How can I defend myself against chargebacks?

A chargeback occurs when your customer or issuing bank disputes a transaction. Often this happens when a customer doesn’t recognize a purchase and they contact their bank to dispute the transaction. The bank then goes on to investigate the transaction and while they do that, they issue a chargeback to you which is deducted from your account.

Important record keeping is key to defending yourself against a chargeback. Here’s a checklist to help you respond:

1. Follow the instructions on the chargeback notification
2. Respond by the due date listed on the notification
3. Address your customer’s concerns with a written reply
4. Provide copies of all transaction documents, including, but not limited to:
   • Order forms
   • Invoices
   • Contracts
5. Make sure you respond to all retrieval requests on time and accurately.

For fast and easy access to view and respond to disputes, log in to Merchant Portal.