It's a transaction reversal (aka refund) issued by the bank to protect customers from fraudulent activity, technical errors, etc.
Common causes for chargebacks
Fraud accounts for 50% of all chargebacks, which is why you should use a secure payments process. Other reasons could include a quality issue with the product sent, or a technical or clerical error made by the bank.
Did you know?
Payments processed through Keap Payments are run through a risk algorithm that monitors transactions for suspicious activity. This helps reduce the chance of a fradualent transaction going through.
How the chargeback process works
- Cardholder calls bank to dispute a charge.
- The bank issues a chargeback, temporarily refunding the full amount to the cardholder.
- To cover this temporary refund, the chargeback amount plus a small fee is deducted from your merchant account until the investigation concludes.
- You either accept or challenge the chargeback. By accepting, you take responsibility and the money is not returned. By challenging, you have the opportunity to reclaim funds.
Did you know?
Only 20-30% of chargebacks are successfully disputed. We can help reduce that rate. Read on.
Ways to reduce your chargeback rate
- Provide world-class service and always exceed customers’ expectations.
- Explain to customers how the charge will appear on their statements.
- Make your refund policy simple and transparent.
- Keep good records on all customer interactions, shipments, etc.