What Every eCommerce Website Should Do to Prevent Chargebacks

Cause #1: Customer Expectations Not Met

Visa/MC will allow any cardholder to chargeback a purchase if they can demonstrate — to any degree — that they did not receive the products or services promised in the quantity, quality, and time frame stated.

If your company promises delivery on Tuesday but the item arrives Wednesday, that cardholder can likely charge the sale back with little you can do about it. Likewise, if the quantity or quality is not exactly as described on your site, the chargeback will be granted.

What to Do

• Write product and service descriptions with precise specifics — dimensions, quantities, delivery windows, digital vs. physical, etc.
• Use conservative shipping estimates — under-promise and over-deliver on timing.
• Send order confirmation emails with a clear summary of exactly what was purchased, at what price, and when it will arrive.
• Publish your refund, exchange, and cancellation policies prominently — not buried in fine print.
• Include printed policies with all shipped physical products.

Cause #2: Your DBA Name Wasn't Recognized on the Statement

One of the most common and most easily preventable causes of chargebacks: your customer sees an unfamiliar business name on their credit card statement and assumes it's fraud. They call their bank and file a dispute — even though they made the purchase.

Your merchant account has a DBA (Doing Business As) name that appears on cardholder statements. If your website URL, brand name, or storefront name doesn't match — or if customers simply don't remember — you'll get unnecessary chargebacks.

Fix It With These Two Steps

Chargeback Prevention Checklist