Why does Sumac prompt me to re-enter my password when I am already logged into my database?

Why does Sumac prompt me to re-enter my password when I am already logged into my database?

After 15 minutes of inactivity, Sumac users may be prompted to re-enter their password to continue using Sumac. This must occur to make your use of Sumac comply with PCI-DSS. PCI-DSS is the standard set of rules for protecting payment information. All software which processes payments must meet this standard.

This time-out occurs for two types of Sumac users: Administrator users, and users who have permission to see Payments.

If you are an Admin user and find this password prompt inconvenient, here is a way you can avoid it. Create a second user account for yourself. Give this new account Administrator privileges, and log in with it only when you need to perform an activity in Sumac which requires admin permissions. Remove admin privileges from the account you use for day-to-day activities in Sumac.

If you are a Payment user, you are only prompted to re-enter your password when you try to access payments after 15 minutes of inactivity. This is unavoidable for compliance with security standards, and is less disruptive.


    Our products got an upgrade!



    Some screenshots and help videos have been made using older versions of our products. Though your version's colours and themes may appear different than what you see here, the instructions, links and advice in this article are still accurate and useful!


      • Related Articles

      • How do I reset my password?

        If you have forgotten your password to log into your Sumac database, and your Sumac Administrator has configured your database to use the Password Recovery function, you can run Sumac, enter your username, and click "Forgot Password" to go through ...
      • How to login to your Sumac database

        All Sumac users must be created by an Administrator of your Sumac database and provided their username and password (Adding new users to your Sumac database).  Once you have received your personal login and password from your Sumac Administrator, you ...
      • When I run Sumac, it tells me it cannot connect to the database server… why?

        This message means that for some reason Sumac is unable to establish a connection to the database server computer. Single-User Sumac (Trial, Bronze, Silver) If you are running a single-user version of Sumac, the data is on your computer, so this ...
      • Start/Logon & Sumac Console

        Once you have installed Sumac, a Sumac icon appears on your desktop. Run Sumac by double clicking the icon. Java window briefly appears. This window checks for updates to the Sumac program. Then Sumac presents a Log-In window where you can enter your ...
      • How to connect to your cloud hosted database

        Step 1: Install Sumac To install Sumac, follow the install instruction here on the Silent Partner Software website. Step 2: Find connection information This would have been sent to you in an email. You will need: Organization name OR Organization ID ...
      Societ Academy

      Learn what you need to know, any time. Free!



      • High quality training on demand - sessions are available every day, so you can access training that fits into your schedule.
      • Training sessions that are easy to follow - helpful tips throughout each session, and access to training moderators ensure your questions get answered.
      • A certificate of completion - you can request a certificate of completion for every session you attend.