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Raw Data

Automating data to simplify financial reconciliation and disputes.

Overview

Raw Data is a product from American Express that securely and automatically transmits financial reconciliation and dispute data directly into your systems.  This enables you to automate and customize the data to best suit your business.

 

Benefits

Automation

 

Eliminate manual tasks from your reconciliation and disputes process by automating and customizing how you receive and manage financial transactions and settlement information.

 

Daily File Frequency

 

Create and send files as settlements/disputes are ready. You can also request empty files to be sent as scheduled, even when no transactions have occurred.

 

Secure Retrieval

 

Retrieve data files via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), using Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Files are safely transferred across an encrypted channel in compliance with American Express security policies and industry standards.

 

Referencing Data

 

Easily reconcile data with transactional referencing, including: Invoice Reference Number (30 bytes), Transaction ID, Approval Code and specific industry referencing.

 

Card Masking (Optional)

 

Mask the five middle digits of the Card Member number to help protect data and minimize exposure, e.g. 123456XXXXX1234.

 

Raw Data File Types

You can choose one or both of the following options to integrate with raw data.

 

Overview

Raw Data automates the reconciliation process, integrating data directly into your accounting systems to help avoid the errors of manual-processing. It’s typically recommended for Merchants with more than 100 transactions a day and is available in all proprietary markets around the world.

 

 

Benefits

  • Convenient File Structures        
    • Use records with data fields to build Raw Data Global Reconciliation files (aka GRRCN). Three levels of data options are available: Submission (Batch), Transaction (Charge) and Transaction Pricing.
  • Consolidated Files                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
    • Combine financial data from multiple countries in the same region—such as the UK, France, Germany and/or other European countries—into a single file. Different regions (EMEA, JAPA, LAC, North America) require separate files.
  • Long-Term Data Retention                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
    • Request files as old as 60 days upon request, and get ad hoc files with up to 18 months of your most recent transaction history.
  • Multiple File Format                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
    • Get files in fixed and delimited (CSV or TAB) formats.

 

How it works

Following the submission of your transactions to American Express:

Reconciliation

Implementation & Resources

Raw Data File Set Up

  • Contact your American Express Representative to get set up. 
  • Allow 6-8 weeks to integrate Raw Data into your internal system, depending on your IT department.
    • **Note It can take 3-6 months to fully integrate the Raw Data Disputes and Imaging files into your disputes system, depending on your IT department.

 

Resources

  • File Specification Documentation
    • Comprehensive Raw Data File Specification documents can be downloaded at: www.americanexpress.com/merchantspecs. The American Express Network publishes  the Technical Specifications twice each year, in April and October. Raw Data File Specification changes will be announced in the Notice of Specification Changes (NOSC), and these changes will be incorporated into the next editions of the Technical Specifications.

 

  • Sample Files
    • Sample text files are available from your American Express Representative.

 

  • Raw Data Product Guides

Please talk to your American Express representative to get started.