Notice received
Capture the dispute reason, transaction details, and response deadline.
Reduce chargeback risk before it threatens the account
A rising chargeback ratio can come from weak order screening, customer confusion, slow refunds, fulfillment problems, or stolen-card fraud. The fix depends on the cause.
Card-brand monitoring
Monitoring rules vary by card brand and program
The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) combines card-not-present fraud and disputes, while Mastercard monitors chargebacks under separate programs. Ratios, transaction counts, and processor requirements differ. Review a rising ratio before it leads to remediation, reserves, funding delays, or account action.
Find the source
Start with the chargeback reason codes
Pull the reason codes and look for patterns in order screening, billing descriptors, refund timing, fulfillment, and customer service.
- Review fraud signals before an order is fulfilled.
- Use clear billing descriptors, terms, and customer communication.
- Track dispute reasons and recurring operational patterns.
- Evaluate early-warning or alert services when the account warrants them.
How the alert process works
Handle today's dispute, then fix the pattern
Transaction reviewed
Check order, customer, authorization, fulfillment, and communication records.
Respond and correct
Meet the response deadline, then change the control or process that failed.
Merchant account stability
Lower the pressure without blocking good customers
Loose fraud controls invite losses. Overly strict rules decline legitimate sales. Set them against the business's approval rate, fulfillment risk, and tolerance for disputes.
Numbers and records to monitor
- Chargeback count and ratio over time.
- Fraud and non-fraud dispute reasons.
- Decline rates and manual-review outcomes.
- Refund timing, support contacts, and fulfillment records.