
Visa® Debit Processing Service supports Visa Extras, a points-based reward program that offers your cardholders another compelling reason to use their Visa cards every chance they get. When your cardholders use their enrolled cards, they earn points towards terrific prizes every time they make a qualifying purchase. And when your cardholders are motivated to use their cards more frequently in place of cash and checks, your financial institution benefits from higher card-based transaction volume and increased incremental revenue.
Visa Extras is the easy-to-administer, cost-effective, customer-friendly Visa card reward program you've been waiting for. And, Visa DPS makes it even easier for you to participate with the Visa Debit Processing Service File Transmission Service!
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Here's Why You Should Participate in Visa Extras
- It's easy. Supporting the baseline program couldn't be easier. Minimal preparation and technical support are required. In addition, Visa offers a wide range of easy-to-use training tools and turnkey marketing materials to help make your program a success.
- It's cost-effective. Program participation costs are low because Visa handles the development and maintenance of the baseline program infrastructure, creation of turnkey marketing materials, national advertising, and program development costs.
- It's smart business. Reward-based programs can help you develop stronger, more lasting relationships with both consumer and small business customers.
- It's customizable. Not only can you create your own branded marketing materials, you have the flexibility to customize Visa Extras with your own promotions and bonus point program.
- It's rewarding. This program can increase your card revenue by driving incremental usage and motivating cardholders to shift more of their total spend to their enrolled Visa cards.
Benefits
- Increase incremental usage. Visa Extras encourages cardholders to shift spending away from other payment options, especially cash and checks, to participating Visa cards.
- Improve cardholder retention and loyalty. Market research indicates that points-based reward programs can enhance customer loyalty and increase cardholder retention.
- Motivate signature-based purchasing. Visa Extras provides an additional reason for your cardholders to sign for purchases.
- Minimize costs. Visa Extras delivers cost savings through economies of scale on program infrastructure and rewards. In addition, turnkey implementation means that you commit only minimal operational resources to program startup.
- Differentiate your market position. Optional features enable you to customize your Visa Extras program to differentiate your financial institution from competitors.
- Easy implementation. Access to the Visa Extras Program Administrator through Visa DPS means you don't need to establish your own direct link to Visa USA, saving time and expense.
How Visa Extras Works
Every time your cardholders make a qualifying purchase with their enrolled Visa card, they automatically earn points towards great rewards. Qualifying Purchases include1:
- Signature-based purchases
- Internet purchases
- Phone and mail order purchases
- Automatic bill payments
Purchases must be made with a participating U.S.-issued Visa Debit card, Visa Business Debit, or Visa Business credit card. Transactions must be processed by or reported to Visa. PIN-based purchases, balance transfers, cash advances, ATM, convenience check, and Interlink-processed transactions do not qualify.
Cardholders redeem their Visa Extras reward points for easily obtainable "everyday" rewards, such as movie tickets, or save their points for higher value "aspirational" rewards such as high-end travel options.
Best of all, Visa handles, through Visa Extras Program Administrator, program administration, enrollment, customer service, fulfillment, and marketing support. And, with Visa DPS supporting file transmission through your single-point connection, participating in Visa Extras couldn't be easier.
Key Features
Eligibility. This points-based rewards program is a core feature of all Visa Business Debit cards and Visa Business credit cards. At your option, you may offer it with other Visa card products such as Visa consumer check cards, Visa consumer credit cards, and other Visa products.
Enrollment Options. Visa DPS offers two options for cardholder enrollment:
- Mass-enrollment. Enables you to enroll a group of cardholders in the Visa Extras program. Cardholders then activate their cards through the Visa Extras web site (www.visa.com/extras), a voice response unit (VRU), or customer service representative (CSR).
- Self-enrollment. Enables individual cardholders to enroll and activate their cards in the program through the Visa Extras web site, a VRU, or CSR. Your cardholders' points start adding up as soon as they make qualifying purchases!
Earning points. Once enrollment is completed, cardholders earn valuable points for every qualifying purchase.
Redemption. Cardholders can redeem points for rewards through the Visa Extras web site, VRU, or CSR, using the Visa Extras Rewards Catalog.
Rewards. Cardholders can choose from a wide range of rewards including movie tickets, retail gift certificates, travel and dining rewards, and more. You have the option to take Visa Extras beyond the baseline program to create unique value propositions for your cardholders by adding rewards options or special promotions.
Customer service. The Visa Extras Program Administrator provides primary customer service to your cardholders through the Visa Extras web site, VRU, or CSR.
Fulfillment. The Visa Extras Program Administrator fulfills the rewards, primarily using mail and courier.
Marketing materials. Visa offers a variety of turnkey and customizable marketing materials, as well as national promotions, to help you build awareness, promote cardholder enrollment, and motivate your cardholders to increase usage of their Visa cards. These materials include:
- Statement inserts
- Direct Mail
- In-branch materials
- E-mail templates
- Web components
- Sample promotional copy
- Art files on CD-ROM
Statements. Using Visa Extras program data, you can work with your statement processor to display reward point balances on your cardholders' monthly account statements. At your option and expense, you may send separate points statements to your cardholders or fulfill points statements monthly or quarterly through the Visa Extras Program Administrator.
Reports. Visa Extras program reports are available on the Visa Online web site www.us.visaonline.com.
Visa Debit Processing Service File Transmission Service
Using your existing connection, the Visa Debit Processing Service File Transmission Service provides file reception and pass-through transmission of all required Visa Extras data files between your financial institution, Visa, and the Visa Extras Program Administrator, including
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Files transferred from your financial institution to the Visa Extras Program Administrator:
- Cardholder Maintenance File
- Bonus Adjustment File
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Files transferred from the Visa Program Administrator to your financial institution:
- Daily Balance File
- Daily Incremental Enrollment File
- Monthly Enrollment Detail File
- Cardholder Maintenance Reject File
- Bonus Adjustment Reject File
Visa DPS offers two options for file transmission:
- File Pass-Through Service. With this option, you create your own files and transmit them through Visa Debit Processing Service to the Visa Extras Program Administrator.
- File Creation Service. This option enables you to participate in Visa Extras without having to create and submit update files. Using AP data, Visa Debit Processing Service extracts the required information for updates, creates the Visa Extras Cardholder Maintenance File, and sends it to the Visa Extras Program Administrator for you.
Visa Debit Processing Service supports FTP, NDM, and RJE file delivery and archives seven generations of files. For example, if you receive one file per day, files for seven days are archived if retransmission is required.
The Visa Debit Processing Service Advantage
- Customer-focused. Meeting your payment product and service needs is our business and our priority.
- Integrated processing solution. Reach your objectives with the Visa solution for success in the debit and prepaid marketplaces.
- Continuous access and security. You're covered with reliable, state-of-the-art processing and security technology.
- Single-point connectivity. One connection simplifies your Visa and EFT product processing needs.
- Proven service. Specialized client team is dedicated to helping you meet your card program goals.
For More Information
For more information, please call your Visa Account Executive or Contact Us.

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