It depends on the type of question. For merchant account questions, application status, credentials, banking information, deposits, Gateway Portal access, hardware, or account-specific transaction questions, contact Shepherd Pay Merchant Support at merchant@shepherd.vet. For questions about how a payment appears in Shepherd, invoice balances, refund workflows, or client account history, contact Shepherd Support via the in-app chat.

Shepherd Support helps with workflows inside Shepherd — invoices, client balances, payment records, permissions, and how payments appear on a client account. Shepherd Pay Merchant Support handles merchant account items — applications, credentials, funding, bank accounts, Gateway Portal access, and account-specific processing issues. If you are unsure who to contact, start with Shepherd Support and they will redirect you if needed.

Shepherd Pay Merchant Support is available:

For after-hours emergencies, email merchant@shepherd.vet or call 732-323-8300 press 2 to reach a representative.

It depends on whether your clinic has surcharge fees enabled. For non-surcharge clinics, if a batch closes before 7:45 PM EST, funds are typically deposited the next business day — batches closing after 7:45 PM EST may be delayed by one additional business day. For surcharge clinics, the cutoff extends to 3:45 AM EST, so next-day funding applies even for later batch closes. Funding may also vary based on weekends, holidays, and bank timing.

Contact merchant@shepherd.vet with the date and expected amount. For reconciliation, use the Reports tab in the Gateway Portal rather than batch history — reports are cleaner and easier to work with. Pull your End of Day Report from Shepherd for the same date range and have it ready when you reach out. Merchant support will be able to access the portal records on their end to investigate.

Bank account changes are not managed inside Shepherd. Contact merchant@shepherd.vet to update your deposit bank account. You will typically need to provide a voided check or bank letter for the new account and a copy of the account signer's driver's license.

The deposit account is tied to your Shepherd Pay merchant account setup. Contact merchant@shepherd.vet to confirm the bank account currently on file.

Shepherd's integrated payment processing option is Shepherd Pay. Stripe, Stax, and other outside processors are not integrated options inside Shepherd and cannot be used through the Shepherd Pay workflow.

Process the payment through the outside processor first, then record it in Shepherd with the Shepherd Pay toggle off. This updates the invoice and client account without charging the card again through Shepherd Pay. Add a note with the outside processor name or transaction ID for reference.

Navigate to the client's saved payment methods in Shepherd and remove the card. If you are unable to remove the card, contact Shepherd Support for help with the client payment method workflow.

If the saved card cannot be edited directly, remove the old card and add the updated card as a new payment method. This ensures the stored payment method has the current expiration date and card details.

Processing fees may vary based on payment method and your clinic's merchant account setup. For account-specific rate or fee questions, contact merchant@shepherd.vet.

A chargeback is a payment dispute initiated through the cardholder's bank — different from a refund because the client disputes the charge through their card issuer rather than requesting a return directly from the clinic. When a chargeback is filed, the card issuer temporarily reverses the transaction while the dispute is under review.

Chargeback notifications are sent to the email address configured for account notifications in the Gateway Portal. Keep your notification email current. See Shepherd Pay: Gateway Portal for notification setup.

Contact merchant@shepherd.vet as soon as possible. Chargebacks have a response window — acting quickly improves your chances of a favorable outcome. You will typically need to provide supporting documentation such as the signed invoice, payment receipt, or client communication records.

You can reduce chargeback risk by ensuring clients recognize the charge on their statement, obtaining client signatures at checkout, and keeping thorough invoice records. If a client contacts you about an unrecognized charge, resolving it directly is often faster than a formal dispute.

No there are no processing limits on transactions or daily volume.

With daily discount billing, processing fees are deducted from each batch deposit daily rather than invoiced separately at month end. The net deposit amount will reflect fees already deducted. Your Gateway Portal shows gross transaction amounts and fee breakdowns per batch.

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance is required for any business that accepts card payments. As a Shepherd Pay merchant, your clinic is subject to PCI compliance requirements. Shepherd Pay provides resources to assist with your annual compliance certification. Contact merchant@shepherd.vet for guidance.

Deactivate their Gateway Portal user account immediately. See [Shepherd Pay: Gateway Portal] for user deactivation steps. Timely deactivation of departed staff accounts is part of your PCI compliance obligations.