Chargebacks have become a significant concern for online businesses in recent years. These occur when a customer disputes a charge on their credit or debit card, resulting in a reversal of funds from the merchant's account back to the customer. Originally designed as a consumer protection measure against unauthorized transactions, chargebacks have evolved into a double-edged sword, often significantly impacting merchants' bottom lines and complicating their payment operations.

In this article, we'll explore the complexities of chargebacks, examining their various types and the substantial impact they can have on businesses. We'll also list effective strategies for prevention, equipping merchants with the knowledge to protect their interests.

What are the different types of chargebacks?

As a merchant, before implementing strategies to protect your business from chargeback fraud, it's crucial to understand the different types of chargebacks you may encounter. By recognizing these various forms, you can tailor your prevention efforts more effectively.

• Criminal Fraud: Criminal fraud chargebacks result from genuine fraudulent activities, where unauthorized transactions are made using stolen card information or compromised accounts. For instance, a cybercriminal might use stolen credit card details to make online purchases, or a hacker could gain access to a customer's trading account and place market orders without their knowledge.
• Friendly Fraud: Also known as chargeback fraud, this occurs when a customer disputes a legitimate charge, either intentionally or due to confusion. In the trading or igaming context, this might happen when a player loses money on trades or bets and then claims they didn't authorize the transactions. For instance, a trader might make a series of unsuccessful trades and then dispute the charges, claiming they didn't place the orders. Similarly, an online gambler might lose a significant amount and then claim their account was hacked or that they didn't participate in the gaming sessions.
• Merchant Error: These chargebacks result from mistakes or oversights on the part of the merchant during the transaction process or order fulfillment. Common examples include accidentally processing a single transaction multiple times, shipping the wrong item to a customer, or failing to process a refund promptly.
• Service or Product Not as Described: This type of chargeback occurs when customers claim that the product or service they received doesn't match the merchant's description. For example, a customer might order a product with specific features but receive one that doesn't meet those specifications.

The Financial and Operational Impact of Chargebacks on Merchants

Chargebacks can have far-reaching consequences for merchants, extending beyond just the loss of the transaction amount. Here's how they can affect your business:

1. Financial Losses: Merchants face direct losses from reversed transactions, chargeback fees imposed by payment processors, and potential loss of goods or services already provided.
2. Operational Costs: Time and resources spent investigating and responding to chargebacks increase, as does the need for enhanced customer service to address client concerns proactively.
3. Reputational Damage: High chargeback rates can harm relationships with payment processors and banks.
4. Card Network Fines: Merchants with high chargeback ratios may face monitoring programs like Mastercard's Excessive Chargeback Program (ECP) and Visa's Dispute Monitoring Program (VDMP), potentially incurring levy fines.
5. Chargeback Fees: These additional charges imposed by acquirers or payment processors serve as a financial incentive for merchants to implement robust fraud prevention measures.

Can Chargebacks Be Completely Eliminated?

While it's virtually impossible to eliminate chargebacks entirely, merchants can significantly reduce their occurrence through a combination of best practices and advanced technologies. Clear communication, robust fraud detection, efficient customer service, clear billing descriptors, and comprehensive return and refund policies all play crucial roles in chargeback prevention.

Praxis Safe: Advanced Fraud Protection for Online Merchants

To help merchants combat chargebacks and fraud effectively, Praxis Tech offers Praxis Safe, a fraud protection and risk management solution powered by Cybersource, a Visa solution. This powerful tool integrates seamlessly into your payment process, providing multiple layers of protection.

How Praxis Safe Works

Praxis Safe springs into action as soon as a customer enters their card information on your payment page. The system instantly analyzes the transaction against a vast database of historical patterns and your custom rules. Advanced machine learning algorithms, with access to Visa's global transaction network, assess the risk level in real-time. Based on this assessment and the pre-sets you have calibrated as custom rules, the transaction is either approved, flagged for review, or declined before it reaches the issuer.

High-risk transactions can be routed through additional authentication measures like 3D Secure. All of this happens in milliseconds, ensuring a seamless experience for legitimate customers while effectively blocking fraudulent attempts.

Get in touch to protect your business from chargeback fraud.