Case studies
Ferris State University uses Merchant Services to centralize their systems
Ferris State University, a four-year public university in Big Rapids, Michigan is known for its vast array of academic programs.
Higher education institutions of this size face a unique set of challenges when it comes to managing payments and reconciliation across campus. Not only are there multiple merchant IDs (MIDs) to keep track of, there’s also the added layer of complexity when it comes to creating a seamless experience for students and staff.
At a glance
- 4-year public university in Big Rapids, MI
- 9000+ students
- 180+ undergrad and graduate programs
TouchNet solutions used:
- Merchant Services, RECON1, PayPath, Bill+Payment, Marketplace
Disjointed systems, campuswide challenges
It’s a lot to juggle without the proper tech, as Erin Diehm, Ferris State University’s Director of Student Financial Services knows all too well. Prior to partnering with TouchNet, the university had a MID for every location campuswide. Many of those locations had multiple terminal IDs to contend with, too.
Had they stayed with their previous processors, the university would have 196 MIDs to track and manage. This, coupled with disconnected systems and no cohesive visibility into performance metrics made communicating across departments difficult. There was also the matter of high processing rates and inconsistent payment experience across campus that made it difficult for staff and students.
“We've been able to find a one-stop shop where we can ask about our processing questions or how applications can integrate, and where we can get assistance with reporting.”
— Erin Diehm, Director of Student Financial Services
TouchNet’s Merchant Services seemed like the perfect solution — allowing the university to consolidate down to 18 MIDs. This streamlining of MIDs isn’t the only way Ferris State University benefitted from the use of Merchant Services. They also relied on PayPath to cut back on merchant fees that had been wracking up from debit and credit card transactions.
"The first year that we implemented the PayPath service we saved half a million dollars."
PayPath also gave the university an opportunity to treat payments like a financial literacy tool for students by teaching them how ACH payments save the students money on fees over credit card payments for their tuition, registration and more.
“A solution that would allow us to save dollars that we could then put back toward the students or activities or our budgets…we want to keep that in mind as we try to keep the students first.”
Streamlined reporting was also a gamechanger for the institution. RECON1 made it easier to drill down into the transactions happening around campus and provide each department with deeper insights so they could understand how their credit card fees are being charged. This gives each department more visibility into their businesses and lets them communicate with other departments more effectively.
Solving key issues with TouchNet
All of the solutions within Merchant Services combined to give Ferris State University a way to simplify and streamline how the campus supports payments and reconciliation with added benefits like:
- A consolidated, centralized view of batches, settlements, funding and other reporting across departments
- Reduced revenue loss, thanks to no longer absorbing all credit card processing fees
- Half a million dollars saved and growing
- Easy, transparent in-person or online payments that enhance the student experience
- A 90% decrease in MIDs needed across campus, saving time when it comes to tracking and managing MIDs
- Real-time support from engaged experts in the higher education industry
- Peace of mind with a solution that helps the campus maintain compliance
The difference the right solutions can make
Merchant Services allowed Ferris State University to gain visibility into campuswide payments and streamline their services in a way that fit their needs. This benefits not only the university and its various departments, but also gives the institution more time, money and resources to flood back into the student experience.
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“Support from the Merchant Services team has been excellent. They know higher education. They know what's going on in our system.”
Case studies
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