Acquiring

Soft descriptor

The merchant name and contact info shown on the cardholder's statement.

Clear soft descriptors are the cheapest chargeback prevention there is. A descriptor that reads 'MERCH123*WIDGETCO 800-555-0100' lets the cardholder identify and call before disputing. Many acquirers let you set descriptors per product or per transaction.

Related terms

Chargeback

A forced reversal of a card payment initiated by the cardholder's issuing bank.

Friendly fraud

A chargeback filed by a real cardholder for a transaction they actually made, often because they don't recognise the descriptor or want a refund without contacting the merchant.

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