1 Week to Go Checklist

You may recognize this list from the last few weeks. It’s the same list because you are getting toward the end. If you are already done, Congratulations. If you haven’t started . .

Panic Items (Things most likely to make for a bad evening if unresolved !)

1. Is your gateway account ready to accept credit-cards and has the connection been tested ?

A. If you are preswiping, make sure your gateway is not requiring a CSC - CVV . (The vaulted card will not store a CVV so if it is required, the transaction will fail.)

B. Lower the AVS (Address Verification System) inside you gateway so there are less failures.

C. Make sure you know what the $$ limit is for your account. Generous donors will have their cards fail if there is a low cap ($1000) limit on your Gateway.

D. Confirm the types of cards you are set up to accept. VISA, AMEX, etc. Your auction software will reject incorrect types unless not set correctly. You will get a failure when you try to charge the card and the guest may already be done.

E. Test vaulting by Preswiping a test guest's card and checking them out with a payment. The True Test is whether the test payment makes it to your bank account.

F. Do you have access to your credit card gateway account or is the person who does available at the event or by phone ?

2. Have you confirmed your hardware for the evening?
A. Do you have prescribed swipers?
B. Are they programmed to work with you auction software?
C. Do you have enough stations? 1 per 50 guests.
D. Are your printers compatible with your computers?

3. Does your site have Internet connectivity that you can control or recover ?
A. Do you have access to the network if you are using it for connectivity?
B. If wireless, have you tested it from the event location and at the same time of day?
C. Are your volunteers clear what happens if there is a crash? Who is there to make the decision?

4. Have you entered names for all of your guests?

5. Are your volunteers trained?

Details that can happen as late as the day before

1. Have you printed out your bid sheets and created your sign-up sheets?
2. Have you set up your receipt header and footer, organization name, and default address?
3. Have you linked bidders who want to share bid numbers and decided how to distribute bidder numbers?
4. Have you entered FMVs for each procurement item so guests know the deductibility of their purchases ?
5. Have you checked that the following items are entered appropriately with adequate quantities entered ?

* Raffle tickets
* Wine wall tickets
* Paddle Raise/Direct Appeal
* Sign-up parties/buy-ins/easel parties
* Drink tickets

6. Have you printed out reports as backup or that will useful for volunteers not at terminals? E.g., "Guests, individual by bidder number", "Table Report"
7. Are the things you want to sell at check-in set up to appear on the check- in screen?