Welcome to the Comdata Virtual Payments Administrator Guide!
Comdata Virtual Payments is an exciting and efficient program used to streamline payments, reduce costs and improve your AP (accounts payable) process by providing your vendors with a highly secure but flexible way to receive payments.
This guide is designed to cover the distinct areas of the Comdata Virtual Payments Program, including, but not limited to:
- Options for Issuing Virtual Cards
- Setting up your Systems to Issue Virtual Cards
- Enrolling Vendors
- Submitting Payments
- Reports on your Virtual Payments Program
What is Comdata’s Virtual Payments Program?
The Virtual Payments program is the connection set up between you, Comdata and your vendor that simplifies and secures the process of invoice payments.
With Comdata Virtual Payments, you send electronic payments to vendors using a virtual card, a unique 16-digit MasterCard account number that replaces paper checks and other traditional payment options.
It’s similar to a check because each account number is tied to a specific vendor dollar amount and expiration date. It’s also better than check payments because it can be fully integrated into your financial systems, which provides a secure flow of your payment to your vendor. Once your vendor receives the virtual card number, they can process it like any other credit card payment.
How Does It Work?
The process begins with Comdata assessing your list of vendors that you want to send virtual payments, and then campaigning to enroll those vendors into the Virtual Payments program.
Once enrolled, you can begin submitting payments to your vendors through any of our available payment options (one-off requests, batch files, web services, etc.). Comdata will take your payment information and generate a virtual card number and send it, along with the payment details, to your vendor in the form of a detailed remittance advice email. Then, the vendor processes the payment like any credit card payment and if you choose, Comdata can send your company an invoice file of all transactions for automated reconciliation, just like a positive pay file from a bank.
How is it Unique?
There are several reasons the Comdata Virtual Payments program is unique:
- The virtual card account number changes each time you make a payment to a vendor, regardless of the amount, which makes your payments secure
- Payments can be remitted to the vendor by either email or standard printed mail
- We have a dedicated Vendor Enrollment team solely focused on enrolling your vendors so you get the most out of your program
- Weekly campaign reporting to keep you informed
- PayForYou service, where Comdata makes payments to vendors on your behalf if the vendor only accepts payments via phone or online.
- ComdataDirect, a straight-through payment into your vendor’s account if they do not accept MasterCard
What are the Benefits for Me and My Vendors?
With Comdata Virtual Payments, there are several valuable benefits to you and your vendors.
For instance, as a customer, some of your benefits include:
- Reduced risks of check fraud
- Immediate revenue generation, with an average savings of $5.14 per payment
- Reduced DSO (Daily Sales Outstanding)
- Reports to analyze the return on your program
- Access to Comdata’s dedicated Vendor Enrollment Specialists team
- Ongoing campaigning, which means you can send us a list of new vendors and we will work to get them enrolled or we can re-campaign to vendors that decline
Benefits to your vendors include:
- Guaranteed payment through MasterCard or ComdataDirect networks
- Improved financial controls
- Prompt settlement to help minimize payment delays, collection costs and disputes
- Maintained status as a preferred vendor
- Automated reminder emails to process outstanding payments
- Detailed remittance information