FAQ

All of our solutions are listed below.

 

Clicking on the solution you have a query about will take you to that product’s page. Each product page has a series of Tabs on it with more information and an FAQ Tab particular to that solution.

 

If you have a more general query or would like to know more about our Charity work, please click on one of the links below the product list.

 

Solutions

 

 

1.   Is this site secure?

Absolutely!

 

This site, and all transactions with it, are protected by our own industry-leading technology and our payment gateway is state of the art.

 

2.   Why select a Formidable Solutions product over another?

Generally, it’s about extra features, improved security and dramatically lower prices.

 

Some of our products are unique. They:

  • are state of the art solutions delivering effective, secure, cost-effective outcomes
  • go further than any other products in the same space
  • are inexpensive

Several Formidable products deliver a similar outcome to those of our competitors. In these cases:

  • our solutions will be less expensive
  • we’ve gone further with added features and levels of security where necessary (eg: in many situations, “username and password” protection is simply inadequate. In these cases we’ve built in extra levels of seamless security).

Where our products are, to all intents and purposes, the same as our competition, we are confident that they are already “best in class,” and we have matched the same high levels and delivered them at lower cost.

 

3.   What is SSL and what does it mean?

SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers.


SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer, a global standard security technology developed by Netscape in 1994.


SSL is the standard security technology for creating an encrypted link between a remote system and a client eg: a webserver and browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browser remains private and integral.


In order to be able to generate an SSL link, a web server requires an SSL Certificate.

 

4.   What is a SSL certificate?

SSL Certificates are small data file that digitally binds a cryptographic key to an organisation’s details. When installed on a server it allows secure connections from that server to a remote client – for example, between a webserver and a web browser. 

 

SSL Certificates can be used in many scenarios where data transfer needs to be authenticated and/or encrypted.  Examples of this are:

  • Secure web browsing
  • Online transactions
  • Sending and Receiving of email
  • Secure storage and transfer of data
  • Proving the authenticity and integrity of applications, or other code

 

 

5.   Which SSL Certificate is right for me?

Non-E-Commerce sites (particularly if they require User Registration and Login):

 

With a Formidable CA Essential SSL Certificate you can have a high level of security in 10 minutes with the golden padlock that your customers or users will look for to verify that your site or systems are secure.
 
 
If you’re looking to secure unlimited sub-domains then check out our Formidable CA Essential Wildcard SSL or Formidable CA Premium Wildcard SSL Certificates which save you time and money by allowing you to manage all your SSL requirements with just the one Certificate.

 

For multiple domains, the Formidable CA Unified Communications Certificate (Formidable CA UCC) is a single certificate provides administrative flexibility for feature-rich environments requiring secure, client-server and server-server communications.

 

E-Commerce sites:


E-Commerce merchants are going beyond the gold padlock by utilising the green address bar that is exclusive to sites with the Extended Validation SSL Certificates, the E-Commerce standard for trust and security. This visual assurance assists E-Commerce merchants to increase trust, improve conversions, reduce shopping cart abandonment and build higher lifetime customer value. The Formidable CA Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate is the highest assurance certificate, perfect for reassuring your visitors that they’re transacting on a highly trusted and secured domain and are designed to strengthen E-Commerce security and combat phishing attacks. Formidable CA EV Multi Domain SSL Certificate (MDCs) are the convenient and cost-effective solution for online businesses looking to secure multiple websites from a single certificate.

 

The business-validated Formidable CA Premium SSL Certificate provides a compelling visual assurance that your website can be trusted. They are the professional solution for securing E-Commerce websites. If you’re looking to secure unlimited sub-domains then check out our Formidable CA Premium Wildcard SSL Certificate which can save you time and money by allowing you to manage all your SSL requirements with just the one Certificate.

  

6.   Why are your SSL Certificates less expensive than others?

Prices are high across the sector. Our products and packages are flexible and inexpensive. We’ve built a sustainable business model based on great products delivered in volume at fair value with good support.

 

Our efficient and highly effective validation methods are comprehensive and the level of security we deliver is unsurpassed in the industry.

 

7.   What is a Warranty?

Our validation is at least as high as other providers. We are so confident in it that we offer a warranty for the life of each certificate.

 

These warranties are designed to protect end-users in the unlikely event that we issue a certificate to a fraudulent site which has an SSL link with an end-user who loses money because of it. As a further indicator of our confidence in our process, we let the customer select the level of warranty they’d prefer.

 

Some providers offer no warranty and we strongly advise against using them.

 

8.   What is a Certification Authority?

Browsers and Operating Systems come with a pre-installed list of trusted Certification Authorities  known as the Trusted Root CA store.

 

As Microsoft and Mozilla provide the major operating systems and browsers, they decide who is included as a Certification Authority within the Trusted Root CA store and thereby granted trusted status.

 

SSL certificates issued by trusted Certification Authorities do not display a warning and establish a secure link between websites and browsers transparently. In such circumstances, the padlock signifies that the user has an encrypted link with a site which has been issued a trusted SSL Certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority.

 

Microsoft and Mozilla have therefore determined the role of the Certification Authority - to use their trusted status to "pass trust" to websites which ordinarily would not be trusted by a customer.

 

As a result of their "trusted" status, Certification Authorities have a responsibility to ensure they only ever issue SSL Certificates to legitimate companies. This may only be achieved by employing stringent validation processes to ensure issuance practices only allow the SSL Certificate to be issued to a legitimate entity.   After all, anyone relying on the presence of an SSL Certificate will do so not just for the encryption factor, but also to indicate the legitimacy of the site.

 

Our SSL Certificates meet these stringent standards.

 

9. We’re a Non-Profit Organisation; do we need an SSL?

If you have a website then you need exactly the same level of protection as any other organisation. If you would prefer visitors to your site to trust that you are who you say you are, trust what you say, share their data with you or buy something from you then: yes!

 

Exactly which SSL Certificate you need depends on what you do online. You should find all the information you need on this site.

 

We support all Charities in the UK with SSL Certificates as part of their registration with Giveall. This could be the most cost-effective answer to your SSL requirements. Find out more here:

 

10. We already have a Certificate; how do we change to Formidable CA?

That is very simple.  Just puchase the required Certificate and follow the installation instrucations.

 

11. What is Postcode Lookup?

Postcode Lookup makes for faster data entry, better quality of data, improved customer service and a more professional image.

 

Simply add Formidable CA Postcode Lookup to your site and your online forms become easier to complete and far more accurate.

 

Visitors to your site (or your employees) simply enter a postcode and addresses populate the form automatically. Select the right one and it’s done. Your database is accurate, contact details are correct and any deliveries go to the right address, saving time, money and hassle. It cuts down on redeliveries and has been proven to reduce shopping cart abandonment.

 

Formidable CA Postcode Lookup works across the entire United Kingdom. Find out more here.

 

12. What is a Digital Certificate?

In the physical world, you protect your written correspondence from prying eyes by putting it in a sealed envelope before posting and you ensure it gets to the right person by making it special delivery. You let the person know it’s from you by signing it.

 

In the online world, sending an e-mail message is like sending a postcard in that it’s easy to intercept and anyone can read it. Also, the recipient has no way of knowing that anything untoward has happened along the way. A Digital Certificate from Formidable CA stops all that at the click of a button.

 

Digital Certificates are extremely easy to deploy (although the technology behind them is somewhat mind-boggling).

 

Basically, a Digital Certificate is a pair of files on your computer that you can use to create the digital equivalent of handwritten signatures and sealed envelopes. Each pair of files is divided into two parts: the public key and the private key. The public key is the portion that is shared; the private key is the portion that you, and only you, should have access to. Your computer and programs only shares the public portion of your keys so that others can see them while your private keys are kept secure.

 

So, when you send an email, you can digitally sign the message by attaching your digital certificate. Once they receive the message, recipients can verify that it came from you by viewing the small attachment on the e-mail. This contains your public key information which means that the email can only have come from you and that it hasn’t been interfered with.

 

You can also use digital certificates to electronically sign documents. This is one reason why it’s extremely important to protect the private key portions of your certificate files and never share them. They are virtually impossible to fake so you could be legally bound to something within the document and it would be extremely difficult to prove that it wasn't you who digitally signed the message.

 

When you encrypt a message, you create the equivalent of a sealed envelope so that only you and the recipient can see the message. Without this, it’s the online equivalent of a post card and anyone who has access to the network between you and the recipient can potentially read it. With the encryption offered by Formidable CA digital certificates, you avoid this problem. In the case of encryption, you use the recipient's public key to encrypt the message. Only the recipient has the private key that allows the message to be decoded.

 

The digital certificate itself contains:

  1. The person's name
  2. An e-mail address
  3. A serial number
  4. A public key
  5. An expiration date (certificates are valid for five years)
  6. A digital signature

When you download a digital certificate, you will receive both public and private keys. The public keys are the ones that you will use to sign and encrypt documents. The private keys are the ones that will be stored on your computer. You should never, ever share the private keys.

 

There are several benefits to using digital certificates:

  • Send signed email messages. This ensures the recipients that the message came from you and not someone pretending to be you.
  • Encrypt the contents of email messages and attachments which avoids them being read by online intruders. Only your intended recipient can decrypt them.
  • Encrypt files and/or folders on your computer. This is helpful for lost or stolen mobile devices and laptops because thieves would need to know your password to access any of the encrypted files or folders.
  • Streamline and improve business processes by allowing people to use digital certificates to electronically sign documents or approve something at a given stage of a process. This also protects the integrity of documents against things like people in supply chains faking invoices etc.

Find out more here:

  

13. What is Giveall2Charity?

At a Glance

 

Giveall is 100% owned by the UK-registered Charity Giveall2Charity (No. 1132982).

 

Giveall is commission-free and serves and supports all charities, schools, churches, CASCs,universities, hospitals and other not-for-profit organisations and NGOs in the UK, their supporters, fundraisers, donors and sponsors worldwide. It will be available to Charities in South Africa, The USA, Australia and New Zealand in 2012/13 and the rest of the world thereafter.


Giveall delivers services in 5 main areas:

  1. An online fundraising and giving platform where donors give to their favourite good causes online and charities and fundraisers generate donations and sponsorship for theirs.
  2. Payroll Giving. The most tax-effective way to support charity, HMRC-approved Giveall Payroll Giving is the only Payroll Agency that doesn't charge commission or transaction fees and its fully automated systems make administration minimal.
  3. A proprietary banking platform and consolidated cash management solution where all non-profits can transfer their funds at no cost and where smaller organisations enjoy the higher rates of interest that were previously the domain of larger charities.
  4. Giveall Wealth Management Services provides medium to long term cash investment facilities which returns 100% of all commission on placement to the charities.
  5. Other essential services and solutions such as online Continuing Professional Development courses and HR, financial reporting and security software.

Giveall is transforming the Non-Profit sector by:

  • making giving easier and more effective.
  • increasing revenue streams.
  • dramatically reducing the cost of fundraising by removing commission completely and by virtually eliminating bank and processing charges.
  • promoting Payroll Giving while removing commission and transaction fees.
  • assisting Trustees, Management and Staff meet and maintain the highest standards of corporate governance.
  • providing essential goods and services free or at preferential rates.

We believe that nobody should be making money from the giving of others. Donors have the right to expect their donation to reach the charity or good cause of their choice without others removing commission or unnecessary transaction fees.
Find out more
 

If you’d like to know more about Giveall2Charity follow the link.

 

14. Can I support Giveall2Charity or any other charity through the payment processing undertaken by SPS?

Yes. We are able to provide you with an additional service whereby you can select a fixed amount, a variable amount or a round-up of your charges, which can then be donated to the charity of your choice via the Giveall Service.

 

Depending on the plan, which you select, we will even match up to 1p per transaction, which goes to Giveall2Charity.

 
This is a wonderful way to increase your CSR giving and profile in a very simple way.

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Formidablesolutions.com is a trading name of Formidable Solutions Limited, a company registered in England and Wales.
Company number: 06831675