Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 781 - Treasurer of State
Chapter 8 - Accepting Credit Card Payments
Rule 781-8.2 - Definitions

As used in this chapter:

"Acquiring bank" means a financial institution that receives credit card transactions and then settles with the card-issuing banks.

"Chargeback" means a transaction disputed by a cardholder or card issuer.

"Convenience fee " means a fee charged to the cardholder for the convenience to that cardholder of using a particular method of payment in a credit or debit card transaction in accordance with the network regulations governing that transaction.

"Credit card" means the same as defined in Iowa Code section 537.1301, subsection 17.

"Credit card associations " means Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Network, Diners, JCB, and any other organization that issues or sponsors credit cards or signature-based debit cards that are accepted by state departments.

"Debit card" means a card used to purchase goods or services and to obtain cash in which the cardholder's personal deposit account is reduced by the transaction amount. Debit card transactions that are processed on credit card association networks are typically called signature-based debit card transactions, while debit card transactions processed on electronic funds transfer networks are generally referred to as PIN-based transactions.

"Financial institution " means the same as defined in Iowa Code section 527.2 and includes any bank incorporated under the provisions of any state or federal law, any savings and loan association incorporated under the provisions of any state or federal law, any credit union organized under the provisions of any state or federal law, any corporation licensed as an industrial loan company under Iowa Code chapter 536A, and any affiliate of a bank, savings and loan association, credit union, or industrial loan company.

"Merchant" means the state department or subdivision that accepts credit card and debit card payments.

"Merchant guidelines " means the manual issued by the merchant services provider that prescribes the rules and procedures governing credit card and debit card transactions and a state department's use of the credit card and debit card processing services.

"Merchant services provider " means a company that manages the processing of credit card and debit card transactions among merchants, credit card issuers, and acquiring banks.

"Payment card industry data security standards" or"PCI-DSS" means a set of comprehensive requirements for credit card data security developed by the Payment Card Industry Council, founded by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. International.

"Treasurer" means the treasurer of the state of Iowa and staff members who carry out duties delegated by the treasurer.