongovernmental agencies, submit current financial statements prepared and certified by an independent CPA, or internal statements if certified statements are not available or have not been issued within the past twelve (12) months. ii. Indebtedness to County and/or College 1) Submit a statement as to indebtedness, if any, to the County and/or College. 2) Submit a listing of all outstanding liens, if any, against Company. iii. Liens and Litigation 1) Submit a summary of litigation, if any, against Company and its disposition. Page 13 of 37

14 2. Proposed Services/Products: Proposers shall tailor the RFP response to this section as deemed most appropriate based on the specific services being proposed in the RFP response. a. Understanding of Service Requirements, Management Techniques and Approaches Convey your understanding of the service requirements and demonstrate a thorough recognition of the services and potential problems to be addressed. This includes information on the Company s management and approach as follows: i. Summarize how you will respond to the specific scope of work, identifying the various considerations, approaches and strategies that will be utilized under this Agreement. Include information addressing the following issues: 1) Describe the level of continual two-way communication you will maintain with College administrators. 2) Discuss any specific or special qualifications. ii. iii. Provide a listing of all branches easily accessible to the Campus locations identified herein, as well as a listing of all services provided by each branch. Describe any requirements needed to establish branches at the College s Campuses as identified in this RFP. This includes the schedules that each branch would have during and after the Fall and Spring semesters each year. The College s preference would be to have the Campus branch locations be open weekly, Mondays through Fridays 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM during the semesters, and Mondays through Thursdays 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM during the summer. iv. The Proposer will be required to install ATMs. Elaborate on any requirements Proposer has to install ATMs at the College s campuses as described in this RFP, if requested. Explain where and how Proposer intends to install the ATMs, the timeline for the installations, as well as any assistance that will be required of the College. Include information on any relationships or agreements the Proposer has with other banking service providers that will allow individuals performing ATM transactions with the Proposer to avoid any fees when using an ATM belonging to said banking service providers. v. Elaborate on your experience interfacing with ERP Systems used by Higher Education such as Ellucian Banner. vi. Describe potential solutions available to facilitate 100% participation in Direct Deposit. vii. Provide packages that describe the banking services available to employees, the College, and students. Page 14 of 37

15 viii. Describe financial responsibility and literacy programs and training seminars the Proposer offers, as well as those that may be extended to the College. Include the frequency in which these seminars and programs are offered ix. Detail any sponsorships, internships, scholarships, or other programs that the Proposer has available, or intends to offer the College, as described in Section III Scope of Services. x. Describe online/web-based banking services and provide a mechanism by which the College can view a demonstration of the online products during the proposal evaluation process. xi. Describe the Proposer s capacity to electronically transfer funds to or from College account(s). Include the following: 1) Internal controls over transactions transferring money out of any College account. 2) Transactions must appear on reports to allow for quick identification and isolation. xii. Describe daily armored car/courier services, or options the Proposer would offer with regard to alternatives to armored car/courier services to allow for secure deposits, including same-day deposits. They may include but not be limited to options such as drop off locations. xiii. Provide a schedule and detail the steps required to establish a new banking relationship in a six week period or less. xiv. Describe other services that Proposer is prepared to offer, which excludes selling to/servicing students as private customers. xv. Proposer shall, for only those services being offered to the College, provide responses to the relevant questions set forth in Exhibit 1 at the end of this Section II. b. Anticipated Issues and Resolutions Describe anticipated issues that your Company may encounter when performing the services required in this RFP and identify proposed solutions. 3. Cost Proposal: a. Proposer should provide all information it deems necessary to explain or clarify its Cost Proposal. This includes but shall not be limited to the following: i. A description of all fees associated with providing services identified under the General Requirements and Basic Services sections in the RFP documents Page 15 of 37

16 ii. iii. iv. Elaborate on any competitive interest rates offers that would be extended to the College on College deposits, any additional investments, as well as credit cards and rebates on credit cards. A description of fees associated with electronic funds transfer to or from the College accounts. A description of fees associated with daily armored car/courier services, or for alternatives services to armored car/courier services that will allow for secure deposits, including same-day deposits.as described under Basic Services in Section III Scope of Services v. A description of fees associated with on-line stop payment services vi. A description of the costs, if any, associated with the installation of the bank s ATMs, as well as branches on the College s various campuses and satellite buildings. vii. A description of the transaction fees to ATM users, if any. viii. A description of all fees, for any supplementary services available, including but not limited to: a. Any fees for interfaces required between the College s ERP and the Proposer s electronic banking system. b. Fees related to adjust processing on deposits c. Charges for recalling or canceling a wire transfer ix. How will the bank stipulate the required compensating balance? Provide the formula for computing the compensating balance and/or reserve requirements. Page 16 of 37

17 EXHIBIT 1 QUESTIONNAIRE OF SERVICE AVAILABILITY Bank Background Community involvement 1. Describe any training or educational programs the bank can currently offers to our employees and students who have a desire to learn more about investing, economics, finance, and banking. 2. Describe any intended commitments the Proposer would make to the College in terms of student scholarships, or sponsorship of College/student events. Customer Service 1. Describe how your government banking department is organized. Is there a separate department for each type of service or a centralized customer service department? 2. Describe what additional customer care services we can expect from the assigned representatives and the bank. Implementation 1. Please provide a detailed implementation schedule and timeline. The schedule should include the timing of each phase of the transition, the employees involved, and the actions required by our company. 2. Is there any charge for training? What training does the bank provide? Is on-site training available? 3. Describe an overall plan to ensure a smooth transition from current bank service providers. Business Continuity 1. Provide an overview of your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Programs. 2. Do you have dedicated staff in place to manage disaster recovery planning and procedures? 3. Who at your company decides whether or not to invoke disaster recovery plans? On what do they base the decision? 4. Do you have different processes and procedures in place for short-term and long-term business interruptions? 5. How is your data backed up? How long would it take you to recover data during or after a disaster scenario? 6. Are your backup servers for applications and databases housed in facilities separate from your primary servers? 7. Who do we contact in the event of a disaster or emergency? 8. Do you have a defined internal escalation process during a disaster or emergency? Page 17 of 37

18 9. Do you have any recommendations that would help us better plan for disaster recovery within our own organization? Electronic Banking and Information Reporting Processing Electronic banking systems 1. Can the company create customized reports? 2. How many days of history can be accessed through the system? Provide sample reports. a. Does the system provide for history inquiry by date ranges? b. Describe whether the College can determine history retention. c. Can the bank provide the customer with a download of historical data? If so, in what format(s)? 3. What other bank services are available through the system? List all transaction types (e.g., wire transfers, stop payments) that can be initiated using the electronic banking system. 4. Discuss the ability of the electronic banking system to interface directly with the College s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (Ellucian Banner). a. Do any of the bank s customers currently interface with your system(s) from the accounting, ERP and/or TWS system(s) used by the company? b. Is this an existing interface or would a custom interface need to be developed? c. What languages or protocols (e.g., EDI, XML) are used to facilitate the interface? Security User security 1. Discuss the security features of the electronic banking system. 2. Describe the process to log into the system. Are users required to change their passwords periodically? Are tokens required for all Users? 3. Does the system log out users after a specified period? 4. Describe the capabilities of the electronic banking system to segregate user authority by function (e.g., access account information, initiate transactions, approve transactions). 5. Describe the security manager s functions. What audit features are available? Transmissions 1. Do you support FTP file transmission? If so, what encryption methods are used? 2. Does your online transmission platform offer any value-added services? If so please describe. Page 18 of 37

19 Depository Services Deposit supplies 1. Does the customer order deposit tickets, deposit bags, and other supplies through the provider or directly from a vendor? How are the charges handled? 2. Can deposit tickets contain an auxiliary MICR field for our location and/or transaction information? What is the maximum number of usable digits in this field? Deposit verification 1. Discuss the provider s procedures for post-verification. a. How many Provider employees are present when deposit bags are opened? b. Where are the bags opened? c. What additional security measures are employed? 2. Does the provider identify and adjust all discrepancies? a. What is the standard procedure for reporting deposit adjustments and what additional options are available (e.g., electronic reporting with location ID attached, adjustment copies to multiple locations, etc.)? b. What information do you provide to the company regarding a deposit adjustment (e.g., deposit bag number, denomination breakdown, etc.)? Coin / currency ordering services 1. Does the provider have an automated coin/currency ordering service? Describe the deposit and change order procedures, cut-off times, security, and other features of this system. 2. Describe change order procedures and restrictions for branch pickup. 3. For both cash vault and branch change orders, discuss whether or not there are minimum purchase requirements (e.g., standard straps of currency and full boxes of coin)? Is a discount offered for purchasing standard amounts and/or using standard change orders? What settlement options are available for change orders (e.g., cash, check, debit to account, wire, etc.)? Return item processing 1. Can return items be automatically redeposited? If so, how many times? a. Is this service optional by location? b. Can copies of all redeposited return items be provided to the depositing location or a central office? If so, within what time frame? c. Are returned items available for viewing online? 2. Can you provide a detailed return item transmission to depository customers? If not, when do you plan to have the service available? a. Does the transmission include both returns and reroutes? b. Is there a separate record for each returned item? c. Can these records identify the depositing location and the type of item being returned (e.g., personal check, traveler s check, money order, etc.)? Page 19 of 37

20 Remote Deposit Provider background Experience 1. Are you dependent on any other company as a partner, co-bidder, subcontractor, or any other business relationship in order to provide the services included in the proposal? If so, please describe in detail. Remote deposit services 1. Provide a detailed description and general workflow of your remote deposit service capabilities. Attach any diagrams that would assist a novice in understanding the service. Image Cash Letter 1. What storage time do you recommend before we destroy paper checks that have been scanned and cleared as an image item? Merchant Services Processor background Experience 1. Provide a general overview and brief history of your organization, including parent, length of time offering card processing services, and/or subsidiary companies and the number of employees. Indicate if you are a direct processor or an ISO and who you are affiliated with. 2. Do you use a third party for any segment of customer or card processing services? If so, explain and provide a complete listing and history of their relationships with you. Competitive position and future commitment 1. What differentiates your service from that of other providers? 2. List industry-related associations or organizations of which your company is a member, or in which it has direct representation, including the card networks and committees. Processing Authorization 1. Describe the authorization method you recommend for our company. List and describe alternatives. 2. What are the procedures to reverse an incorrect authorization? 3. Do you have the ability to process internationally? What currencies can you authorize and settle in? Page 20 of 37

21 Settlement 1. Are settlement amounts listed separately on the bank statement or will they appear as one lump sum (meaning one amount for Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, one amount for American Express)? Will Saturday and Sunday activity be combined into Monday activity? 2. What are the settlement transmission time frames for Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diners, and JCB? Ticket retrieval and chargebacks 1. Will you provide a designated contact person or a department to help us manage chargebacks? 2. Do you have the capability to store and retrieve transaction information, including signatures for bank card transactions and non-bank card transactions? If so, do you have a system that enables the merchant to retrieve and receive this information online? General card processing 1. Do you support BIN (Bank Information Number) file management to differentiate between debit card and credit card transactions? 2. Describe your debit card processing capabilities. Which networks can you use to support both pin-based and signature-based transactions? 3. Please describe how you would support a program for lowest cost routing for debit cards. 4. What process do you use to ensure that transactions qualify for the lowest interchange category? Do you at least provide an annual review of account activity to help your customers identify opportunities to improve qualification rates? 5. Describe the dispute process and procedures for both cardholders and merchants. 6. Does your processing system identify and eliminate duplicate transactions? 7. Do you offer processing solutions that perform: a. Deferred billing? b. Installment billing? c. Recurring billing? 8. Is your company able to process smart card (or mobile NFC) transactions? If so, describe. 9. What is the average number of transactions currently processed daily? What is the greatest number of transactions processed in an hour? How does that compare to your current capacity? PCI DSS compliance 1. Describe how the solution can support the requirement to support end-to-end traceability of a transaction, regardless of the number of vendor "partners" involved. Describe the security measures used to prevent unauthorized user access to either the system or the data. 2. Is your organization, including all subcontractors and third-party processors, in compliance with all applicable PCI DSS standards? Have you been certified as compliant by a third-party assessor? 3. What resources are available to us for assistance with PCI DSS compliance? Who is the customer contact for PCI DSS compliance the company can refer to for questions? Page 21 of 37

22 Technical capabilities Communications options 1. What equipment do you recommend we obtain for processing? Do you provide this equipment for lease/sale? Provide pricing details. What is your maintenance and/or replacement policy for this equipment? Will you make available an equipment conversion fund to replace our existing terminals and/or processing equipment? Security 1. Outline the security measures in place for the protection of data transmitted for processing. 2. Describe the security measures used to prevent unauthorized user access to either the system or the data. If applicable, please indicate if there has ever been a compromise to any credit card systems or applications through a security breach. Detail the process the bank took to notify customers, the steps taken to protect customer s data and the safeguards put in place to prevent it in the future. Up-time percentage 1. What are established service levels for system availability? 2. Provide system availability statistics for the current and prior year. Ecommerce and online payment processing 1. Please describe your approach to online payments. What resources, educational and otherwise, can you provide to merchants? Do you have processing relationships with gateway processors? 2. What is your approach and philosophy toward new and emerging payments (mobile payments, pay-by-phone, tokens, etc.)? Please list any types of emerging payments that you are working with your customers to implement. What resources can you provide to merchants that are considering adopting new and emerging forms of payment? Information reporting 1. Describe the daily and/or monthly reconciliation reports available to the merchant. a. Provide samples of standard reports, including detail and summary reports. b. What is the standard delivery time frame? c. What delivery methods are available (e.g., mail, , fax)? 2. Describe other reports available to the merchant. If a merchant needs reports from a previous period, or a specific time frame, are they readily available? How long is reporting data stored in your system? 3. Describe how multiple merchant numbers are reported and the flexibility afforded the merchant for customizing the reports. Can the merchant roll up specific groups for reporting independent of others? 4. Can reports be tailored to send specific sections for example, report groups comprising a subset of merchant numbers to different locations? Is there an additional cost for this service? 5. Is historical information regarding sales, refunds, and chargebacks maintained in a database for access by the merchant? If so, what access method is available? For how Page 22 of 37

23 many months may historical data be retrieved? 6. How does your solution feed settlement files into an ERP? 7. Does your recommended solution include a specific chargeback reporting option or service? Implementation 1. Describe the merchant implementation process (i.e., steps in the process of bringing a merchant into production) and the normal time frame for implementation. Customer service 1. Will a specific customer service representative be assigned to handle this business? Describe the responsibilities of the customer service approach and provide contacts, including the chain of command for problem resolution. 2. What are the hours of operation for the customer service unit? Specify time zone. Quality 1. Do you have a formal quality-improvement program for card processing? If so, describe. Payment Gateway 1. Describe the online billing services available through your solution and describe the features of payment security and storage. 2. Does your gateway solution support electronic check payments? If yes, please describe. Do you have any complementary services that you can offer? 3. What transaction types does the gateway service support? 4. Describe the reporting and reconciliation available with your gateway service. 5. Describe your online payment gateway service and include the features and benefits it provides. 6. Describe the international funding and report availability through the payment gateway. 7. Describe what protection and controls you offer to minimize fraudulent card use by cardholders and third parties. How do you screen transaction activity for fraudulent patterns? 8. Does your service interface with existing applications and systems? 9. Provide a list of your application programming interface (API) integrations. Online Bill Presentment and Payment Overview 1. Please provide an overview of your electronic bill presentment and payment service. 2. Please provide a detailed diagram of the flow of information between systems. 3. Is your solution PCI-compliant? 4. Is your solution compliant with red flag rules? Page 23 of 37

24 Bill payment 1. What options do our customers have to make payments? 2. Can customers set up recurring automatic payments? Does setup include payment amount thresholds? 3. Describe any controls and customer provided blocks that you service can support. 4. Does your solution identify and eliminate duplicate transactions made by our customers? 5. Describe services your company could offer to assist us in reducing ACH administrative returns? 6. Can we prevent our customers from modifying the payment amount and the payment date? 7. Can a customer pay an invoice with multiple payment types? 8. What payment types are available to our customers? Please include payment networks. 9. How does your service validate checks and credit card or debit card information to reduce error and fraud? Settlement 1. Describe the settlement process, including how you credit accounts (and debit end customer accounts). Can payments post the same day? When do our customers see the debits to their accounts? Processing 1. What is your cutoff time for processing transactions, including weekend or holiday schedules? Notification 1. What methods of bill notification do you offer (i.e. , phone, or text message)? Can you provide other types of notifications, such as due date reminders or late notices? Please provide details. Reporting 1. Does your service provide online access to payment information? Is this access real-time? Can we perform queries and searches? 2. How many months of statement history are available? Can our customers view both sides of their current statement? Can statements be downloaded in PDF format and printed? Can statement information be downloaded in an Excel format? 3. Can our customers access your website using a mobile device? If so, what functions are available? Do you offer a downloadable application or SMS? 4. What reports are available through your service? 5. What delivery methods are available? What is the standard delivery time frame for reports? 6. Does your solution provide online access to current data and payment information? 7. Does your service give customers the ability to view historical transactions? 8. How does your service assist us with daily accounts receivable reconciliation? 9. Do your reports clearly indicate any convenience fees charged to customers? Page 24 of 37

25 Online 1. Can a user make a payment 24 hours a day, and on weekends and holidays? 2. Who will host the webpage(s) and support the infrastructure of the application, our organization or you? 3. Describe the website enrollment process. How is enrollment confirmed? How soon after enrolling can the customer begin using the site? 4. Can the website be customized according to the biller s look and feel? Security 1. How do you ensure that all information contained in the transferred files remains confidential and is not communicated or disclosed to any third party? 2. Are the transactions handled by your system encrypted? 3. How do you restrict unauthorized users from accessing account data, credit card numbers, and other payment information? 4. Do you offer a password recovery feature? What happens when a customer is locked out of their account? Audit 1. Can the application track usage by our agents or customer service representatives? Implementation 1. Provide a detailed description of your implementation process, including the expected implementation timeframe. 2. Describe the support provided during implementation regarding training, technical assistance, and user manuals. 3. What resources are needed on the customer s side during the implementation process? 4. Is there specific hardware or software that must be purchased to implement your service? If so, please provide details. 5. Provide a copy of all agreements that will be required to initiate the service. Account Reconciliation and Positive Pay 1. Please provide an overview of your account reconciliation service. 2. Please provide an overview of your positive pay service. Controlled Disbursement 1. Provide a brief overview of your Controlled Disbursement process. Processing 1. Can third-party ACH debits be charged to the controlled disbursement account? Can the bank block the posting of ACH debits? 2. Discuss the bank s policies and procedures for processing stale-dated items. If the company uses positive pay, will we be notified of stale-dated items? Page 25 of 37

26 3. Does the bank offer payee match as part of its positive pay service? a. If yes, describe the service. b. If no, discuss any plans to offer this service and a projected timetable. 4. Discuss how the bank processes and reports any company transactions that originated as controlled disbursement checks that are converted to ACH debits at the point-of-purchase or at a lockbox. How do these ACH debits affect the following? a. Controlled disbursement presentment totals b. Stop payments c. Account reconciliation d. Positive pay Account reconciliation 1. Are both full and partial reconciliation offered? Please provide sample reports. 2. Describe the methods (e.g., Internet, PC, manually) the Proposer offers to place stop payments. File transmission detail 1. What is the bank s cut-off time for: a. Receiving issued check files (for full reconciliation)? b. Receiving adds and deletes? c. Receiving manual issues? d. Transmitting paid check files (for partial reconciliation)? e. Transmitting reconciled check files (for full reconciliation)? Positive pay 1. Describe the services the Proposer offers for positive pay. Does the Proposer offer a daily service to compare checks paid against a check issue file and provide the customer with a daily notification of all exception items (i.e., prior day Positive Pay)? What are the deadlines for notification? 2. Describe all methods by which the bank can receive the file of all checks issued and voided by the company. 3. Describe all methods by which the company can send manual issues or deletes to the bank. 4. Are cashed checks verified against the issue file at the point of encashment (i.e., by your bank's teller)? If no, what is the process for dealing with cashed checks? 5. What other review criteria are available for Positive Pay services? 6. In the event that the bank does not receive the customer s pay decision response by the stated deadline, is the default disposition set by the bank or by the customer? If the bank sets the default, what is the default disposition (e.g., pay, return, optional)? Page 26 of 37

27 ACH Bank background Experience 1. Describe your ACH/Wire Transfer services including those involving Federal/State Income Tax Bi-Weekly Tax withholdings. ACH processing 1. What are the hours of operation of your ACH processing unit? 2. Explain the cut-off times, relative to Settlement Date, for customer initiation of ACH entries, including book transfer. Please specify cut-off time differences between credits and debits (if applicable). 3. What service does the bank provide for the company to reverse a transaction or file that has been released to the ACH operator? a. What are the procedures and deadlines for the company reversing a file? Batch? Item? b. Describe your bank s process for reversing files, batches and items. c. What security procedures are used? Do you provide standard request forms? d. How is the customer notified of the results of the attempted reversal? 4. Describe the bank s process for ACH returns and Notifications of Change on originated entries. a. When will the funds for returned entries be posted to the customer s account? b. Describe reporting methods in the Information Reporting section of this RFP. 5. Can the bank automatically redeposit originated ACH entries returned for insufficient or uncollected funds? a. Can the bank provide the customer with the tools to decide which entries to redeposit? Wire Transfer Bank background 1. Briefly describe your wire transfer process/protocol. Processing Initiation 1. Describe the process for canceling a wire transfer: a. Is this process manual or automated? Explain. Cut-off times 1. What is the cut-off time for incoming domestic wire transfers to receive same day credit? Page 27 of 37