Merchants have very little recourse to dispute a charge back without a signed receipt.
In most cases, with phone and Internet orders, the issuing bank sides with their cardholder. First Data Independent Sales will do everything within our power to protect our merchants, but without a signed receipt the merchant is at the mercy of the issuing bank.
There are several steps that can be taken to reduce charge backs and retrieval requests.
Your best defense is to eliminate problems before your merchandise is shipped.
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Have your customer service phone number on receipt and statement. (Request account to be set up to show customer service # on statement).
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Use the address verification and check the CVV2 code on the back of the card. Make sure the billing address matches. If the address doesn't match find out why.
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For high dollar transactions or if anything seems not right the merchant should email a receipt to their customer for their signature. The receipt should have a description of the product, terms of the sale, and the amount of the transaction. The customer should sign the receipt and fax the signed receipt back to the merchant. In some cases you should ask your customer to photocopy their driver's license and credit card on the receipt. Most of your honest customers will have no problem with this. The crooks will search for easier prey.
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Call First Data Independent Sales Loss Prevention department at 800-456-6989 ext. 4500. They will ask you for the first 6 digits of your customer's credit card. They will give you the number for the issuing bank. You can call the issuing bank and check the address and make sure the card is valid.
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If you have a bad feeling about a particular account or the dollar amount is very high call the Loss prevention department at 800-456-6989 ext. 4500 and ask to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor will discuss options to protect you.
Step five should only be used if the transaction is for a significant dollar amount or the merchant had a bad feeling about a particular transaction. A merchant has the right to refuse any transaction.
These steps will reduce charge backs and improve the merchant's chances of recovering their money.
If in doubt please call FDIS Cincinnati 888-592-3500 or 513-793-3500 we are here to serve you.
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