Resolve disputes quickly, protect your business

While most sales transactions are processed, posted and paid for with few problems, Visa has an efficient process for your business to help settle any disputes.

Safeguard your business with the right information

Disputes refer to the reversal of the value (or partial value) of a transaction by the card issuer to the acquirer, and usually, by the merchant bank to the merchant. Disputes can be costly for merchants — use our guidelines to help manage this risk and save valuable time.

Download the dispute guidelines

Responding to a dispute

Should your acquirer contact you about a dispute, your best path to resolution is a swift response.

Step 1: A cardholder disputes a transaction

A cardholder contacts their issuer to question a charge on their billing statement.

Step 2: Review the dispute and find the transaction records

Your acquirer contacts you to review the dispute and transaction records and decide whether to accept or refute the dispute.

Step 3: Respond to your acquirer

Notify your acquirer of your decision. If you try to refute the dispute, include a clear explanation and supporting transaction records. The acquirer will review the evidence or request additional information.

Want to learn more?

For further information about dispute rules or practices, please contact your acquirer/processor.

Avoiding disputes

Review these tips to help your business prevent disputes.

• Be clear about return, refund and cancellation policies

  State your policies clearly at the time of transaction. Your policy should be pre-printed on your sales receipts, if not, make sure to add the policy information on the sales receipt near the customer signature line before the customer signs. Be sure that the policy is legible on all copies of the sales receipt. Failure to disclose such policies at the time of transaction could be disadvantageous should the customer try to return the purchase.

• Deposit receipts or settle transactions promptly

  To help avoid disputes, submit your transactions to your acquirer or processor as soon as possible, ideally within one to five days of the transaction date. Holding or delaying transactions can increase the risk of a late presentment dispute.

• Be careful when logging transactions

  Ensure that incorrect sales receipts are voided and that transactions are processed only once. Entering the same transaction into a terminal more than once, depositing both the merchant copy and the bank copy of the sales receipt with your acquirer or depositing the same transaction with more than one merchant bank can all result in “duplicate transaction” disputes.

• Keep customers informed about transaction status

  If delivery of a cardholder’s purchase will be delayed, inform the cardholder of the delay and provide the updated delivery or service date. Once the purchase is delivered or the service is completed, request acknowledgement from the cardholder.

• Ship merchandise before depositing transaction

  Don’t deposit transactions with your merchant bank until you have shipped the related merchandise. If customers see a transaction on their monthly Visa statement before they receive the merchandise, it could lead to a preventable dispute.

• If using several names, submit most prominently displayed name for best recognition

  For the clearing and settlement of a transaction, an acquirer should submit the merchant’s name that is most prominently displayed by that merchant and by which cardholders recognize the merchant. The merchant’s name is an important factor that helps cardholders recognize a transaction. Using the most prominently displayed name should minimize disputes resulting from unrecognizable merchant names.