PULSE® Payments Network

Debit your customers can depend on

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Nationwide debit acceptance

We deliver you value, choice and convenience while giving consumers the freedom to shop with confidence. This means debit transactions and verification methods on any device, anywhere—in-store and online. We invest in API access, disputes processing, contactless and other services to drive value for your business while advocating for your interests.

In-Store

More convenience for consumers. More choices for you.

Choice

Choice

Our payments capabilities give consumers fast, convenient and secure transactions helping issuers and merchants benefit from choice and competition for card-present transactions.

Digital capabilities

Digital capabilities

We deliver mobile and other in-store digital payments that make it easier for cardholders to pay.

Service quality

Service quality

We offer the full range of point-of-sale debit transactions and personalized service tailored to your needs.

Solutions for:

PIN Debit with PULSE PAY®

Card-present debit transactions that deliver competitive interchange and low fees.

Features

  • Provides merchant acceptance across the U.S.
  • Enables cash back at participating merchants
  • Backed by the PULSE DebitProtect® fraud detection service

Benefits

  • Competitive fee structure
  • Access through virtually every major processor

PINless Debit with PULSE PAY® Express

PINless card-present transactions with highly-competitive interchange and low network fees.

Features

  • Single and dual-message format capabilities
  • No cardholder verification for transactions of $50 or less
  • Cardholder verification supported for transactions over $50
  • Gratuity transaction support
  • Disputes support

Benefits

  • Competition – PULSE PAY Express introduces competition for debit routing 
  • Choice – Offers an alternative debit routing choice to front-of-card networks
  • Economic Value – Competitive interchange and low fees

Mobile Payments

Support for mobile payments helps you stay competitive while enabling your cardholders with easy ways to pay.

Features

  • Support for the major digital wallets

Benefits

  • Choice - Benefit from a competitive option when processing your cardholders mobile and contactless transactions.

Fraud Detection & Analytics

Support comes standard with us. To help you get the most from your portfolio we offer robust analytics tools and best-in-class fraud mitigation solutions.

PIN Debit with PULSE PAY®

Our PIN debit program ensures that the cardholders of thousands of U.S. financial institutions and global networks can make purchases and get cash back at your stores.

Features

  • Transactions are funded from cardholders’ accounts at the time of purchase
  • Transactions are backed by the PULSE DebitProtect® fraud mitigation service
  • Enables you to offer customers cash-back at check out

Benefits

  • PIN debit offers lower fraud-loss rates than other debit transactions
  • Convenience of cash back can increase customer loyalty
  • Real-time processing means you get paid faster for the sale

PINless Debit with PULSE PAY® Express

Merchants that accept card-present transactions have a choice for routing no-verification and signature transactions at competitive rates.

Features

  • No cardholder verification for transactions of $50 or less
  • Signature, AVS, chip, contactless and other secure authentication options
  • Gratuity transaction support
  • Chargeback and dispute support aligned to industry
  • Single- and dual-message format capabilities
  • Magnetic stripe, chip, contactless and mobile support
  • Small-ticket pricing

Benefits

  • Economic Value – Competitive interchange and low fees for merchants
  • Competition – PULSE PAY Express introduces competition for debit routing where it previously did not exist
  • Speed – Faster checkout and payment process results in quicker lines

Mobile Payments

Gain control over payments acceptance costs with more routing options for mobile payments while giving your cardholders easy ways to pay.

Features

  • Support for the major digital wallets

Benefits

  • Choice – Benefit from a competitive option when processing your cardholders mobile and contactless transactions.
Secure Shopping and Digital Payments
PULSE Payments Network

Online

Debit, anywhere and everywhere

Choice

Our digital payments capabilities give consumers fast, convenient access to their money online and on the go. Issuers and merchants benefit from a low-cost choice for card-not-present transactions.

Service quality

We offer high authorization rates and full disputes support.

Solutions for:

PULSE E-Commerce

Many of the largest merchants in the U.S. are choosing to route omni-channel, digital and card-not-present payments of any ticket amount to debit networks like PULSE. As consumers continue to leverage digital payments, issuers will benefit from smarter routing of e-commerce transactions with PULSE.

Features

  • Single- and dual-message transactions 
  • CVV2/CVC2 and Address Verification
  • Chargeback rules matching front-of-card brands
  • Full dispute support 

Benefits

  • Split/Multi shipments
  • Pay and Deliver and Pay and Pick Up Transactions
  • Instant credit returns for online purchases returned in-store and vice versa
  • Tips and upcharge functionality
  • Merchant chargeback limitation helps reduce issuer risk

PULSE® Side-by-Side (SXS) Token Service

A patented offering that allows tokenized card-on-file (COF) debit transactions to be routed over the PULSE Network and any other SXS Token Service enabled unaffiliated network. This service offers cryptogram validation, with no impact to the cardholder experience.

Features

  • Side-by-Side Token Service enables secure tokenized debit routing to PULSE Network 
  • Available for participation to all enabled unaffiliated, back-of-card debit networks
  • Performs cryptogram validation on cardholder-initiated transactions
  • Uses industry-standard provisioning and lifecycle-management practices 

Benefits

  • Delivers the potential for increased authorization rates, reduced risk of fraud and lower chargebacks associated with tokenized COF transactions
  • Provides compliance with Regulation II, card-not-present (CNP) clarification
  • Easy implementation and support
  • No impact to cardholder experience

PINless Bill Pay

Enables cardholders to enroll in bill payments and digital subscription services with minimized fraud risk and simplified chargebacks.

Features

  • Single and recurring bill payments 
  • Payment origination flexibility
  • Account Validation transaction confirms customer payment data
  • Recurring payments option available, with Stop Pay feature

Benefits

  • Increased interchange revenue
  • Stregthens customer retention and loyalty
  • Card on file recurring bill payments
  • Offer consumers an additional payment option

Account Credit Transfers

People and businesses expect fast person-to-person (P2P) and business-to-consumer (B2C) payments. We can help you meet those expectations.

Features

Person-to-person

  • Account transfers
  • Transfers to brokerages
  • Pay friends and family
  • Split bills or gifts
  • Cash-to-account transfers

Business-to-consumer

  • Disburse claims
  • Rebates
  • Refunds
  • Payouts 

Benefits

  • Near real-time approval and settlement enables confidence in providing fast access to funds
  • Rich transaction data makes it easier to meet your AML and compliance requirements
  • Reduces ACH and check handling costs
  • Delivers interchange revenue on incremental transactions that previously provided none

Mobile Payments 

Support for Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, wearables and other digital wallets.

Features

  • Non-contact popular option
  • Supports both PIN and PINless
  • Single- and dual-message transactions 

Benefits

  • Maintain debit routing choice
  • Lower friction 
  • High authorization rates
  • Reliable. Fast. Secure. 
  • Low dispute rates 

Fraud Prevention & Analytics

Count on us to be there for you. We help you get the most from your portfolio with robust analytics tools and best-in-class fraud mitigation solutions.

E-Commerce

Front-of-card functionality for omni-channel, digital and card-not-present payments of any ticket amount on a platform used by many of the largest merchants in the U.S.

Features

  • Single- and dual-message transactions for online or stored credential payments
  • CVV2/CVC2 and Address Verification
  • Chargeback rules matching front of card brands
  • Full dispute support 
  • Estimated authorizations and incremental transactions

Benefits

  • Enable cardholders to pay the way they want with improved net-economics
  • Split/Multi shipments
  • Pay and Deliver and Pay and Pick Up Transactions
  • No change to customers’ checkout experience

PULSE® Side-by-Side (SXS) Token Service

A patented offering that allows tokenized card-on-file (COF) debit transactions to be routed over the PULSE Network and any other SXS Token Service enabled unaffiliated network. This service offers cryptogram validation, with no impact to the cardholder experience. 

Features

  • Side-by-Side Token Service enables secure tokenized debit routing to PULSE Network
  • Available for participation to all unaffiliated, back-of-card debit networks
  • Performs cryptogram validation on cardholder-initiated transactions
  • Uses industry-standard provisioning and lifecycle-management practices 

Benefits

  • Delivers the potential for increased authorization rates, reduced risk of fraud and lower chargebacks associated with tokenized COF transactions
  • Easy implementation and support
  • No impact to cardholder experience – offers a frictionless checkout to capture every potential sale

PINless Bill Pay

Augment the ongoing payment relationship with customers by enabling them to use a debit card to schedule automated recurring payment or pay bills, at a lower cost for these recurring transaction types. 

Features

  • Account Validation transaction confirms customer payment data
  • Recurring payments option available, with Stop Pay feature

Benefits

  • Competitive economics, high authorization rates and low chargebacks
  • Use your routing choice to minimize payment costs
  • An additional routing option for billers with competitive interchange

Account Credit Transfers

Send funds directly to your customers' checking or prepaid accounts using their debit cards.

 

PULSE Account Credit Transfers improve your customers' funding experience with a faster, easier and more secure option than checks and ACH.

Features

  • Card issuers verify funds in real time
  • Funds delivery is completed within 30 minutes
  • Transfers are approved at a higher rate compared to checks and ACH

Benefits

  • Faster customer access to funds
  • Reduce the costs associated with checks and ACH
  • Customers feel more comfortable sharing debit card numbers than routing and account numbers

Mobile Payments

Support for Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, wearables and other digital wallets.

Features

  • Non-contact popular option
  • Supports both PIN and PINless
  • Single- and dual-message transactions 

Benefits

  • Maintain debit routing choice
  • Lower friction 
  • High authorization rates
  • Reliable. Fast. Secure. 
  • Low dispute rates 

In the Market

Enabling choice for all transactions

Innovation

We invest in and evolve our network and technology, keeping pace with continuous shifts in payments and consumer behavior.

Advocacy

We fight for choice and competition through participation in industry groups, including EMVCo, Debit Network Alliance, FIDO Alliance and US Payments Forum.

PULSE Payments Network
PULSE Payments Network

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We’re here to help you get the most out of every transaction. Connect with our team to learn what’s possible.

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