POS_and_On-line_Payment_Processor_Services_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

POS AND ON-LINE PAYMENT PROCESSOR

SERVICES

RFI # 052626

Prepared By: Treasurer's Office

Dated: Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Proposal Due Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 3:00 pm (EST)

RFI #052626 DOCUMENTS Page 2

NOTICE

COUNTY COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY

PROCUREMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT

106 Industrial Village Road, Bldg. 2 Post Office Drawer 1228 Beaufort, South Carolina 29901-1228

PROPOSAL NOTICE NO. 052626

CLOSING DATE AND TIME: Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 3:00 pm PROPOSAL TITLE: POS and On-line Payment Processor Services

You are invited to submit a response, in accordance with the requirements of this solicitation which are contained herein.

In order for your response to be considered, it must be submitted through the Procurement Portal no later than 3:00 pm (EST) on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at which time respondents to this request will be recorded in the presence of one or more witnesses. RFIs received after the time specified will not be considered. Due to the possibility of negotiation with all respondents, the identity of any respondents or the contents of any proposal shall not be public information until after the contract award is made; therefore, the public is not invited to the Request for Information closing.

Responses must be submitted through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bcgov. If you are not already registered, please register as a Vendor. There is no cost to register your company. This will allow you to submit your RFI electronically.

All submittals (see Submission Requirements) received in response to this Request for Information will be rated by a Selection Committee, based upon the Evaluation Criteria contained within this

RFI. If the best Request for Information respondent is clearly identified from the point summary, there will not be a need for oral presentations. If not, then an oral presentation from a minimum of the top two rated firms shall be required.

This solicitation does not commit Beaufort County to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response or to procure or contract for the articles of goods or services. The

County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received as a result of this request, to negotiate with all qualified firms, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation, if it is in the best interests of the County to do so.

Dave Thomas, Procurement Services Director

(843) 255-2304 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bcgov

RFI #052626 DOCUMENTS Page 3

IMPORTANT ELECTRONIC SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Response submittals for this Request for Information will ONLY be received electronically and must be submitted ONLINE, through the Procurement Portal, no later than 3:00 pm on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

All responses must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Suppliers are encouraged to submit responses as soon as possible. Responses are received through our secure Procurement Portal and cannot be opened prior to the due date and time. The time and date of receipt as recorded by the server will serve as the official time of receipt. The County is not responsible for late submissions, regardless of the reason.

• All requested information and forms MUST be uploaded as indicated in the

RESPONSE SUBMITTAL Section. If you have a problem with your submittal, you may contact Support through the Procurement Portal.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bcgov/projects/256703/document?section=2456590 mailto:cservice@vendorregistry.com

RFI #052626 DOCUMENTS Page 4

TITLE VI STATEMENT

COUNTY COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY

Title VI Statement to Prime Contractors, Subcontractors, Architects, Engineers, and

Consultants

It is the policy of the County Council of Beaufort County, South Carolina, hereafter referred to as

“Beaufort County” or “the County”, to comply with Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (Title

VI) and its related statutes. To this end, Beaufort County assures that no person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefit of, or subjected to discrimination under any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, religion, or language regardless of whether those programs and activities are Federally funded or not. The

County is also committed to assuring every effort will be made to prevent the discrimination of low-income and minority populations as a result of any impact of its programs or activities. Beaufort County also assures that every effort will be made to prevent discrimination through the impacts of its programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations. Additionally, the County will take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services for persons with limited English proficiency. In addition, Beaufort County will not retaliate against any person who complains of discrimination or who participates in an investigation of discrimination. Beaufort County will, where necessary and appropriate, revise, update, and incorporate nondiscrimination requirements into appropriate documents, directives, and regulations.

Pursuant to Title VI requirements, any entity that enters into a contract with Beaufort County including, but not limited to Prime Contractors, Subcontractors, Architects, Engineers, and

Consultants, may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, religion, or language in their selection and retention of first-tier subcontractors, and first-tier subcontractors may not discriminate in their election and retention of second-tier subcontractors, including those who supply materials and/or lease equipment. Further, Contractors may not discriminate in their employment practices in connection with highway construction projects or other projects assisted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and/or the Federal

Highway Administration (FHWA).

In all solicitations either by competitive bidding or negotiation made by the Contractor for work to Beaufort County to be performed under a subcontract, including procurements of materials or leases of equipment, each potential subcontractor or supplier shall be notified by the Contractor of the Contractor's obligations under the contract and the Title VI regulations relative to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, religion, or language by providing such a statement in its bidding and contract documents.

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Upon request, the Contractor shall provide all information and reports required by Title VI requirements issued pursuant thereto, and shall permit access to its books, records, accounts and other sources of information, and its facilities as may be determined by Beaufort County, USDOT, and/or FHWA to be pertinent to ascertain compliance with such regulations, orders, and instructions. Where any information required of a Contractor is in the exclusive possession of another who fails or refuses to furnish this information, the Contractor shall so certify to USDOT or FHWA, as appropriate and via Beaufort County, and shall set forth what efforts it has made to obtain the information. In the event of the Contractor's non-compliance with nondiscrimination provisions of this contract, USDOT may impose such contract sanctions as it or FHWA may determine to be appropriate, including, but not limited to:

• Withholding of payments to the Contractor under the contract until the Contractor complies, and/or

• Cancellation, termination, or suspension of the contract, in whole or in part.

In the event a Contractor becomes involved in, or is threatened with, litigation with a subcontractor or supplier as a result of this direction to comply with Title VI, the Contractor may request USDOT to enter into such litigation to protect the interests of USDOT and FHWA. Additionally, the

Contractor may request the United States to enter into such litigation to protect the interests of the

United States. Any person or Subcontractor who believes that they have been subjected to an unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint within one hundred eighty (180) days following the alleged discriminatory action. Any such complaint must be filed in writing or in person:

Beaufort County Government Post Office Drawer 1228 | Beaufort, SC 29901-1228

843-255-2304 Telephone | E-mail: dthomas@bcgov.net mailto:dthomas@bcgov.net

RFI #052626 DOCUMENTS Page 6

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

4.1. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

4. 1.1 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: Prior to commencing work/delivery hereunder, contractor/vendor, at his expense, shall furnish insurance certification showing the certificate holder as Beaufort County, P. O. Drawer 1228, Beaufort, SC 29901, Attention: Risk Management Director, and with a special notation naming Beaufort County as an additional insured on the liability coverages. Minimum coverage shall be as follows:

4.1.2 Worker’s Compensation Insurance – Contractor shall have and maintain, during the life of this contract, Worker’s Compensation Insurance for his or her employees connected to the work/delivery, in accordance with the Statutes of the State of South Carolina and any applicable laws. Employers Liability minimum limits required $500,000

4.1.3 Commercial General Liability Insurance - Contractor shall have and maintain, during the life of this contract, Commercial General Liability Insurance. Said Commercial General Liability Policy shall contain

Contractual Liability and Products/Completed Operations Liability subject to the following minimum limits:

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence/ $2,000,000 General Aggregate and $2,000,000 Products/Completed

Operations Aggregate naming Beaufort County as an additional insured.

4.1.4 Comprehensive Automobile Liability Insurance – The Contractor shall have and maintain, during the life of this contract, Comprehensive Automobile Liability, including non-owned and hired vehicles, of at least $500,000 COMBINED SINGLE LIMIT.

4.2.1 ADDITIONAL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: Umbrella Liability Insurance – Contractor shall have and maintain, during the life of this contract, Umbrella Liability Insurance with a minimum limit of $2,000,000

4.2.2 Builders Risk/Instillation (For Construction Projects Only) Contractor is to provide

Builders Risk/Instillation coverage at finished replacement cost value. The coverage is to include building materials in transit or at the job site location.

4.2.3 Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions): (For Professional Services Only) Professional

Liability Insurance protects against losses that occur when a “professional” errors in judgement, planning, and design could result in economic loss to the entity or county. In order to determine if Professional Liability should be required ask yourself: Is the professional licensed or certified (i.e. architects, consultants, auditors, attorneys, engineers, etc.)? Required if a contractor is performing any type of design/build for a particular project. The vendor shall maintain a limit no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence:

4.3 The required insurance policy at the time of issue must be written by a company licensed to do business in the

State of South Carolina and be acceptable to the County.

4.4 The Contractor/vendor shall not cause any insurance to be canceled or permit any insurance to lapse. All insurance policies shall contain a clause to the effect that the policy shall not be canceled or reduced, restricted or limited, until fifteen (15) days after the County has received written notice, as evidenced by return receipt of registered or certified letter. Certificates of Insurance shall contain transcript from the proper office of the insurer, the location, and the operations to which the insurance applies, the expiration date, and the above-mentioned notice of cancellation clause.

4.5 The information described above sets forth minimum amounts and coverages and is not to be construed in any way as a limitation on the Contractor’s liability.

QUESTTIONNAIRE

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Respondents to answer the following questions below.

5.1. Questionnaire

1. Company Overview & Experience

• Provide a brief history of your company and experience in the payment processing industry.

• What is your experience working with businesses of similar size and industry?

• Provide three client references.

2. Services and Functionality

• What card brands do you support (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover)?

• Do you support in-person (EMV/contactless) and card-not-present (online/phone) payments?

• Do you offer mobile payment options or digital wallets (e.g., Apple Pay)?

• Can you provide end of day settlement for all card types?

3. Technology and Integration

• Describe your API and payment gateway, specifically how they would integrate and interact with our existing systems (Aumentum v.8.6.10 and Harris Collectware), including compatibility with our API.

• What POS hardware do you offer? Do you support hardware-free solutions (e.g., tap-to-pay on phone)?

• Describe your process for managing quality control for transaction processing.

• Can you provide a detailed, independent audit report demonstrating your adherence to these standards, and specifically address how your system handles the unique risks associated with governmental funds and public accountability?

• Describe your incident response plan. Specifically, what steps do you take if a data breach is suspected or confirmed?

• Describe your data encryption practices, both in transit and at rest. Specifically, what algorithms are used, and what key management practices are in place to ensure the security and availability of those keys.

4. Security and Compliance

RFI #052626 DOCUMENTS Page 8

• Are you PCI-DSS Level 1 Compliant? Please provide your Attestation of Compliance

(AOC).

• What tools do you provide for fraud detection and risk management?

• How do you ensure secure data handling and tokenization?

5. Fees and Pricing Structure

• What is your pricing structure (e.g., Interchange-plus, flat rate)?

• Are there enrollment fees, monthly maintenance fees, or cancellation fees?

• List any costs associated with hardware or terminal rentals/purchases.

6. Support and Implementation

• What are your daily hours of operation for support? Is it 24/7?

• Is your support team located in the U.S.?

• Describe your implementation process, typical timeline, and support for the transition.

7. Reporting and Analytics

• Describe your online reporting portal. Are custom reports available?

• How does your system handle reconciliation, chargebacks, and disputes?

RESPONSE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prohibition of Gratuities: It shall be unethical for any person to offer, or give, or agree to give any County employee or former County employee, or for any County employee or former County employee to solicit, demand, accept, or agree to accept from another person, a gratuity or an offer of employment in connection with any decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, or preparation of any part of a purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing, or in any other advisory capacity in any proceeding or application, request for ruling, determination, claim or controversy, or other particular matter, pertaining to any program requirement or a contract or subcontract, or to any solicitation or proposal therefore.

2. Questions

A. Submit questions you have through the Procurement Portal no later than 5:00 pm on

Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

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B. Answers to questions received that would change and/or clarify this solicitation will be posted on the Procurement Portal as addendum.

C. Selection Committee members SHALL NOT be contacted during the RFI process.

3. In order to do business with the Beaufort County, vendors must register through the

Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bcgov. Registering allows businesses to identify the type of goods and services they provide so that they may receive email notifications regarding relevant solicitations out for bid.

RESPONSE SUBMITTAL

1. Respondent confirms the submission is firm for a period of at least 90 days from the closing date for submission of response.*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

2. Certification regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility, and Voluntary exclusion*

The contractor certifies, by submission of this qualification statement or acceptance of a contract, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any State, Federal department, or agency.

It further agrees by submitting this qualification statement that it will include this clause without modification in all lower tier transactions, solicitations, proposals, contracts, and subcontracts.

Where the bidder/contractor or any lower tier participant is unable to certify to this statement, it shall attach an explanation to this solicitation/bid.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

3. State whether your company has been involved in any litigation within the past five (5) years, arising out of your performance. *

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

3.1. Explain fully any litigation involving performance.*

*Response required

4. Non-Segregated Facilities*

CERTIFICATION BY CONTRACTOR

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bcgov

RFI #052626 DOCUMENTS Page 10

Regarding

NON-SEGREGATED FACILITIES

The Bidder certifies that he does not, and will not, provide and maintain segregated facilities for his employees at his establishments and, further that he does not, and will not, permit his employees to perform their services at those locations, under his control, where segregated facilities are provided and maintained. Segregated fountains, transportation, parking, entertainment, recreation, ad housing facilities; waiting, rest, wash, dressing, and locker room, and time clock, work, storage, restaurant, and other eating areas which are set apart in fact, or by explicit directive, habit, local custom, or otherwise, based on color, creed, national origin, and race. The Bidder agrees that, except where he has obtained identical certifications from proposed subcontractors for specific time periods, he will obtain identical certifications from proposed subcontractors prior to the award of subcontractors exceeding $10,000.00 which are not exempt from the provisions of the Equal Opportunity clause, and that he will retain such certifications in his files.

The Bidder agrees that a breach of this certification is a violation of the Equal Opportunity clause in this Contract. The penalty for making false statements is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

5. Submission*

To achieve a uniform review process and allow for adequate comparability, the information is to be organized in the manner specified below and the entire package must not exceed 30 electronic pages excluding cover pages. Please include a cover page at the start of each section.

1. Company Overview & Experience

2. Services and Functionality

3. Technology and Integration

4. Security and Compliance

5. Fees and Pricing Structure

6. Support and Implementation

7. Reporting and Analysis

8. List any exceptions, qualifications, or exclusions to this RFI:

*Response required

RESERVED RIGHTS

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The County shall not be responsible for any of the costs associated with responding to this request and all submitted materials shall become the property of the County. Furthermore, the County expressly reserves the right and options to:

• Reject any or all consultants and re-advertise if deemed necessary

• Waive any or all formalities and technicalities

• Approve, disapprove, or cancel all services associated with the project

The County has yet to decide whether to select one or more other firms to provide some or all of the professional services described in this document. All selected firms will perform such services under the direct supervision of Beaufort County.

Attachments:

A - Roll Type

B - Volumes by payment type

RESERVED RIGHTS