Prevention alerts are a valuable chargeback reduction tool. They give you the opportunity to resolve disputes before they advance to chargebacks.
Typically, you’ll receive prevention alerts for settled transactions. But occasionally, you may also receive alerts for pending and declined transactions. This is because any activity recorded in the cardholder’s account can be disputed.
It’s important to resolve every prevention alert you receive, no matter the stage in the transaction lifecycle.
Here are tips on how to manage alerts for pending and declined transactions.
A pending transaction appears on a cardholder’s statement after you send the authorization request. It will remain a pending transaction until you settle the batch.
If you receive an alert for a pending transaction, do the following:
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Void the transaction. Don’t settle it.
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Respond to the alert and note that it was resolved (refunded).
Sometimes, a declined transaction will appear on the cardholder’s account as pending. It will eventually drop off, but the cardholder may dispute it before that happens.
Here’s what to do if you receive an alert for a declined transaction:
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Do not refund or void the transaction. Since the transaction was declined, there are no actions you need to take in your CRM or order management system.
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Resolve the alert by noting “order was declined or canceled”.