RFP Questions and Answers - Merchant Services

Agency:	State of Ohio- State Treasurer
State:	Ohio
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541519 - Other Computer Related Services
Posted Date:	Nov 26, 2025
Due Date:	Dec 10, 2025
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Ohio Board of Deposit

Merchant Services Request for Proposal

Respondent Questions and Treasurer’s Office Answers

November 26, 2025

General Questions

Respondent Question

Which vendors, if any, were involved in providing input

or feedback related to the requirements and/or scope

of this solicitation?

Was the current vendor involved in providing input or

feedback during the development of this solicitation’s

requirements or scope?

Are all agencies required to use the winning vendor?

State Universities [sic] are they included in the

contract?

Treasurer’s Office Answer

No vendors participated in the drafting of this RFP.

No.

Pursuant to ORC section 113.40, Agencies are required to

use end processor(s) approved by the Board of Deposit

(“BOD”).

No, state universities are not included in the scope of this

RFP, just state entities as defined in ORC section 113.40.

What are the Treasurer's Office’s key goals as it

pertains to this solicitation?

General Information: What are your future payment

strategy initiatives for the next 1-3 years? 3+?

Are there any payment channels you would like to add,

such as: text-to-pay, email link-to-pay, bill portal to

present invoices, IVR, etc.?

As part of the Receivables [sic] ecosystem will the State

also utilize the acceptance of ACH at the Point-of-sale

or online “checkout”?

Does the Treasurer's Office view this procurement as

an opportunity to modernize its payment ecosystem

and improve the experience for constituents and

department staff, or primarily to maintain continuity of

service?

Has the Treasurer's Office conducted a formal

performance or satisfaction review of the incumbent

vendor in advance of this solicitation, and if so, can the

findings be shared?

The key goals and objectives can be found on pp. 3 - 4

and p. 11, Section 1.9 of the RFP.

Pursuant to ORC section 113.40, financial transaction

devices (methods of payment) must be approved by the

BOD. The BOD recently approved development of a

centralized payment portal that will facilitate payments

via card, cryptocurrency, ACH, and e-check. Agencies may

choose to use the centralized payment portal once it is

developed or they may utilize a different gateway.

Each Agency determines the services it will need to

accept card payments. The Agency, its gateway,

Treasurer’s Office, and the end processor would work

together to provide the services.

This RFP only pertains to end credit card processing

services and does not speak to the inclusion of ACH as a

payment method.

Continuity of service is the priority. However, the

Treasurer’s Office is always looking for ways to provide

services in a more efficient, safe, and secure manner.

No such review has been conducted.

Page 1 of 15

General Questions (continued)

Respondent Question

What would the Treasurer's Office change about its

current level of service and support?

Treasurer’s Office Answer

The BOD and Treasurer’s Office are always looking for

ways to better provide services in an efficient, safe, and

secure manner.

p. 5, Section 1.1: Please amend the sentence

“Specifically, the Services requested are for end

merchant processing and settlement services and not

for gateway processing services.” To the following:

Specifically, the Services requested are for end

merchant processing and settlement services and can

include orchestration layer APIs to perform functions

such as authorizations, refunds and voids. The above

orchestration layer is not a gateway but may be used

by gateways to integrate to the merchant services

provider.

TOS will not revise the language used in the RFP.

Any respondent selected as a Respondent Finalist may

bring this up during its oral interview.

What API or file formats are required for integration?

The Treasurer’s Office is open to working with a BOD

approved vendor on the file format or API. The preferred

file format can be found HERE.

Are there any API integrations or complex setups with

any of the existing agency gateways?

1.1 Summary of Prospective Services: Please list the

make and model of card-present terminals currently in

use. Are card-present terminals currently integrated

into a point-of-sale system, or are they standalone

terminals? Is the State’s preference to have standalone

terminals or integrated? Do you require service-fee

capabilities on terminals? What is your IVR software?

Can the State please provide more detailed transaction

flows, including gateways, equipment, and front-end

applications?

Agencies and their gateways are responsible for the

connection with a BOD approved end processor;

therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have this

information.

Credit card terminals are the responsibility of the

Agencies; therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have

information about make or model, whether the terminals

are integrated or standalone, or whether the terminals

have service fee capabilities. The Agencies select their

own IVR software; therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does

not have this information. The Agencies select their own

gateways, equipment, and front-end applications;

therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have this

information.

p. 28, Section 5.0: Please provide the quantity and

model number of the credit card terminals by agency

for those agencies taking part in the services provided

under this RFP.

Credit card terminals are the responsibility of the

Agencies; therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have

this information.

p. 28, Section 5.0: Please provide a list of gateways that

provide their own credit card terminals for card present

transactions along with the quantity and model number

of the credit card terminals by agency.

Credit card terminals are the responsibility of the

Agencies; therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have

this information.

p. 28, Section 5.0: For any gateways that provide their

own credit card terminals should the respondent of this

RFP consider the replacement of those terminals as in

scope under this RFP?

Credit card terminals are the responsibility of the

Agencies. Replacement of terminals is outside the scope

of this RFP.

BOD Merchant Services Request for Proposal

Respondent Questions & Treasurer’s Office Answers

Page 2 of 15

General Questions (continued)

Respondent Question

RFP Section 5.0, p. 28, & Appendix 5: In addition to the

listed gateways, if applicable, what is the make and

model of any standalone (non-integrated) credit card

terminals being used?

Treasurer’s Office Answer

Credit card terminals are the responsibility of the

Agencies; therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have

this information.

Can you provide a list of terminals being used by each

agency: make, model, and number of devices being

used?

p. 28, Section 5.0: For the agencies that use credit card

terminals which agencies process directly to the

merchant services provider bypassing the payment

gateway. [sic]

Terminals are the responsibility of the Agencies;

therefore, the Treasurer’s Office does not have this

information.

The Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

Summary and Objectives: Who is providing the point- Many Agencies have purchased their POS terminals

of-sale system for card-present transactions, currently? directly from the current merchant services provider.

Please share the volume/transaction distribution by

Agency. (e.g. Agency -> Volume -> Trans)

The Treasurer’s Office only has this information in the

aggregate, not by Agency.

Can you provide the ratio of card present vs. card not

present for each agency?

The Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

Can you provide ratio for credit cards vs. debit cards for The Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

each agency?

Are any of the gateways displaying invoices for

payment?

The Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

Gateways are outside the scope of this RFP.

For files that require uploading for cardholders to pay

(e.g. Invoices, Taxes, Utilities), please share the file

format type and systems connected to each agency

and/or the required systems of integration for each

touchpoint.

The Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

Requirements for payments are provided on each

Agency's website where payees retrieve their payment

information. This is outside the scope of this RFP.

p.5, Section 1.1: Please provide a list indicating which

agencies pass service fees to the consumers.

Each Agency determines if service fees are applicable and

how they will be applied; therefore, the Treasurer’s

Office does not have this information.

p. 5, Section 1.1: For the agencies that pass a service

fee to the consumers please provide a list by agency

that includes the current service fee amount

percentage or flat rate or combination (% + $).

Each Agency determines if service fees are applicable and

how they will be applied; therefore, the Treasurer’s

Office does not have this information.

p. 5, Section 1.1: For each of the agencies that pass a

service fee to the consumers who manages the service

fee? The agency, the gateway provider, a software

application provider, or the current merchant service

provider, WorldPay?

Each state agency determines if service fees are

applicable and how they will be applied; therefore, the

Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

Section 1.1, p. 6: Please list the Agencies that assess a

service, convenience, or user fee along with the

amount of the fee assessed.

Each state agency determines if service fees are

applicable and how they will be applied; therefore, the

Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

BOD Merchant Services Request for Proposal

Respondent Questions & Treasurer’s Office Answers

Page 3 of 15

General Questions (continued)

Respondent Question

Service Fee questions: How many agencies use Service

Fee [sic] today? How many agencies are considering

using Service Fee [sic] in the near future? What is the

annual dollar amount processed through Service Fee

[sic]? What is the annual transaction amount processed

through Service Fee [sic]?

Treasurer’s Office Answer

Each state agency determines if service fees are

applicable and how they will be applied; therefore, the

Treasurer’s Office does not have this information.

General Information: Is the State of Ohio open to the

possibility of implementing a Convenience Fee [sic]

model due to recent rulling [sic] changes?

Does the state currently utilize Managed Service Fee

[sic] programs to assess fees to cardholders utilizing

credit/debit cards for payment?

p.5, Section 1.1: Does the current merchant services

provider, WorldPay, offer a managed service fee

program to any agency in which WorldPay keeps the

fee after interchange costs are paid to the card brands?

If yes, please indicate which agencies participate in this

model and the current service fee amount by agency.

Convenience fees are determined by each state agency.

No, each state agency determines how they will assess

their fees and any associated fees, such as convenience

fees.

No, this service is not utilized with the current merchant

services provider.

General Information: Is the State of Ohio receptive to

restructuring its account hierarchy and billing

framework?

General Information: Is the State of Ohio currently

considering the implementation of a fraud prevention

solution?

[Name redacted] respectfully requests an extension of

the timeline for the final RFP submission due to the

upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

In order to allow for sufficient time to review Q&A and

all documents related to this procurement, we are

requesting a two (2) week extension to the current bid

deadline.

Any Respondent Finalist may describe what it

recommends for hierarchy and billing frameworks during

their oral interview.

The Treasurer’s Office is continually working with its

vendors to identify and implement best practices for

fraud prevention and risk mitigation.

To ensure the process is completed in time for the

January 2026 BOD meeting, no extensions will be

granted.

To ensure the process is completed in time for the

January 2026 BOD meeting, no extensions will be

granted.

p. 6, Section 1.5: Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday will

the State provide an extension until Wednesday,

December 17th?

General Information: Would the State of Ohio consider

an extension on submission given the pending U.S.

holiday?

Will the State award this RFP to a single prime vendor

who is required to manage any necessary sub-vendors,

or is the State open to awarding multiple vendors

based on specific lines of business (LOB) or

functionality?

To ensure the process is completed in time for the

January 2026 BOD meeting, no extensions will be

granted.

To ensure the process is completed in time for the

January 2026 BOD meeting, no extensions will be

granted.

The BOD is open to awarding a Merchant Services

Agreement to more than one vendor and allowing

Agencies to select which vendor they choose to use.

BOD Merchant Services Request for Proposal

Respondent Questions & Treasurer’s Office Answers

Page 4 of 15

General Questions (continued)

Respondent Question

Will the State of Ohio accept a proposal that is limited

to the acceptance of a single brand (e.g., American

Express).

Will the State of Ohio accept a proposal for a brand

that does not include processing capabilities?

Treasurer’s Office Answer

Yes.

The BOD will accept a proposal from a single card

processing brand; however, the Respondent must still

qualify under the requirements of the RFP in order to be

considered for Evaluation Stage Two.

Section 1.6: Will you accept an Executive Summary

included in our response?

p. 7, Section 1.6: Per the statement “NOTE: Any

alterations, changes, or deletions made by the

Respondent to the original RFP as issued may be

grounds for disqualification” – is it the State’s intent for

the vendor to use the forms provided by the State with

only filled in data and NO format updates? For

example, is it permissible for vendors to insert

completed forms into our response that includes our

own branded headers and footers as long as all form

content is consistent with the provided forms?

Respondents may include additional information in the

response so long as they also provide the information

requested in the RFP.

Respondents may use their own logos, trademarks, etc.;

however, no language in the RFP may be altered and the

Respondent must maintain the numbering configurations

as set forth in the RFP.

p. 9, Section 1.7: Please confirm the RFP identifier to be

used for submission purposes. Is it “Request for

Proposal Financial Transaction Device Acceptance,

Processing, and Settlement Services” or is it “Ohio

Treasurer Request for Proposal Merchant Services, SFY

2026- 2030” or another identifier?

Request for Proposal for Financial Transaction Device

Acceptance, Processing, and Settlement Services.

p. 12, Section 1.10: Are References required along with

our initial proposal response? Section 1.9 Respondent

Evaluation Process on page 11-12 of te [sic] RFP

document states Reference Checks: Respondent

Finalists will be asked to provide at least three

references, with at least one reference being a public

sector entity. But section 1.10 Evaluation Criteria has

References (acceptable/unacceptable) listed as well.

Please clarify when we are required to submit our

references (1) in our response to RFP or (2) after

finalists are notified.

References are to be submitted with the Response to the

RFP. If a Respondent is selected as a Respondent Finalist,

it may provide additional references.

BOD Merchant Services Request for Proposal

Respondent Questions & Treasurer’s Office Answers

Page 5 of 15

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

RFP Questions and Answers - Merchant Services

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