Dear Association Partner,

We appreciate your commitment to ARPAC. There has been a significant increase in fraud cases involving theft of checks sent through the mail, where criminals steal a check, alter the check amount, and cash the check. To protect both ARPAC funds and members making the contributions from becoming victims, effective July 1, 2024, AAR will move to electronic submission of ARPAC funds through E Commerce, EFT, or Aristotle. This process will be similar to the electronic submission of member dues which has been the practice for several years. E Commerce and EFT transfer fees will continue to be paid by AAR for ARPAC contributions. 

Remittance Steps for Contributions:

All funds transfers should be accompanied by AAR Funds Transmittal Report, found on the Local Board Resource Page:

https://www.alabamarealtors.com/who-we-are/governance/local-board-resources

Cash and Checks

1. Deposit cash and checks into your bank account. Make a copy of checks before you deposit.
2. Send funds by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and submit AAR Funds Transmittal Report.

Credit Cards

Credit card contributions can be processed in three different ways:

1.   Using Square or other financial service platform:

• Run the credit cards through Square/platform into your bank account.
• Send the funds by EFT and submit AAR’s Funds Transmittal Report.

2. Member Self-Service:

• Members have the option to log into their accounts where they pay their dues and make an ARPAC contribution.

3.  WebForm Setup by Aristotle:

1. Aristotle can set up a dedicated WebForm for your specific event and/or for 2024 ARPAC Contributions.
2. Two separate WebForms must be set up for every event or yearly contributions. To ensure compliance with the law, contributions made with business credit cards must be processed as soft funds:

• One form for contributions from personal credit cards.
• One form for contributions from business credit cards.

3. Users will only see a single form, but there will be a link available for selection when using a business credit card, ensuring that the funds are deposited into the correct account.

WebForm Access

Your WebForm can be accessed through the following methods:

• Setting up a link to the form on your website.
• Accessing a link on AAR’s website.
• Your members can access the form and enter their credit card information themselves, or you can enter it on their behalf.

Mandatory Form Details:

• Your WebForms must include the Board Name and the option to pay with a business credit card. While the Event name is optional, it can be incredibly useful for tracking contributions for grant applications.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Cyndi Lombardi or Melissa Williams if you have any questions or require further assistance. Your commitment to ARPAC is vital to our collective efforts, and we thank you for your support.