What’s a Chargeback?
Essentially, a chargeback is an action taken by a customer when they’re uncertain where or when a specific charge was taken, resulting in the rescinding of payment.
Why do Chargebacks Occur?
Although some chargebacks are a result of outright fraud, they can frequently be a simple matter of not recognizing a specific charge on a bank statement. This could be because the charge was listed under Zuppler, or simply was placed at a time they did not recall easily. Many guests will contact the company listed to get more information, but some won’t take the time and go straight to the credit provider.
Bear in mind that we don’t always get to see why, specifically, a chargeback is filed. There are a few categories (variable depending on the Credit Card provider) they fall under, with some sub-categories, but we only get the most basic of information from the card providers.
What happens when a Chargeback is Filed?
When a chargeback is filed with the provider, the first thing that happens is a notification to the merchant - in this case, us. This can occur many months after the order is placed, so we only receive notice after the complaint is made.
Immediately upon receipt, we file the chargeback and contact both the restaurant and the customer (in the case of the customer, we attempt to contact via phone and email several times before a dispute must be filed with the provider). We are given a grace period between when the chargeback is filed and when it must be disputed in order to have enough time to resolve the problem or get more information, after which we file a dispute with all the information we have acquired (this can include direct correspondence with the customer, copies of the original order, etc.).
We also provide the order and customer information to the restaurant so they can do their own due diligence, if necessary.
What can be done once a Chargeback is placed?
Although we’re going to make every effort to contact the customer, it can help to reach out to the customer from the restaurant-side, simply because if the chargeback is a result of a misunderstanding of the charge, it can quickly solve the issue entirely. This is not required, but the option is always available.
The process of disputing chargebacks is a relatively proscribed and formalized. We submit the dispute along with all relevant evidence including the original order, any and all correspondence with the customer and any signed receipts. Should a chargeback be filed, providing all documentation you might have would be helpful in resolving it in your favor.
What can I do to prevent this from occurring?
As with most issues of this type, being proactive can save a lot of time and energy to successfully dispute a chargeback. Here’s a few helpful steps you can take to minimize the risk:
- Collect a signature for each online order pickup/delivery
- This can provide direct evidence of receipt of product - taking a signature at the point of delivery/pickup shows the credit card provider that the customer was present and aware during the transaction. All of our order printouts contains a signature line for convenience.
- Engage SMS/Phone verification for all new customers o By requiring direct verification at account setup via SMS or Phone, your customers will have to provide accurate contact information for each order. If an issue arises, you’ll be able to reach them directly more often and more quickly.
- Relay all canceled orders to us as quickly as possible.
- Since we have to process all refunds directly with the merchant on our end (if applicable), letting us know right away when a refund or canceled order needs attention will ensure that no charges are missed and no confusion will occur subsequently.
- Switch to a “Marketplace”-billing-type account o Since we process all credit cards for the customers that order from your restaurant/venue, most transactions will have our name (Zuppler) and not the name of the restaurant. This can sometimes confuse customers after the fact if they’re not keeping close attention to their bank statements.
- Although this rarely results in problems, switching to a “Marketplace” account will both batch all transactions daily after purchase as well as carry your own name on each charge, minimizing any potential confusion.
Who covers the cost?
We typically do not cover the costs of a customer-initiated chargeback Please feel free to speak to your account manager regarding any mentioned features. If you have any questions at any point whatsoever regarding this, or any other issue whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly:
Zuppler Customer Care 1-888-987-7537