Overview
The purpose of this article is to provide Boulevard clients with general information about chargebacks and how merchants can respond to chargeback disputes in a timely manner.
What is a Chargeback?
A chargeback occurs when a consumer contacts their card issuing bank and requests a transaction be reversed (known as a dispute) and the money returned to their card. There are different chargeback Reason Codes we will cover in this article. Depending on the card brand (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express) the consumer typically has 120 days to issue a dispute from the time of purchase.
Examples of Common Chargeback Reason Codes
Services Not Provided or Merchandise Not Received
Service Not as Described or Defective Merchandise
Other Fraud — Card Present Environment
EMV Liability Shift Counterfeit Fraud
Canceled Merchandise/Services
Best Practices for Merchants - Rebuttals
When a chargeback is issued against a business, card issuers typically give a short window, typically 30-45 days, to file a rebuttal showing evidence that the consumer's reason for requesting a chargeback is not warranted. The best rule of thumb is to respond to a chargeback dispute as soon as possible. *If a chargeback is a surprise to the merchant, it is recommended to first call the customer to learn why a chargeback was issued. If that is unsuccessful, the following are items that are helpful to rebut a chargeback dispute:
Create a Chargeback Rebuttal Letter Template (example below).
Items you can attach with your Rebuttal Letter:
A digital receipt from the cardholder's purchase.
A screenshot showing the date & time the cardholder was checked-in and received the service.
A link to your website outlining your Refund and Cancellation policy.
A signed copy of your agreement if applicable or a link/copy of your Terms of Service customers are required to agree to.
While Boulevard is here to assist you, ultimately it is the merchant’s responsibility to address chargebacks.
Rebuttal Letter Example
Hello {Insert Name},
I am submitting this letter for review in regard to {Insert transaction Number} for {Insert Amount} for cardholder {Insert Cardholder Name}. The chargeback reason code is {Insert reason ex: “defective/not as described”}. As we demonstrate below, the transaction identified above represents the legitimate purchase of {Insert Service Rendered} from our business {Insert Business Name}, which was fulfilled to the customer and never received any complaints which we would always correct to ensure customer satisfaction. We are attaching the following pieces of evidence:
Attachment A: a digital receipt from the cardholder's purchase.
Attachment B: A screenshot showing the date & time the cardholder was checked in and received the service.Attachment C: A link to our website where we outline our Refund and Cancellation policy (also recommended to attach a copy of your Refund and Cancellation Policy).
Attachment D: A signed copy of our agreement.
Attachment E: A photocopy of the cardholder’s Driver’s License.
If there is any further information you need, please contact me directly and I will respond as soon as possible. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
{Insert Name}
{Insert Business}
{Insert Phone}
{Insert Email}
Chargeback Lifecycle
Once a dispute is issued by the consumer's card issuing bank and the merchant responds with information to rebuttal evidence; the process can take anywhere from 60-90 days to resolve. Please note there are no guarantees a merchant will win the dispute yet effort should be made by the merchant to resolve it in a timely manner.