UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING
THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS

EXCEPTION ITEMS
   
What are exception items?

COPY REQUESTS
    Responding To Copy Requests
    Why You Benefit By Responding To Copy Requests
    If You Do Not Store Sales Drafts

CHARGEBACKS
    Why Chargebacks Occur
    Remedies

MANAGING CHARGEBACKS
    Signature Panel
    Expired Card
    Declined Authorization
    Get An Imprint Of The Card
    Cardholder Signature
    Legibility
    Disclosing Refund And Return Policies
    Duplicate Drafts And Voiding Incorrect Drafts
    Batch Closing And Draft Deposits
    Responding To Copy Requests
    Cancellation Requests For Recurring Transactions
    Customer Service
    Recognizable Merchant Name

INTERNET, MAIL ORDER AND TELEPHONE ORDER TRANSACTIONS
    Address Verification Services
    Liability For Fraudulent Internet, Mail And Telephone Order Transactions
    Recurring Transactions

 

EXCEPTION ITEMS

With the millions of credit card transactions generated around the world daily, it is inevitable that a few will become "exception items" as a result of a customer question or dispute, inaccurate or incomplete transaction information, a processing error, or an indication of potential fraud. Like all payment systems, the card issuers and the merchant banks have established a communications process to resolve these situations in a timely and efficient manner. Exception items may be a fact of life - but they don't have to be a way of life.  As a merchant or service business, you are your own best defense against most exception item situations.

Because exception items can be costly to you, it is important that you understand what they are, why they occur, and what to do when you get one. And, since exception items are often preventable, we’ve outlined some information you can use to minimize their reoccurrence.  TOP

What Are Exception Items?

An exception item is essentially a communication device by which a transaction question, dispute, or error is initially sent by the card issuer to the merchant bank for response or resolution. Exception items are copy requests and chargebacks.

A copy request is a request made by the card issuer to your merchant bank for a copy of the sales draft of a particular transaction. A chargeback is the reversal of the dollar value, in whole or in part, of a particular transaction by the card issuer to your merchant bank, and usually, by your merchant bank to you.  TOP

 

COPY REQUESTS

Card issuers are responsible for initiating copy requests. They do so most often because cardholders question or dispute transactions appearing on their billing statements. A card issuer may also initiate a copy request for legal reasons such as to comply with a subpoena. The card issuer sends the request to the appropriate merchant bank for fulfillment. The merchant bank has 30 days from the date it receives the copy request to deliver a copy of the draft to the card issuer.  TOP

Responding To Copy Requests

Sales drafts may be stored on-site at your establishment, at a central merchant location if you are part of a chain, for example, or with your merchant bank. Depending on where drafts are stored, your merchant bank may be able to respond on your behalf or may need to send the request on to you for response. If you receive a copy request, retrieve the appropriate sales draft, make a legible copy of it, and fax or mail it to your merchant bank within the time frame specified. Your merchant bank will then forward the copy to the appropriate card issuer. Legibility of the copy is important because of the growing use of imaging technology by merchant banks in sending copies to card issuers. When the card issuer receives the copy, the issuer will then send it to the requesting cardholder. The initial question or issue the cardholder had with the transaction is resolved most often by this means.

If you store sales drafts on-site, retain the "merchant copy" of the drafts (or copies of them, e.g., microfilm copies) for three years from the respective transaction dates to ensure your ability to fulfill copy requests.  TOP

Why You Benefit By Responding To Copy Requests 

Fulfilling copy requests is very important. When copy requests are not fulfilled, or not fulfilled within the prescribed time period, they almost always result in a chargeback for which you have no recourse. So, if you store sales drafts, it is in your best interest always to respond quickly to copy requests. 

Retail merchants using data-capture systems may fulfill copy requests with "substitute drafts" if the request stems from a cardholder questioning the transaction. A substitute draft is a printout of specific required information which the merchant bank provides to the card issuer in lieu of a copy of the sales draft. For all other data capture transaction retrieval requests (i.e., those which do not stem from a cardholder request), you must provide a copy of the sales draft or transaction record.  TOP

If You Do Not Store Sales Drafts

If your establishment does not store the merchant copy of the sales draft - if this function is handled for you by your merchant bank - you are not likely to receive a copy request. If you are part of a chain and drafts are stored by your headquarters or at another central location and you receive a copy request, you should forward it promptly to the appropriate area within your company for action.  TOP

 

CHARGEBACKS

Like copy requests, chargebacks are a dispute communication device initiated by card issuers. A chargeback is a reversal of a sales transaction. This means that the dollar amount of the original transaction that was credited to your account when you deposited it with your merchant bank is now debited, in whole or in part, against your account.

Chargebacks arise for many reasons, primary among which are customer disputes, potential or actual fraud, processing errors, authorization issues, and nonfulfillment of copy requests. Although you probably cannot avoid chargebacks completely, you have considerable "preventive" control. Many types of chargebacks result from easily avoidable mistakes and omissions - so, the more you know about proper procedures, the less likely you will be to inadvertently do (or fail to do) something that might result in a chargeback.

Of course, chargebacks are not always the result of something merchants did or did not do; sometimes errors are made by merchant banks, card issuers, and cardholders. Working with card issuers and merchant banks, the credit card companies have implemented very sophisticated systems that have significantly reduced chargebacks and vastly improved the chargeback process. Today, potential chargebacks initiated by card issuers are checked for validity. When detected, invalid items are returned automatically to card issuers, so merchants and merchant banks never even see them. In addition, many merchant banks have systems that routinely review most exception items, allowing these parties to resolve issues when possible without sending the item on to the merchant. Thus, the kinds of chargebacks which the merchant finally receives are generally those that only the merchant can respond to, or those which cannot otherwise be remedied. You should consult with your merchant bank if you have any questions regarding what your liability is for chargebacks.  TOP

Why Chargebacks Occur

Chargebacks often are generated as a result of a customer dispute about a particular transaction.

A customer may dispute a transaction because a credit has not been processed when the customer expected it would be; because the merchandise ordered was never received; or because the service was not performed as expected. Because these kinds of chargebacks may be indicative of customer dissatisfaction and may carry the potential for future lost sales due to customer attrition, you may want to address the underlying cause or causes of them as part of your customer service policy.

Chargebacks also may result from errors made at the point of sale. These might include, for example, processing the same transaction more than once, accepting an expired card without getting an authorization approval, and making a mistake when key-entering an account number at a point-of-sale terminal. Other situations that can give rise to chargebacks include not depositing transactions within the prescribed time, and not fulfilling a request for a copy of a sales draft.  TOP

Remedies

Fortunately, you may be able to "remedy" a chargeback by providing additional information about the transaction or about actions you took regarding it. For example, if the reason you received a chargeback is that a cardholder claims credit has not been received for returned merchandise, you may be able to resolve the issue by providing proof that you submitted a credit on a specific date. You would send this information to your merchant bank within the specified time frame. Although not every chargeback can be remedied, many are resolved without the merchant losing the sale. This Guide identifies cases where there is no remedy, thereby saving you the time and expense of needlessly contesting the chargeback.  TOP

 

MANAGING CHARGEBACKS

You can effectively reduce the occurrence of chargebacks by taking a few simple precautions and following a few simple procedures.  TOP

Signature Panel

Look at the signature panel on the back of the card. Look for any signs of scratching or erasing. If the panel has been torn or worn away, you will usually see the word VOID printed underneath it. If the card is not signed, ask the cardholder to sign the card and, if permitted by state law, to show you government-issued identification such as a driver's license, passport, or military ID. Once the cardholder has signed the signature panel on the card, compare this signature to the signature on the identification. If they are spelled the same, proceed. If the cardholder refuses to sign the signature panel, do not accept the card.  TOP

Expired Card

If the "Good Thru" date is before the transaction date, the card has expired. You must obtain an authorization approval using the expiration date shown on the card. If you do not get an authorization approval, the transaction could be returned to you as an "expired card - no authorization" chargeback. TOP

Declined Authorization

Do not complete a transaction if the authorization request was declined. Do not repeat the authorization request after receiving a decline. TOP

Get An Imprint Of The Card

If you have a point-of-sale terminal with a magnetic stripe reader, swipe the card through the reader for every face-to-face transaction. If the terminal isn't working or a card's magnetic stripe cannot be read, key-enter the account information and make an imprint of the embossed information onto the sales draft using a manual imprinter.

Even if the transaction is authorized and the cardholder signs the draft, if the sales draft does not have an imprint of the embossed account number and expiration date, the transaction may be charged back to you for "no imprint" if the cardholder also denies participating in the transaction. TOP

Cardholder Signature

Obtain the cardholder's signature on the sales draft for every face-to-face transaction. Failure to obtain the cardholder's signature could result in a chargeback for "no signature" if the cardholder denies authorizing or participating in the transaction.

Compare the cardholder's signature on the sales draft to the signature on the back of the card before returning the card to the cardholder. The signatures should appear to be the same and the names should be spelled the same. Signatures that are clearly not the same may be indicators of potential fraud.

Note: Some credit cards now have a digitized cardholder signature on the front of the card for easier viewing; however, these cards also have a signature panel on the back of the card. Sales staff must always compare the customer's signature on the sales draft with the signature on the back of the card. TOP

Legibility

Ensure that the transaction information on the sales draft is complete, accurate, and legible before completing the transaction. An illegible draft, or a draft which produces an illegible copy, may be returned because it cannot be processed properly. The growing use of electronic scanning devices by merchant banks for the electronic transmission of copies of drafts to card issuers makes it imperative that the copy being scanned be very legible. TOP

Disclosing Refund And Return Policies

If your establishment does not accept merchandise returns or give refunds, or if your policy is to limit refunds (e.g., permitting "in-store credits" only), this information must be disclosed to the cardholder at the time of the transaction. Your policy should be pre-printed on your sales drafts; if not, write or stamp your refund and return policy information on the sales draft near the customer signature line before the customer signs; be sure the policy shows clearly on all copies of the sales draft. Failure to disclose such policies at the time of the transaction will be to your disadvantage should the customer wish to return the merchandise. TOP

Duplicate Drafts And Voiding Incorrect Drafts

Make only one imprint of the card for each transaction. Making more than one imprint can lead to duplicate deposits and increase the chance for a chargeback. If you need to redo a sales draft because of an error, write VOID across the incorrect draft, inform the cardholder, and tear up the incorrect sales draft in view of the customer.

Ensure that transactions are entered into point-of-sale terminals only once - and deposited only once. Entering the same transaction into a terminal more than once, or depositing both the merchant copy and the bank copy of the sales draft with your merchant bank, or depositing the same transaction with more than one merchant bank can all result in "duplicate transaction" chargebacks. TOP

Batch Closing And Draft Deposits

Close batches and deposit sales drafts with your merchant bank as quickly as possible, preferably within one to five days of the transaction date do not hold on to them. Failure to close batches and deposit drafts in a timely manner could lead to chargebacks for "late presentment."

Deposit credit vouchers with your merchant bank as quickly as possible, preferably the same day as the credit transaction is generated. Failure to issue credits in a timely manner could lead to chargebacks for "credit not issued." TOP

Responding To Copy Requests

If your establishment stores sales drafts, always respond to a request for a copy of a sales draft within the specified time frame. Send a legible copy of the requested sales draft or draft substitute to your merchant bank. Failure to respond, or failure to respond within the specified time frame, almost always leads to a chargeback for "non-fulfillment of a copy request" for which generally there is no remedy. TOP

Cancellation Requests For Recurring Transactions

If a customer requests cancellation of a transaction which is billed periodically (monthly, quarterly, annually), always respond to the request and cancel the transaction immediately or as specified by the customer. As a customer service, you should advise the customer in writing that the service, subscription, or membership has been canceled and state the effective date of the cancellation. Failure to respond to customer cancellation requests almost always leads to chargebacks. TOP

Customer Service

If the merchandise or service to be provided to the cardholder is delayed, advise the cardholder in writing of the delay and the new expected delivery or service date. Not only is this good customer service, but it also may help avoid a chargeback for "merchandise not received" or "service not performed."

If the merchandise ordered by the cardholder is out of stock and delivery will be delayed or this item is no longer available, advise the cardholder in writing and offer the cardholder the option of purchasing a similar item or canceling the transaction. Do not substitute another item unless the customer agrees to accept it. By giving the customer notice and the option to cancel, you may help avoid a customer dispute regarding the merchandise and a possible chargeback for "merchandise not as described." TOP

Recognizable Merchant Name

It is very important that your customers be able to recognize transactions made online or at your establishment when they appear on their credit card statements. It is especially important that cardholders are able to recognize your establishment's name. When cardholders don't recognize transactions, they call their card issuer to question or dispute the item. The card issuer may then request a copy of the transaction to aid the customer in identifying it. Sometimes, these questions lead to chargebacks.

To ensure that your establishment's name is recognizable to your customers, ask your merchant bank to show you how your name appears in the settlement record (this is the way your name will be passed through the processing system to the card issuer for posting to the cardholder's statement). Verify that the name matches the name you show on your sales drafts and the receipts you give your customers. Generally, the name used for settlement should be the name you use for your business signage. This may help you avoid the $25 fee that can be charged when a card issuer requests information about a transaction which a cardholder does not recognize.  TOP

 

INTERNET, MAIL ORDER AND TELEPHONE ORDER TRANSACTIONS

Because neither the card nor the cardholder is present at the point of sale, Internet, mail order and telephone order transactions have a higher incidence of fraud associated with them than retail transactions. Since the card is not present, many of the fraud detection and prevention devices built into credit cards cannot be used for mail order and telephone order transactions, thus creating a greater need for merchants to exercise care and to follow good risk control procedures when accepting credit cards as a means of payment for these types of orders. TOP

Address Verification Services

The Address Verification Service (AVS) was designed specifically for Internet, mail order and telephone order merchants to help them minimize the risks inherent in these transactions. Using AVS allows a merchant to verify the cardholder's billing address with the card issuer at the same time that an authorization is requested. The card issuer compares the address sent by the merchant to the billing address it has for that customer account and sends back a code indicating the results of that comparison (e.g., exact match on both the street address and the ZIP code, no match on either, or a partial match on either the street address or the ZIP code). This additional information helps merchants make more informed decisions about whether or not to complete a transaction. TOP

Liability For Fraudulent Internet, Mail And Telephone Order Transactions

Historically, merchants accepting these non-face-to-face transactions also accepted liability for these transactions in the event they proved to be fraudulent. Although this rule remains true today, with the advent of AVS, merchants have gained two important bonuses. AVS is a risk management tool that provides important additional information about the transaction and enables you to respond to a "fraudulent transaction" chargeback under certain conditions.   You may be able to resubmit a "fraudulent transaction" under the following circumstances:

  the transaction received an authorization approval;
  the transaction received an AVS "exact match" response (meaning the address and the ZIP code both matched); and
  the merchandise was delivered to the AVS address (the cardholder's billing address) and you have the carrier's certification of delivery.

If the AVS result was other than an exact match, if merchandise was sent to an address other than the address used for the AVS request, or if the cardholder still certifies in writing that he or she neither authorized nor participated in the transaction, then this particular chargeback cannot usually be remedied. TOP

Recurring Transactions

A recurring transaction is usually non-face-to-face and is one for which a cardholder has authorized a merchant to debit the cardholder's credit card account on a continuing and periodic basis for goods and services received over the same period of time. Examples of recurring transactions include annual renewal of subscriptions, periodic payment of insurance premiums, utility charges, health club dues, monthly shipments of flowers, and others. Typically, payments continue automatically until and unless canceled by the cardholder.

If cardholders call their card issuers because they are having difficulty canceling these periodic debits, any recurring transactions processed after the cardholder's first attempt to cancel may result in a chargeback. If you offer such a service, and a customer requests cancellation, take prompt action on the request and follow proper transaction cancellation procedures to avoid potential chargebacks. If the customer has signed a "no cancellation" contract agreeing to pay a specified amount, you may have a legal right to payment by some other means even if the cardholder cancels the recurring payment from his or her credit card account.  TOP