eCommerce Setup and Change Procedures

Below please find an overview of NYU Merchant Processes and Procedures. Summarized flows are also linked below.

Merchant Onboarding Process Flow

Marketplace Product Addition or Change Process Flow

Initial Merchant (“School or Unit”) Requests Merchant Setup or Store Request in TouchNet Marketplace

  • The School or Unit initiates the process by sending an e-mail to FSM via the e-mail alias ecommerce.help@nyu.edu.
  • FSM will then initiate a meeting with the School/Unit and Bursar to discuss the potential use of a payment processor with applications.
  • FSM engages the Tax Department to determine local sales tax implications of the store merchandise.

FSM Implementation Steps: TouchNet Marketplace New Merchant

  • The school or unit completes a Merchant ID request by completing the Merchant OnBoarding Form through ServiceLink for card commerce.  
  • FSM will consult with Tax as necessary before moving forward with implementation. For example, sales subject to sales tax would have to be signed off by Global Tax Compliance. The steps summarized in Section III Sales Tax Procedure below would have to be set up with the school/unit.
  • Finance (Bursar) reviews the Merchant ID requests for approval.
  • FSM sets up Merchant ID request approval. Information is recorded in NYU eCommerce Portal (reconciliation tool) and with payment processor.
  • An initial Merchant ID approval may start with one store but can accommodate multiple stores under one approved merchant ID. FSM will not allow additional stores to be utilized under an approved merchant ID without approval from Bursar and Tax.
  • Once Merchant ID requests are approved, FSM analyzes what information the store needs to develop the site. Information includes but is not limited to fields/values and the transaction amount.
  • FSM configures and gives access to the proper personnel in the department to be able to design and create the stores and products in the test environment. The proper personnel will include the School or Unit’s Fiscal Officer and any additional individuals provided by the School or Unit’s Fiscal Officer.
  • Departments test the stores in the test environment and requests for production creation of stores and access if the test stores are successful with the configuration set thru email. The proper school or unit personnel previously identified will be notified of the test results.
  • FSM gives access in the production environment to the proper school or unit personnel previously identified.

Sales Tax Procedure

  • Global Tax Compliance will contact the School or Unit’s Fiscal Officer (“FO”) to identify the items that are being sold. Global Tax Compliance will analyze whether the transactions should be subject to sales tax.
  • The FO will be advised sales tax charged on eCommerce transactions should be segregated into a liability account and not booked as revenue.
  • The FO will confirm to the Global Tax Compliance department that eCommerce transactions have been properly set up to segregate sales tax.
  • By the 23rd of each month the FO or an individual designated by the FO will provide the Global Tax Compliance team the total taxable sales and sales tax collected. Additionally, the FO will provide the Global Tax Compliance team the chart-field the sales tax was segregated into.
  • Global Tax Compliance will have the school/unit certify no new products have been added to the marketplace when the total taxable sales and sales tax collected information is provided.
  • The Global Tax Compliance Team will remit the sales tax to NYS and provide a Wire Transfer form to the Accounts Payable team to record the payment within FAME.

Product Addition or Change

  • Store manager should create the product addition or change in the test environment, or if not technically able to do so, complete the TouchNet UStore Product Request Form.
  • Store manager should e-mail ecommerce.help@nyu.edu for review of the changes or form.
  • FSM will liaise with Bursar and Tax for product review and approval.
  • Once written approvals are secured, testing of the product additions or changes should be finalized between FSM and the store manager.
  • After successful testing, FSM will move the product additions or changes from the test environment to the production environment.