Merchant and Event Services

Merchant and Event Services

Your Starting Point for Campus Events, Payments & Merchant Support

Planning an event, collecting payments, selling tickets, or hosting an outside organization? CWU Merchant & Event Services is your central resource for getting started.

We help university departments, programs, and organizations navigate the processes, resources, and requirements associated with campus events and financial transactions. Whether you’re organizing a conference, hosting a camp, launching an online storefront, or accepting credit card payments, our team will help connect you with the appropriate university services and approved payment solutions.

Our Goal Is Simple: Make it easier to do business at CWU while protecting university resources and ensuring compliance with university policies and financial standards.

Merchant & Event Services provides a centralized starting point for:

  • Campus Events & Activities: Guidance for conferences, camps, workshops, fundraisers, and events involving internal or external participants.
  • Payment Processing & Merchant Services: Assistance with accepting credit card payments, establishing merchant accounts, and selecting approved payment solutions.
  • Ticketing & Registration: Connecting departments with university-supported ticketing, registration, and event management services.
  • Online Storefronts: Support for establishing or modifying approved e-commerce storefronts and payment collection methods.
  • Compliance & Financial Oversight: Guidance on PCI DSS requirements, cash handling, transaction reconciliation, and university financial policies.
  • University Resources & Coordination: Helping departments identify the right campus partners, systems, and services to support their activities.

Tell Us What You're Planning

Whether you’re planning an event, requesting a payment solution, or simply exploring your options, this form is the first step.

Provide a few details about your request, and Merchant & Event Services will help determine the appropriate university resources, systems, and approval processes.

You don’t need to know which university service you need before submitting. That’s what we’re here to help determine.

Start Here: Submit an intake form

CWU Approved Payment & Scheduling Channels

All payments collected in connection with university activities, programs, and events must be processed through CWU-approved payment channels. Approved solutions include Transact by Illumia (Merchant Services), Wildcat Tickets (AudienceView), and Conference Services (Iris). Merchant Services will help you determine the best payment collection option based on your specific business and payment needs.

Regardless of payment collection method, all events must be scheduled and approved in 25Live per CWU policy.

Departments and organizations may not independently establish or utilize third-party payment platforms, such as Venmo, PayPal, Square, or other unauthorized payment services, to collect funds on behalf of the university.

Merchant & Event Services serves as the central point of contact to help departments identify the appropriate payment solution, coordinate with university service providers, and ensure compliance with applicable university policies, financial controls, and PCI DSS requirements.

Departments are encouraged to submit a Merchant & Event Services Request Form before advertising, accepting registrations, collecting payments, or making financial commitments related to an event or activity.

Schedule Your Event

Merchant Department Responsible Person

Each approved merchant must designate a Merchant Department Responsible Person, or MDRP.

The MDRP has primary responsibility for the department’s payment card operations and PCI DSS compliance. The department must also designate a secondary contact who can assume these responsibilities when the MDRP is unavailable.

The MDRP is responsible for helping ensure that:

  • Employees receive appropriate training before handling payment card transactions
  • Departmental procedures comply with university policy and PCI DSS requirements
  • Payment card equipment is protected from unauthorized access or tampering
  • Transactions are processed and reconciled according to university procedures
  • Required compliance documentation is completed and maintained
  • Suspected security incidents are reported immediately

Changes to the MDRP or secondary contact must be reported to the Accounting and Financial Services Office within two business days.

Update your mdrp

Department Responsibilities

Each merchant department is responsible for maintaining internal controls that protect payment card information and reduce the risk of unauthorized access, fraud, or a data breach.

Departments must:

  • Limit payment card responsibilities to properly trained employees
  • Follow all university payment card policies and procedures
  • Use only payment systems, equipment, vendors, and service providers approved by the university
  • Protect payment card equipment and records from unauthorized access
  • Complete required PCI DSS assessments, training, and compliance activities
  • Reconcile payment card transactions according to Accounting Office instructions
  • Report operational, personnel, equipment, or processing changes to the Accounting Office
  • Cooperate with compliance reviews, security assessments, and investigations

Departments using third-party payment service providers must coordinate with the Accounting and Financial Services Office, Contracts and Procurement, and Information Services before purchasing or implementing the service.

 

 

Protecting Payment Card Information

University business processes should be designed to avoid storing cardholder data whenever possible.
  • Never Send Payment Card Information by Email

    Payment card numbers and other sensitive payment information must never be requested, accepted, or transmitted through email.

    When payment card information is received by email:

    1. Remove the payment card information from the reply.
    2. Inform the sender that Central Washington University does not accept payment card information by email because email is not a secure transmission method.
    3. Securely delete the original message in accordance with university procedures.
    4. Notify the appropriate departmental contact when additional review may be necessary.

  • Storage and Disposal

    Cardholder information must not be retained longer than a documented business need. Under university policy, the maximum retention period is 90 days.

    Cardholder information may not be stored on:

    • Laptop computers
    • USB drives
    • Portable hard drives
    • CDs or other removable media
    • Personal devices
    • Unapproved databases, spreadsheets, or electronic files

    Any authorized paper or electronic records containing cardholder information must be physically and electronically secured and destroyed in accordance with PCI DSS and university records-management requirements.

    Sensitive authentication data—including a card’s security code and the full contents of its magnetic stripe—must never be stored.

Departments That Are Not Approved Merchants

Departments that have not been approved to accept payment cards must not collect or process payment card information.

Individuals wishing to pay a university bill by credit or debit card should be directed to the Cashier’s Office or the appropriate authorized university payment website.

Security Incidents

Immediately report any suspected loss, theft, tampering, unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse involving:

  • Payment card information
  • Payment card terminals or equipment
  • Merchant usernames or passwords
  • Transaction records
  • Payment processing systems
  • Third-party payment providers

Do not attempt to investigate or resolve a suspected breach independently. Preserve relevant records and equipment and follow instructions provided by university security personnel.

Report a Security Incident

Resources & Policies

These helpful links will direct you to on campus policies or resources.

Relevant Policies

Contact Merchant Services Finance Managers

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