A Guide to Managing Chargebacks as a Business

A Guide to Managing Chargebacks as a Business
Photo Credit: Merchant Maverick

Nowadays, it is easier to sell online and accept payments virtually. For a business, this is excellent news, as it opens up a whole new target audience and means of making sales. However, this innovation has dangers and drawbacks, including the chargeback issue. Why is it such an issue? What kinds of chargeback fraud do you need to be aware of? And how could a chargeback management software system help your business? Let’s find out. 

What is a Chargeback?

In some ways, chargebacks are like refunds, and they occur when customers are unhappy with the product or service they have paid for by card or direct debit. Instead of contacting you as the merchant directly, buyers ask for their money back from their card-issuing bank. Dealing with unhappy customers is inevitable so you will face chargebacks at some point or another.

They are designed with the right intention to prevent fraudulent transactions and protect buyers when they have spent money on things that they haven’t received. If a business goes under, customers can get money back for items that had an order before the business shut down. Chargebacks also aim to avoid incorrect or multiple payments and ensure that the buyer has enough funds to pay for the transaction.

While a chargeback seems like a solution to an unhappy customer, it can be a business problem. They can cost a lot of time and money if managed ineffectively, and banks are keen to charge merchants when they are made to handle these requests. The process creates an unnecessary administrative burden for businesses, another time-consuming task.

Furthermore, when there is a case of what is known as “friendly fraud,” customers receive a full refund without having to send back the products or services. Additionally, a card issuer will keep the money in question until the end of the matter, and if they don’t rule in your favour, you won’t see that money again.

There is so much paperwork involved and a high likelihood of losing funds. Evidently, it is a reality of running a customer-related business, and it needs proper management. Fortunately, there are chargeback management systems to help businesses do just that. 

What is Chargeback Management?

Chargeback management is the process you can use to cope with your unhappy customers’ requests for chargebacks. If you can find a process to help you manage them quickly and efficiently, you will greatly improve your reputation and help you avoid losing out on as much money.

The right management process will give you the power to fight chargebacks when they occur and prevent them from happening in the first place. Developing a successful chargeback management system is not easy – this is where specialized, powerful software comes into play.

This kind of software is a useful tool for merchants to prevent and fight chargebacks. With the management of internal records, the analyzing of chargeback data, and sending out of chargeback alerts and notifications, this kind of software can be a game changer. What could a chargeback management software system do for you?

What Chargeback Management Software Can Do for You

If you are thinking about implementing a chargeback management system, a few features will greatly benefit you as a business. 

#1. Monitor the Rates of Chargebacks

Ideally, you don’t want a chargeback to exceed 1 percent of all processed transactions. Once you go above this threshold, you will be seen as a higher-risk business meaning your card transaction fees are likely to go up, and card networks could even backlog you. Chargeback management software can keep an eye on these levels to help you keep a healthy rate of chargebacks.

#2. Prevent Chargebacks from Happening in the First Place

As the system monitors payment and user data, you can flag up and stop any suspicious transactions. This is done by feeding the data collected through risk rules to develop a risk score. You can accept, refuse, or review the payment with this insight. 

#3. Investigate Suspicious Payments

The software will keep detailed logs of all the payment and user data you gather. With this information, you can more fully understand how chargebacks happen within your business. Forewarned is forearmed, so this knowledge can help you to adapt and make changes if necessary and when possible. 

#4. Resolve any Chargeback Disputes

Chargebacks are inevitable, so you want to get all the help you can when resolving disputes. A chargeback management software system will be able to collect together all the data you need to have a solid argument in the dispute. Spreadsheets, dispute templates, and dispute codes will all be easily accessible with this system.

#5. Review the Rules of Chargebacks

The best thing to do when issues arise is to learn from them. Management software will be able to label important information from previous cases of chargebacks. This will help your system grow and learn, leading to improved results in the future. With the addition of machine learning, you will be given suggestions of important chargeback rules to improve your processes constantly. 

#6. Choosing the Right Software Solution for You

To find the best chargeback management software, spend a little time and research. Read up on various options, have your business goals in mind, don’t forget your budget, and fully understand the chargeback risks and situations unique to your industry. Automation can take over various mundane administrative tasks, freeing your time to concentrate on more pressing and profitable ventures. With the correct usage and practical application, chargeback management could be a lifeline for your business. 

Read Also: WHAT IS CHARGEBACK? All You Need To Know
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