Administration - Merchants

Hi there! Welcome to Dex, Forte's latest and greatest payments application. With Dex, you can view, create, and manage all your transaction data—including customers, payment methods, addresses, and schedules—in one convenient place. You can also view and maintain your merchant account, keep track of your funding entries, resolve disputed transactions, and generate API credentials to connect Dex with your third-party applications.

Understanding Dex Security Standards

Dex employs a number of security standards for user authentication and data security. This includes password complexity requirements, security browser cookies, and IP Allow Lists.

Password Requirements

All Dex passwords must meet the following requirements:

  • A minimum of 8 characters
  • Cannot contain three consecutive, identical characters (e.g., 111, aaa, or @@@)
  • Includes at least 1 lowercase letter (e.g., a, b, c, d, etc.)
  • Includes at least 1 uppercase letter (e.g., A, B, C, D, etc.)
  • Includes at least 1 of the following special characters: !, @, #, $, %, ^, or &.
  • Must be different than the previous five passwords
  • Must be different than your username

Users must update their passwords every 60 days and log into Dex at least once every 90 days. Dex suspends users who have been inactive for 90 days or more. Once a user is suspended, only the Admin of the organization can restore his/her access.

Restoring User Access

Admins who want to restore a suspended user’s access must complete the following steps:

  1. Navigate to your Organization’s Details Screen by clicking Organizations on the Dex main menu.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Under the Suspended Users section, click the Manage link.
  4. Dex displays all of your organization’s suspended users on the Users Datagrid.
  5. Reactivate each user using one of two methods:
    • From the Users Datagrid, click > Reactivate.
    • Access the User’s Details Screen and click Actions > Reactivate.
  6. A Reactivate User message displays asking you to confirm the action. Click the Reactivate button. Dex reactivates the user and restores his/her access.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for additional suspended users.

Browser Cookies

Browser cookies add another layer of security to login authentication. Cookies prevent unauthorized access to your Dex account even if your credentials become compromised. For new users, Dex will set up and store the cookie on the machine used for registration. Users must set up a browser cookie each time he/she logs into Dex using a new or unfamiliar non-public machine. Do not save cookies to public devices.

To set up a browser cookie on a new device, complete the followings steps:

  1. Access the Dex Login Page and log in using your credentials. Dex will redirect you to a code verification page with a message about your unrecognized device.
  2. Click the Send Code button. Dex sends you a six-digit verification code to your registered email (i.e., username).
  3. Enter the six-digit code in the provided text box. Dex gives you up to three attempts to enter the correct verification code.
  4. Click the This is a public or shared computer checkbox if you are accessing Dex from a non-private/personal device.
  5. Click the Verify Code button. Dex redirects you to your Home screen.

Two-factor Authentication

Two factor authentication in dex provides an extra layer of security by authenticating authenticates the validity of the dex user through a secondary factor when accessing dex or making updates from your My Profile screen.
Upon entering your user login credentials you are directed to the Add extra security to your account screen where you can complete the process to enable the two-factor authentication.

Once you have enabled two-factor authentication, you will be required to receive and enter a code each time you login to dex.If you enter a wrong verification code consecutively five times you are locked out of your dex profile for a period of fifteen minutes.

IP Allow Lists

NOTE: Only Admins can enable and manage IP Allow Lists.

An IP Allow List is a service that gives you the ability to control access to Dex and limit that access to only trusted users. IP Allow Lists are lists of trusted IP addresses or IP address ranges from which users can access the Dex domain. Admin users at the Merchant, Partner, and Enterprise levels can create IP Allow Lists for their respective organizations. Once enabled, users can only access Dex from those approved IP addresses. If users attempt to log into Dex from non-allowed IP addresses, Dex displays their current IP address with a message advising them that the address must be added to the Allow List by their organization’s admin.

To ensure you are notified of login attempts from non-allowed IP addresses or any updates to your IP Allow List, Dex automatically subscribes Merchant Admins, Enterprise Admins, and Partners to IP Allow List notifications when they accept their Dex invitation. You will receive these notifications for the following events:

  • Unauthorized Access
  • Allow List Updated
  • Allow List Deleted
  • Allow List Enabled
  • Allow List Disabled

Enabling IP Allow Lists

NOTE: IP Allow Lists must contain at least one IP address or IP address range to become fully enabled. For your convenience, the Manage IP Allow List Modal and the Dex login screen displays your IP address, so that you can quickly add it to the allow list to prevent lockout.

To enable and create an IP Allow List, complete the following steps:

  1. Log into your Dex Home Organization and click Organizations in the Dex main menu.
  2. Click the row on which the desire organization displays. If needed, search for the organization by either Organization Name or Organization ID or use the Legal Name, Status, Parent ID, Tax ID, or Type filters to narrow down the list that displays on the Organizations Datagrid.
  3. From the Organization's Details screen, click the Security tab.
  4. Click the Manage link under IP Allow Lists. A Manage IP Allow List modal displays.
  5. Click the toggle (i.e., make it green) next to the Enable IP Allow List field. The IP Address and Name fields display.
  6. In the IP Address field, enter either a single IP address (e.g., 192.168.100.14) or a range of IP addresses using Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation (e.g., 192.168.100.0/24).
  7. In the Name field enter a 60-character or less name for the IP address or range of addresses.
  8. Click the Add button. The IP address is added to the save list that displays on the Manage IP Allow List modal.
  9. Repeat steps 6–8 for all the IP addresses/ranges you want to add to the Allow List.

Managing the IP Allow List

Adding to the IP Allow List

To add to your IP Allow List, complete the following steps:

  1. Log into your Dex Home Organization and click Organizations in the Dex main menu.
  2. Click the row on which the desire organization displays. The Organization's Details screen displays.
  3. Click the Security tab on the Organization's Details screen.
  4. Click the Manage link under IP Allow List. A Manage IP Allow List modal displays.
  5. In the IP Address field enter either a single IP address (e.g., 192.168.100.14) or a range of IP addresses using Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) notation (e.g., 192.168.100.0/24).
  6. In the Name field enter a 60-character or less name for the IP address or range of addresses.
  7. Click the Add button. The IP address is added to the save list that displays on the Manage IP Allow List modal.
  8. Repeat steps 6–8 for all the IP addresses/ranges you want to add to the Allow List.

Editing an Allowed IP Address

To edit an IP address/range on your save list, access the Manage IP Allow List modal and complete the following steps:

  1. Find the desired address by scrolling through the list or searching for it by Name or IP Address in the Search field.
  2. Click the Edit icon that displays next to the IP address you want to modify. The text fields displaying the address values becomes editable.
  3. Add your updates to the IP Address or Name field and then click the Save icon. Dex returns you to the Manage IP Allow List modal.
  4. Repeat steps 1–3 for all the IP addresses/ranges you want to modify.

Deleting an Allowed IP Address

To delete an IP address/range from your save list, access the Manage IP Allow List modal and complete the following steps:

  1. Find the desired address by scrolling through the list or searching for it by Name or IP Address in the Search field.
  2. Click the Delete icon that displays next to the IP address you want to delete. A message displays asking you to confirm the deletion.
  3. Click the Delete button to confirm the deletion and return to the Manage IP Allow List modal.
  4. Repeat steps 1–3 for all the IP addresses/ranges you want to modify.

Disabling IP Allow Lists

If you no longer wish to enforce IP Allow Lists for Dex access, you can disable it from the Manage IP Allow List modal. If you later decide to re-enable it, your saved list of IP addresses/ranges automatically reactivates too. To disable IP Allow Lists for your organization, complete the following steps:

  1. Log into your Dex Home Organization and click Organizations in the Dex main menu.
  2. Click the row on which the desire organization displays. If needed, search for the organization by either Organization Name or Organization ID or use the Legal Name, Status, Parent ID, Tax ID, or Type filters to narrow down the list that displays on the Organizations Datagrid.
  3. From the Organization's Details screen, click the Security tab.
  4. Click the Manage link under IP Allow Lists. A Manage IP Allow List modal displays.
  5. Click the toggle (i.e., make it gray) next to the Enable or disable IP Allow List for your organization field. A message displays asking you to confirm that you want to disable this feature.
  6. Click the Disable button to confirm. Dex returns you to the Manage IP Allow List modal.

Resolving a TIN Mismatch

The Tax Identification Number (TIN) you submit with your merchant application must match the full Legal Name that you registered with the IRS. Otherwise, we get a TIN mismatch. We understand that typos happen and rather than delay your merchant onboarding, we provisionally enroll you so that you can begin processing transactions.

When enrolled with TIN mismatch, your organization will be placed on a funding and disbursements hold until we can verify your identity. After 30 days, organizations that remain unverified will have their transaction processing capabilities disabled. Merchant accounts unverified after 60 days will be closed due to lack of compliance and funds will be handled in compliance with state laws, which may include escheatment to your state for disbursement.

We’ll notify you if a TIN Mismatch occurs and how you can resolve it through the following channels:

  • The Enrollment Approval letters that contain your processing credentials
  • The Dex Invitation email
  • A bright red warning banner that displays at the top of your Dex screen

Once you’ve submitted the corrected TIN/Legal Name combination and your Forte Location ID to our Underwriting Team, we’ll review and validate your organization and then remove the funding and disbursement holds within 3–7 business days. We’ll also remove the red warning banner that displays at the top of your Dex screen.

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