Preventing chargebacks and inquiries
When you let your customers use credit cards on your store, there is a chance of getting chargebacks or inquiries. You can follow some general steps to prevent some chargebacks and inquiries:
- Investigate suspicious orders before you fulfill them.
- Make sure that your contact information is easy to find on your store.
- Respond to customers quickly when they contact you with any problems.
- Inform customers about your store's policies.
- Keep your customers updated throughout the shipping process. Use online tracking and delivery confirmation when you can.
Different types of chargebacks and inquiries can also be prevented in specific ways:
Reason for the chargeback or inquiry | What it means | How to prevent it |
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Fraudulent | The customer didn’t authorize the charge. This is the most common reason for a chargeback and can happen if the card was lost or stolen. |
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Unrecognized | The customer doesn’t recognize the merchant name or location on the card statement. Respond to this in the same way that you would to a fraudulent code. |
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Duplicate | The customer believes they were charged twice for the same product or service. |
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Subscription canceled | According to the customer, you charged for a subscription after it should have been canceled. It can also mean that the customer expected a reminder before each recurring charge but didn’t receive one. |
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Product not received | A customer claims that they didn't receive the goods or services purchased. |
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Product unacceptable | The product was received but was defective, damaged, or not as described. |
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Credit not processed | The customer informed you that the purchased product was returned or that the transaction with you was canceled, but you have not yet refunded or credited the customer. |
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General | This type of chargeback, unlike the majority of chargebacks, doesn’t fall under one of the specific categories described. |
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