The chargeback process - an overview

This is a basic overview of the chargeback process.

1.       One of your shoppers has a problem with a commercial transaction at your site.

2.       The shopper informs their card issuer (bank or credit card company) of the problem, and asks for their money back.

3.       The card issuer does some research to see if the shopper's demand is reasonable. If the shopper's demand is unreasonable, the shopper is responsible for the payment, and you are paid as normal.

4.       If the shopper seems to have a case, the card issuer makes a provisional credit payment to the shopper.

5.       The card issuer starts a special process, called a chargeback, and obtains funds from the acquiring bank that will debt the funds from your account in turn.

6.       The acquiring bank sends a Notification of Chargeback (NoC) and a Request for Information (RFI) to you.

7.       You receive an e-mail that is the Request for Information (RFI). The payment appears on our payment service, on a list of disputed payments in the Payment Disputes screen.

8.       If you ignore the Request for Information and the disputed payment on the payment disputes screen, the chargeback automatically proceeds unchallenged and the money is gone for good.

9.       If you reply to the Request for Information (RFI) and work on the Payment Disputes screen you may be able to persuade the card issuer to refuse the chargeback, and eventually get the chargeback money back.

10.   Assuming you do reply to the Request for Information and/or work with the Payment Disputes screen, Worldpay forwards any information you can give about the transaction to the card issuer.

11.   The card issuer looks at the information you have given and follows the rules and regulations associated with the card.

12.   The card issuer decides if the information you provide satisfies their criteria.

The result

In the case of a processing error, your bank presents the card issuer with the transaction for the card issuer to make the necessary corrections. No chargeback occurs and the sale proceeds as normal, although with some delay.