Glossary

A2A Payments

See Account-to-Account Payments.

ABA (American Bankers Association)

A trade association/lobby for the US banking industry.

ABA Routing Number

A unique nine-digit number, usually found at the bottom of a check, that the bank uses to identify the bank and direct ACH debits and credits.

Accidental Friendly Fraud

Accidental friendly fraud refers to a situation in which a customer abuses the chargeback process, but does so without any malicious intent.

Account Takeover Fraud

Account takeover fraud, or ATO fraud, is a form of identity theft by which a third party gains access to unique details of a trusted user’s online accounts. Fraudsters can pose as the real customer to change account details, make purchases, withdraw funds, and even leverage the stolen information to access other accounts.

Account-to-Account Payments

Account to account (or “A2A”) payments are a payment method that allows users to directly transfer money from one party’s account to the account of a second party. Unlike other payment methods, like credit or debit card, A2A payments are done without requiring additional intermediaries.

ACH

Automated Clearing House. A group of processing providers linked by a computer network to process electronic payment transactions between financial institutions.

ACH Dispute

An ACH payment dispute is a situation in which one party involved in an ACH transaction raises a concern or disagreement over the legitimacy, accuracy, or authorization of the transaction.

Acquirer

A financial institution that is a member of Visa and/or Mastercard and maintains the merchant credit card processing relationship. The acquirer receives all transactions from the merchant to be distributed to the issuing banks.

Acquiring Bank

A financial institution that is a member of Visa and/or Mastercard and maintains the merchant credit card processing relationship. The acquirer receives all transactions from the merchant to be distributed to the issuing banks.

Ad Fraud

Digital ad fraud refers to any attempt to fraudulently siphon revenue from businesses through online advertising. Click fraud, domain spoofing, and cookie stuffing are all examples of ad fraud.

Address Fraud

Address fraud is a tactic by which fraudsters use stolen credentials to access a user’s account and change their physical address information. Address fraud enables other fraudulent behaviors, like redirecting goods purchased by an authorized user to the fraudster’s address.

Address Verification Services (AVS)

A fraud and chargeback prevention tool that verifies a buyer by matching the billing address entered by the user against the on-file address associated with the cardholder's account.

Adjustment

A debit or credit to a cardholder or seller account to correct a transaction error.

Affiliate Fraud

Affiliate fraud refers to a broad category of illicit or unscrupulous tactics designed to generate unearned commissions from an advertiser’s affiliate marketing program.

AFT Transaction

An Account Funding Transaction (AFT) is a type of transaction used in the financial industry where a payment service provider, such as a bank or a financial institution, directly debits a payment from a cardholder's account. This is typically used for services like loading funds onto prepaid cards, e-wallets, or other financial accounts.

AI

As it relates to chargebacks, technologies that can help predict potential vulnerabilities and fraud risks before they materialize. AI can process and analyze data at an unprecedented scale and speed than manual analysis..

Alerts

A chargeback prevention tool that notifies sellers of a dispute, allowing the merchant to avoid the pending chargeback before it is officially filed (typically by refunding the transaction).

Alipay

Alipay is a mobile payment app. It functions as both a digital wallet and a payment app, enabling users to transfer money from person to person, or to businesses.

Altered Card

A card on which the original embossed or encoded information has been altered for fraudulent purposes.

Alternative Payments

An alternative payment method can be any means of paying for goods or services that does not involve cash, check, or a credit card issued by a major bank. Mobile payments, eWallets, bank transfers, and some prepaid cards are examples of alternative payment methods.

American Express

A company that specializes in the issuance of “Travel and Entertainment” (T&E) cards. American Express services the cards it issues, serving as its own transaction processor with its own processing network.

American Express SafeKey

SafeKey is a 3-D Secure service specific to Amex that leverages real-time authentication software to verify card users before a transaction. This data is used to detect stolen cards, identify unauthorized users, and thwart fraud attempts before a transaction can be processed. This technology aims to help merchants improve their anti-fraud and chargeback prevention efforts.

API

Advanced Programming Interface – APIs allow users to program to a pre-constructed interface, instead of individually programming a device or piece of software.

Apple Pay

A contactless payment service created by Apple Inc. that allows users to make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web.

Apple Pay Later

Apple Pay Later is a buy now pay later (BNPL) product available to Apple users. It allows online shoppers to break purchases up into four even installments, making it easier to manage large purchases.

Apple Wallet

A digital wallet developed by Apple Inc. that allows users to store credit and debit cards for use via Apple Pay. It can also electronically store other types of items, such as boarding passes, ID cards, business credentials, event tickets, public transportation passes, and so on.

Approval Response

A code generated from the credit card processing networks and the customer's issuing credit card bank, indicating that a transaction authorization request has been approved.

Arbitration

A procedure used by an acquirer (on behalf of the merchant) to resolve a chargeback-related dispute between the merchant and the card issuer. Arbitration comes after representment, and involves escalating a dispute to be resolved by the card network in question.

Artificial Intelligence

As it relates to chargebacks, technologies that can help predict potential vulnerabilities and fraud risks before they materialize. AI can process and analyze data at an unprecedented scale and speed than manual analysis.

ASP

Application Service Provider. An organization that hosts software applications on its own servers and delivers application functionality and services across a network to subscribing customers.

Association

A network of members licensed by card brands (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) to issue credit or debit cards, or acquire card payment transactions, on behalf of their customers.

ATM

Automated Teller Machine. An unattended computer terminal that performs basic consumer financial functions (dispensing cash, for example) to cardholders holding the correct payment card and PIN.

ATM Card

A plastic card which, when used with the correct PIN, can be used to make deposits, cash withdrawals, account transfers, and other related functions from an ATM. An ATM card cannot be used to make transactions, however, in the same way a debit card can.

ATO Fraud

See Account Takeover Fraud.

Auth Only (Authorization Only)

An approval used to reserve an amount against a credit card’s available credit limit for an estimated amount prior to the finalization of the transaction. For example, a hotel might request the bank to reserve funds beyond the regular room price, for use in case of room damage or room service charges.

Authorization

The process by which a transaction is approved or denied by the issuer or card association on behalf of the issuer. Authorization indicates only that the card is valid and that sufficient funds are available to the cardholder at the time the request is made.

Authorization Approval Code

A code returned in the authorization response to indicate approval of a transaction. The code is recorded on the transition receipt as proof of authorization.

Authorization Fee

A fee charged by credit card processors for every response a merchant receives through a terminal.

Authorization Hold

An authorization hold is a temporary hold placed on a portion of the funds or available credit in a cardholder’s account. This is usually done because the final total of a transaction is unknown at the time authorization is requested, such as at hotels or gas pumps.

Authorization Request

A merchant’s request for an authorization to accept a cardholder’s sales transaction.

Authorization Response

The reply to a request for approval on a transaction.

Authorization Response Code

A code returned in the authorization response to indicate approval of a transaction. The code is recorded on the transition receipt as proof of authorization.

Authorization Reversal

An authorization reversal is a message initiated by a merchant, intended for a cardholder’s issuing bank. The message notifies the issuer that a transaction (in full or in part) has been canceled, and that an authorization hold should be removed.

Auto Representment

Automatically sending information to resolve a chargeback on a merchant’s behalf, without the need for merchant intervention.

Average Monthly Volume

Total amount of sales for the year, divided by 12.

Average Ticket

Total net merchant sales divided by the number of transactions in that same year.

B2B

Refers to one business primarily communicating with or selling to another business. This is in contrast to business-to-consumer, or B2C, operations.

Back-End Processor

A data processing company that contracts with an acquirer to receive and forward settlement batches to issuing banks in a scheduled time window. In some cases, the acquirer may act as its own back-end processor.

Bank Card

A card issued by a banking institution, usually with a Mastercard or Visa brand.

Bank-Initiated Chargeback

A chargeback originating from the card issuer, usually for some type of merchant error such as late processing.

Basis Point

A basis point, frequently abbreviated as “bp” or “bps,” is a standard unit of measurement in finance. One basis point represents one-one hundredth of a percent, or 0.01%, of the subject being measured.

Batch

A group of approved credit card transactions, usually accumulated during one business day.

Batch Deposit

The electronic depositing of a batch file transmitted to the transaction processor for settlement.

Batch Processing

The authorization of transactions offline when immediate approval is not required. Batch processing is generally used with mail/telephone order transactions.

Behavioral Fraud Detection

Behavioral fraud detection is a strategy involving an AI application that is used to analyze consumer behavioral patterns in order to detect fraud. This analysis encompasses a plethora of data points, such as usual login times, typical transaction types, and even subtle habits in mouse and keyboard usage.

Billing Descriptor

A billing descriptor is the identifying text displayed on a customer's credit or debit card statement. Descriptors provide information about a transaction and the business related to the charge.

BIN (Bank Identification Number)

The 6-digit range of numbers assigned by the Federal Bureau of Standards and used by card companies to identify their financial transactions. The Discover range begins with '6' (6xxxxx); the Mastercard range begins with '5' (5xxxxx); and the VISA range begins with '4' (4xxxxx).

BIN Attack

A BIN attack occurs where a scammer sets a BIN (or “Banking Identification Number”) in place, then cycles through random numbers, trying to guess a valid combination of a 16-digit credit card number, expiration date, and CVV number.

Biometric Card

Biometric cards are chip cards with a built-in thumbprint reader. They combine a fingerprint scanner with conventional chip-and-PIN technology, thereby improving the versatility and security of tech-enabled credit and debit cards.

Biometric Payments

Biometric authentication is the practice of identifying individuals based on distinct physiological characteristics that are considered unique to each person. These can include fingerprints, facial recognition, DNA matching, iris recognition, heart rhythm, etc.

Biometric Spoofing

Biometric spoofing is an identity theft attack method by which a fraudster attempts to compromise a system secured by biometric detection tools. This is done by using a spoofed (i.e. fake) biometric indicator based on a sample stolen from an actual user.

Bitcoin

The most common brand of cryptocurrency, sometimes used as a genericism to refer to all cryptocurrencies.

Blockchain

A shared online ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets across a peer-to-peer network.

BNPL Fraud

Buy now pay later fraud, or BNPL fraud, refers to any fraudulent activity in the “buy now pay later” space. In other words, it’s a scam by which a fraudster abuses a BNPL payment option to conduct a payment fraud attack.

BOPIS Fraud

BOPIS fraud refers to any criminal activity committed through “buy online pickup in store” channels. Here, criminals can pick up online orders at the physical store as a way of bypassing normal security protocols deployed in both eCommerce and physical retail.

BOPUS

The “buy online, pick up in-store,” model often abbreviated as “BOPUS,” is a shopping method by which customers can browse for goods and make purchases online. The buyer can then pick those items up from the retail provider’s location, rather than wait for delivery like conventional eCommerce.

Botnet Attack

A botnet attack is an attempt by a hacker to conduct large-scale, automated cyberattacks through a massive network of hijacked, internet-connected devices, rather than manually controlling one single machine.

Brick-and-Mortar

A physical store location or locations.

Business Card

A payment card typically issued to, and used by, owners of small businesses. Similar to the corporate card, but issued to a business with fewer employees. Each employee is responsible for his or her purchases.

Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan is a proactive strategy that outlines the procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster to ensure that critical functions continue to operate. The BCP cover identification of potential risks and the creation of recovery protocols to minimize disruption and facilitate fast resumption of operations.

Business Email Compromise

Business email compromise, commonly abbreviated to BEC, is a scam conducted through email. With a BEC attack, an email will appear to come from a legitimate source within the business. However, the sender is an imposter attempting to trick other members of the organization to divulge sensitive information.

Business-to-Business

Refers to one business primarily communicating with or selling to another business. This is in contrast to business-to-consumer, or B2C, operations.

Bust-Out Fraud

Bust-out fraud is a practice by which a fraudster acquires a credit card account using false information, then leverages that account to develop an extended line of credit. When the available credit is high enough, the fraudster maxes out the cards and walks away without paying, effectively “busting out” of the scam.

Buy Now Pay Later

A “buy now pay later” payment is essentially a consumer loan that allows shoppers to finance purchases in installments; usually four to six installments over a short period of time. BNPL payments may be offered by merchants at the point of purchase. They are available and managed by several third-party financial applications including Affirm, Klarna, and Zip.

Buyer’s Remorse

Buyer's remorse is a psychological response that arises when a buyer believes they may have made an incorrect or unwise purchasing choice. This often happens when the excitement of a new purchase wears off and is replaced by concerns about its value, necessity, or quality.

Capture

Receiving and storing transaction data at the processor’s host computer, to be submitted later for processing and payment.

Card Association

A network of members licensed by card brands (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) to issue credit or debit cards, or acquire card payment transactions, on behalf of their customers.

Card Identification Number (CID)

An American Express and Discover verification process for more secure card-not-present purchases.

Card Identifier (CID)

An American Express and Discover verification process for more secure card-not-present purchases.

Card Network

A network of members licensed by card brands (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) to issue credit or debit cards, or acquire card payment transactions, on behalf of their customers.

Card Reader

Input device on a card terminal that translates the information stored on the card’s chip or magnetic stripe.

Card Security Code

A three- or four-digit value printed on the signature panel of credit cards which helps validate that the buyer of the card is an authorized user who has the physical card in their possession.

Card Testing

Card testing, also known as “card cracking,” is a type of credit card fraud that involves testing the validity of a credit card to determine if it's a valid, active card. This is done by charging a small amount to the card. If the charge goes through, the fraudster knows that the card is active and can then use it for larger purchases.

Card-Linked Marketing

Card-linked marketing is a method of delivering targeted ads to consumers via their online bank statements. These digital offers are uploaded straight to their credit or debit account and can be used automatically at checkout.

Card-Not-Present (CNP)

A type of card transaction in which the card is not present at the point of sale for the magnetic stripe to be read, such as an eCommerce transaction. These are considered higher risk transactions.

Card-Not-Present Chargeback

A card-not-present chargeback is a payment reversal conducted by a bank in response to a card-not-present (i.e. online) purchase. This could happen as a result of fraud or merchant abuse.

Card-Not-Present Fraud

Card-not-present fraud, or CNP fraud, is when a fraudster illegally uses stolen credit card information to make purchases through a remote channel. Card-not-present fraud usually occurs online, but can happen via any remote channel, including phone or email.

Card-on-File Transactions

A card-on-file transaction is a transaction conducted using consumer pay payment information stored by the merchant and attached to a customer’s profile. That information can be used to conduct future purchases, with a streamlined process for the cardholder, or even no need for the cardholder’s direct involvement at all.

Card-Present

A type of transaction in which the card is physically present and swiped or dipped through an electronic device that reads either the card’s chip or its magnetic stripe.

Cardholder

The person to whom a payment card is issued, or an additional person authorized by the original cardholder to use the card.

Cardholder Account Number

A sequence of numbers assigned specifically to a cardholder account to identify the issuer, type of payment card, and authorized user.

Cardholder Bank

Any financial institution that issues credit cards and maintains card-accessed customer credit lines on behalf of card networks.

Cardholder-Initiated Chargeback

A chargeback initiated by a cardholder who disputes a charge appearing on a monthly billing statement or online account.

Cart Abandonment

The result of a shopper starting an online checkout process, but dropping out of the process before completing the purchase.

Cash Advance

In the context of credit cards, this is the act of withdrawing cash against one’s credit card limit. This is the only method of receiving cash from a credit card that is approved by the bankcard associations.

Cash Disbursement

A cash disbursement refers to any distribution of funds in the form of cash. Within the payments sector, it usually implies withdrawals from an ATM or transactions that involve cashback. Such transactions are generally performed using debit cards rather than credit cards, and are often regulated differently compared to regular purchases.

CHAPS (Clearing House Automated Payment System)

A UK-based payment system for high-value, same-day settlement of transactions.

Chargeback

A bank-enforced refund for an amount or action disputed by either the cardholder or the card issuer. A chargeback will cause the amount of the original sale to be temporarily reversed, pending any input from the seller.

Chargeback Alerts

A chargeback prevention tool that notifies sellers of a dispute, allowing the merchant to avoid the pending chargeback before it is officially filed (typically by refunding the transaction).

Chargeback Analyst

A chargeback analyst is a payments industry professional who works with banks, processors, and card networks on behalf of a merchant. Their primary job is to analyze chargeback data to help resolve customer disputes and eliminate chargeback risk factors.

Chargeback Blacklist

A chargeback blacklist is a database containing details on persons, institutions, or locations that present a high chargeback risk to you as a merchant. Future transaction attempts submitted by blacklisted customers are blocked based on inclusion on the list.

Chargeback Fee

The amount assessed by the acquirer for processing chargebacks. The amount will vary by processor, but generally runs in the $20-100 range.

Chargeback Fraud

A type of fraud that is “friendly” in that it originates from customers or other known entities. Some cases are the result of a consumer mistake. Others come from buyers attempting to “game” the chargeback system for personal gain.

Chargeback Insurance

Chargeback insurance is a policy that protects merchants from costs related to credit card fraud, or instances in which a credit card was used by someone other than the card carrier to make a fraudulent purchase. The policy covers a merchant’s liability for any claims arising from these transactions.

Chargeback Life Cycle

The chargeback life cycle describes the chargeback process from start to finish. This includes the parties involved and the wait times and responses imposed by each for the duration of that chargeback ‘life span.’

Chargeback Management Software

Chargeback management software can refer to any program or platform that assists merchants in the process of automating chargeback prevention and/or contesting invalid disputes.

Chargeback Manager

A chargeback manager is a specialist who implements chargeback policies and procedures to prevent chargebacks. They work to engage suspected friendly fraud attacks through representment and keep the business’s chargeback ratio within an acceptable range.

Chargeback Mitigation Plan

A chargeback mitigation plan refers to the set of processes and best practices that merchants can implement to decrease the risk of chargebacks in a strategic manner.

Chargeback Monitoring Program

A chargeback monitoring program is an initiative maintained by one of the global card networks, aimed at tracking merchant activity and identifying those who receive an excessive number of disputed transactions. These disputes can be — but are not necessarily — tied to a fraud-related reason code.

Chargeback Process

The chargeback process encompasses all the steps that take place between a cardholder's initial inquiry or dispute, all the way through the resolution of that dispute. Multiple parties may be involved, such as issuers, acquirers, merchants, vendors, and card networks.

Chargeback Rate

A metric based on the ratio between the number of transactions a merchant processes and the number of chargebacks received in a given period. Merchants are penalized for excessive chargebacks that occur in the given period.

Chargeback Ratio

A metric based on the ratio between the number of transactions a merchant processes and the number of chargebacks received in a given period. Merchants are penalized for excessive chargebacks that occur in the given period.

Chargeback Reason Code

A numerical code which identifies the specific reason for a chargeback. Mastercard and Visa each have their own chargeback codes.

Chargeback Reduction Plan

A chargeback reduction plan refers to a formal document, requested of a merchant by a bank or card network, that outlines specific steps the merchant will take to reduce chargeback occurrences and mitigate future risk.

Chargeback Report

A chargeback report is a periodic report that compiles key chargeback stats to track trends and identify correlations between disputes and other business data. Chargeback reports can help merchants identify opportunities to increase efficiency, improve processes, and prevent future chargebacks.

Chargeback Response

See representment.

Chargeback Reversal

A chargeback reversal is a formal acknowledgment by an issuing bank that a transaction was valid, and that the cardholder’s chargeback claim was invalid. When a merchant wins a chargeback reversal, the bank will return the funds being disputed.

Chargeback Win Rate

A chargeback win rate is the rate at which a merchant disputes and successfully recovers transactions following an initial chargeback. This figure is expressed as a percentage of overall chargebacks.

Check Card

A bankcard used to purchase goods and services and to obtain cash by debiting the cardholder’s personal checking account. During online debit transactions, the transaction must be accompanied by the correct PIN.

Check Verification

A service that provides merchants with some security against bad checks by matching the buyer against a national negative file database to flag outstanding or bad checks.

Checkout

In eCommerce, the process of providing personal payment information to purchase selected items.

Chip Card

Payment cards with an embedded microchip, used for enhancing security and offering additional cardholder services.

Chip-and-PIN Technology

Chip-and-PIN refers to a fraud detection method which uses tokenization technology to transmit one-time-use encrypted information in place of cardholder data, combined with a PIN (Personal Identification Number). Because the cardholder’s data is never transmitted, it is much harder for hackers to intercept and steal it.

Clean Fraud

Clean fraud refers to any fraud attack in which a fraudster uses a credit card to make a purchase, then manipulates the transaction so as to bypass fraud detection devices. The name refers to the fact that the transactions appear “clean” and will not be picked up by fraud filters or blacklists.

Clearing

The transfer of data between issuers and acquirers.

Click Fraud

Click fraud is a form of ad fraud in which a third party deliberately clicks on an advertising link with no intention of doing business with the advertiser, as a way of artificially inflating click-through stats. It can happen with any sponsored ad or link, but it’s most prevalent (and most damaging) in affiliate marketing.

Clone Phishing

Clone phishing is a phishing tactic by which a scammer impersonates a well-known brand, then sends emails or other messages on that brand’s behalf. The goal is to trick victims into clicking a link that will infect their device with malware or compromise their identity in some other way.

Close

Sending a merchant’s completed transactions to the host for processing.

Cloud POS System

A cloud point-of-sale (POS) system is a software solution that allows businesses to accept and manage transactions. What sets this apart from traditional POS systems is that all data is stored on the internet in secure servers (the "cloud") rather than locally on the machine or system itself.

Commercial Cards

Formal name for three types of payment cards: a corporate card, purchasing card, or a business card.

Compelling Evidence

In chargeback management, compelling evidence concerns formal written or electronic documentation intended to verify the legitimacy of a transaction. This evidence must prove the merchant followed established transactional procedures, and be submitted to the bank (along with other documentation) within a specified timeframe.

Compelling Evidence 3.0

Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 is a set of guidelines and evidence requirements for disputes. It provides a standardized framework for all parties involved in the chargeback process, enabling merchants to substantiate claims by sharing real-time information, and prevent disputes marked with Visa reason code 10.4.

Computer Fraud & Abuse Act

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of 1984 is a United States federal law that primarily addresses the unauthorized access and use of computers and related systems. The law aimed at protecting sensitive information, and setting penalties for unauthorized access.

Connective eCommerce

Connective eCommerce refers to a risk-reduction strategy for opening an online store without investing in web developers, advertising, or inventory.

Consumer Clarity

A dispute resolution tool created by Ethoca which enables real-time data sharing between participating merchants and cardholders, potentially resolving Mastercard transaction inquiries that would otherwise become chargebacks.

Contactless Payment Fraud

Contactless payment fraud refers to any attempt to make unauthorized purchases using information obtained by hijacking a near-field communication (NFC) -enabled transaction.

Contingent Reimbursement Model

The Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) is a UK payments initiative intended to reimburse victims of authorized push payment fraud. In essence, the CRM is a reserve of cash that signatories to the Code agree to fund. The reserve can then be used to reimburse victims of APP fraud attacks.

Cookie Stuffing

Cookie stuffing is a practice by which a fraudster uses web cookies to collect affiliate commissions on goods they did not sell.

Corporate Card

A payment card usually issued to the employees of a large corporation, for which the corporation assumes all liability for the card’s usage.

Counterfeit Card

A plastic card which has been fraudulently printed, embossed or encoded to appear to be a genuine bank card.

Credential Stuffing

Credential stuffing is a brute force fraud tactic that involves using bots to automatically attempt to enter stolen username and password pairs into a web form. The term “credential stuffing” refers to the fact that bots can attempt hundreds of sets of login credentials per minute until they find a match.

Credit

A refund or price adjustment given for a previous purchase.

Credit Card

A plastic card attached to a limited line of credit, which can be used to purchase goods and services, or to obtain cash advances on credit.

Credit Card Decline Code

A credit card decline code is a negative message issued in response to a request for authorization during a transaction. This occurs when a payment can’t be processed for a specific reason; it may be declined by the processor or payment gateway, or by the customer’s issuing bank.

Credit Card Decline Rate

A credit card decline rate represents the cumulative number of declined credit card transactions a merchant attempts, as a portion of the total number of transactions in a given period of time. Credit and debit cards may be declined for a lack of funds available in the cardholder’s account, incorrect payment information or PIN entries, outdated AVS information, or other complication.

Credit Card Dispute

See chargeback.

Credit Card Imprinter

A credit card imprinter is a non-electric mechanism used to create a physical imprint of a customer's credit card, capturing their card information on a carbon-copy sales slip. The imprinter is sometimes derisively called a "knuckle-buster" because of the manual effort required to operate it.

Credit Card Processing

A procedure used by merchants to send credit card transaction data to the issuing bank, enabling the merchant to be paid for the transaction in question.

Credit Slip

A form stating a refund or price adjustment will be credited to a cardholder account. Also referred to as a credit voucher or credit draft.

Credit/Pending Settlement

Transactions that have been entered as credits, but have not yet been submitted for settlement. Once a credit has been settled, its status changes to “credited”.

Cross-Border eCommerce

Cross-border eCommerce encompasses any online trade occurring between a business (retailer or brand) and a consumer located in a different country or administrative region.

Cryptocurrency

Digital currency (exchanged through a computer network) which is not overseen or maintained by a central authority, such as a government or bank.

Cryptography

The process of protecting information by transforming it into an unreadable format which can only be uncoded by the intended recipient.

CSC

A three- or four-digit value printed on the signature panel of credit cards which helps validate that the buyer of the card is an authorized user who has the physical card in their possession.

Customer Dispute

See chargeback.

CVC2

Card Validation Code. Mastercard term for the three-digit code known generically as a card security code

CVV2

Card Verification Value. Visa term for the three-digit code known generically as a card security code.

Cyber Shoplifting

Deliberately abusing the chargeback system to obtain merchandise without payment.

DBA

“Doing Business As.” The name a business uses to operate.

dCVV2

dCVV2, or a dynamic CVV2 code, is a technology that allows cardholders to enter a dynamic (or changing) CVV code at the time of checkout. Rather than rely on the static 3- or 4-digit code printed on a physical card, the customer can enter a code that changes on a frequent basis.

Debit Card

A bankcard used to purchase goods and services and to obtain cash by debiting the cardholder’s personal checking account. During online debit transactions, the transaction must be accompanied by the correct PIN.

Decline

A response from the card issuer denying the use of a card for the attempted transaction.

Delivery Confirmation

Delivery confirmation is an electronic notification received from a shipping provider. This notification informs the sender that a shipment has reached its final destination.

Denial-of-Service Attacks

A Denial of Service attack (or “DoS attack”) is an interruption in an authorized user's access to a computer network. This is often done maliciously by attackers who overload network servers through automated activity.

Device Fingerprinting

Device fingerprinting is a forensic technique used to identify a device. The methodology can gather unique information based on device configurations, as well as hardware and installed software. Each piece of data helps create a unique picture of the device in question, like the lines of a human fingerprint.

Digital Footprint

As the name implies, a “digital footprint” generally refers to the trail that you leave online. It’s a composite profile, assembled based on many small pieces of data produced through your online activity.

Digital Wallet

A financial transaction app which electronically stores payment information, allowing the user to pay for purchases directly from a mobile device instead of using a physical payment card. Also known as an eWallet or mobile wallet.

Delivery Confirmation

Delivery confirmation is an electronic notification received from a shipping provider. This notification informs the sender that a shipment has reached its final destination.

Denial-of-Service Attacks

A Denial of Service attack (or “DoS attack”) is an interruption in an authorized user's access to a computer network. This is often done maliciously by attackers who overload network servers through automated activity.

Device Fingerprinting

Device fingerprinting is a forensic technique used to identify a device. The methodology can gather unique information based on device configurations, as well as hardware and installed software. Each piece of data helps create a unique picture of the device in question, like the lines of a human fingerprint.

Digital Footprint

As the name implies, a “digital footprint” generally refers to the trail that you leave online. It’s a composite profile, assembled based on many small pieces of data produced through your online activity.

Digital Wallet

A financial transaction app which electronically stores payment information, allowing the user to pay for purchases directly from a mobile device instead of using a physical payment card. Also known as an eWallet or mobile wallet.

Dip

The act of inserting a chip card into a terminal for use.

Direct Deposit

The deposit of funds electronically into a bank account, rather than through a physical check.

Direct Response

Term used to describe a merchant processing primarily card-not-present transactions.

Discover ProtectBuy

ProtectBuy is a 3-D Secure service specific to Discover, which implements real-time authentication software to verify credit card users before a transaction.

Disposable Email

Disposable email addresses (DEAs) are temporary, throw-away email addresses. They are tied to nonexistent inboxes, and are deleted after a set amount of time.

Dispute Administration Fee

The Dispute Administration Fee, or DAF, is a fee assessed by Mastercard as part of the chargeback process in the EU. Mastercard generates a DAF for each chargeback, second presentment, and arbitration chargeback. The fee is then paid to the sender and charged to the receiver of the respective chargeback cycle.The Dispute Administration Fee, or DAF, is a fee assessed by Mastercard as part of the chargeback process in the EU. Mastercard generates a DAF for each chargeback, second presentment, and arbitration chargeback. The fee is then paid to the sender and charged to the receiver of the respective chargeback cycle.

DoS Attack

See denial-of-service attack.

Double Refund

A double refund chargeback occurs when a cardholder requests a refund for a transaction, then files a chargeback for the same purchase. The merchant dutifully refunds the charge, unaware that the cardholder plans to dispute the charge and get their money back twice.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a retail business model where the merchant runs an online store, then sends orders to a vendor or manufacturer, which ships directly to the buyer. The merchant is not required to buy, receive, store, or ship goods they sell. These operations are outsourced to a third-party vendor, while the merchant effectively operates as a middleman.

Duality

A financial institution which is a member in both Mastercard and Visa associations.

Dynamic Currency Conversion

Dynamic currency conversion, or DCC, is a point-of-sale payment option that allows cardholders from abroad the option of paying in the local currency or their own currency. DCC typically incurs a fee, which may be variable and pegged to the currency in question.

Dynamic CVV

See dCVV2.

eBay Resolution Center

The eBay Resolution Center is a dedicated platform designed to help both buyers and sellers resolve issues that may arise during the course of a transaction. It serves as a centralized hub for managing disputes, claims, and appeals in a structured and efficient manner.

ECI Indicator

In simple terms, an Electronic Commerce Indicator (ECI) is basically a 3-D Secure response code. The ECI value tells you what to do next in a 3DS transaction — proceed, reject the purchase, or try again.

eCommerce

The sale and purchase of goods or services via the internet.

EDC

See Electronic Draft Capture.

EFT

See Electronic Funds Transfer.

Electronic Commerce

See eCommerce.

Electronic Draft Capture

Sending the information about each credit card transaction to the issuing bank electronically through the point of sale terminal.

Electronic Fund Transfer Act

The Electronic Fund Transfer Act is a piece of US legislation that requires banks to provide certain information to customers regarding electronic fund transfers (EFTs). It also regulates the way banks must respond to consumer complaints and sets limits on liability for lost or stolen debit cards.

Electronic Funds Transfer

An electronic system that automatically moves funds, e.g., an ATM withdrawal or pay-by-phone transaction.

Electronic Funds Transfer

An electronic funds transfer (EFT) is any exchange which involves the ordering, instructing, or authorizing of a financial institution to debit or credit a consumer's account via an electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape. The transmission of money in an EFT is a digital transaction, meaning there is no need for a paper document to verify the information.

Electronic Wallet

See Digital Wallet.

EMV Card

See chip card.

Encryption

Method of scrambling data to protect a cardholder’s personal information.

Ethoca Alerts

Ethoca chargeback alerts is the flagship offering from Ethoca, a Mastercard company. Alerts give advance warning if a cardholder initiates a transaction dispute. That advance notification gives you a window in which to contact the customer directly, preventing the chargeback.

eWallet

See Digital Wallet.

Expiration Date

The date after which a payment card becomes invalid and should no longer be accepted.

Factoring

When a legitimate merchant processes another merchant’s transactions in return for payment. This practice is forbidden by the card associations.

False Decline

A false decline on a credit card or debit transaction occurs when a legitimate card purchase is rejected by mistake. This may be done by either the merchant or the issuing bank.

Family Fraud

Family fraud is a type of eCommerce fraud that occurs when an individual uses the personal information of a family member to make unauthorized purchases or carry out other unauthorized financial transactions.

FedNow Service

FedNow is an instant payments platform devised by the US Federal Reserve. It allows users of participating banks and credit unions to transmit and settle funds in mere seconds, rather than days.

FI

See Financial Institution.

Financial Institution

Any organization in the business of moving, investing or lending money, dealing in financial instruments, or providing financial services. This includes commercial banks, thrifts, federal and state savings banks, saving and loan associations, and credit unions.

First-Party Misuse

See Friendly Fraud.

Floor Limit

In a business, the maximum amount that can be charged to a credit card without requiring authorization from the card association.

Foreign Exchange Rate

The rate at which one currency may be converted into another to obtain the same buying power.

Fraud as a Service

Fraud as a Service is a process by which an individual bad actor provides tools and services to others to facilitate their commission of fraudulent online activity. FaaS can involve diverse tactics for perpetrating fraud.

Fraud Filter

A fraud filter is any technology designed to analyze transaction data and flag commonly-recognized signs of fraud. These fraud tools are designed to warn users of potentially fraudulent transactions, letting users stop and reject untrustworthy transactions.

Fraud Scoring

Fraud scoring refers to the process of quantifying the level of risk involved in a transaction. Machine learning technology examines each transaction based on dozens of different indicators, then assigns a simple numeric score representing the transaction's risk level.

Fraudster

Any party attempting to misuse a credit card system for personal gain.

Friendly Fraud

A type of fraud that is “friendly” in that it originates from customers or other known entities. Some cases are the result of a consumer mistake. Others come from buyers attempting to “game” the chargeback system for personal gain.

Front-End Network

Network provider responsible for authorizing and capturing transactions and forwarding the information to the back-end network.

FX

See Foreign Exchange Rate.

Gateway

See Payment Gateway.

GDPR

See General Data Protection Regulation.

General Data Protection Regulation

An EU legal framework that sets guidelines for the secure collection and processing of individuals’ personal information, and governing how that data may be used.

Geolocation

Geolocation is a broad term that describes any technology which accesses your location using the GPS or IP data installed on your devices for the purpose of locating you. It can be used for fraud detection by helping to verify customers’ identities.

Gift Card

A reusable, stored-value card that is equivalent to cash and enables cardholders to make purchases at associated merchants.

Google Pay

A mobile payment service developed by Google that consumers can use for contactless in-app, online, and in-person purchases.

Google Pay

Google Pay is a contactless payment platform that enables users to make payments without having to carry cards or cash. It uses a digital “wallet” that can store representations of multiple debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, and more.

Hard Decline

A declined authorization attempt. This may result from a lost or stolen card, pick-up card request, etc. Card transactions should not be reattempted following a hard decline.

High-Risk Business

A high-risk business is an operation that, for one or more reasons, is perceived by credit card processors or financial institutions to represent an elevated risk for chargebacks.

High-Risk Credit Card Processing

High-risk credit card processing is a subset of merchant payment processing services, targeted at merchants considered “high risk” by conventional banks. The processor will generally allow for greater risk exposure in exchange for higher fees.

High-Risk Merchant Account

A high-risk merchant account is a subset of services that allow businesses in high-risk verticals to accept card payments from customers. These accounts typically come with stricter requirements and stipulations than standard merchant accounts and will be costlier to maintain.

Identity Check

Mastercard Identity Check is the Mastercard-branded deployment of 3-D Secure 2.0 technology. The technology helps authenticate purchasers as authorized cardholders.

Imprint

Using a manual imprinter to obtain an emboss of credit cards which cannot be swiped or dipped through a terminal.

In-Store Transaction

See Card-Present.

Independent Sales Organization

An Independent Sales Organization, or ISO, is a specialized third-party company that sells and manages credit card processing services outside of a bank or other financial institution. This service is usually provided in exchange for a percentage of the merchant’s sales.

Integrated Payment System

An integrated payment system is an automated payment processing platform. It takes transaction data from the point of sale, sharing information directly with other connected systems without manual input.

Interchange

The exchange of transaction data, specifically between acquiring and issuing institutions.

Interchange Fees

Fees collected from acquirers on the value of their card sales and paid to issuers. Acquirers typically recoup these fees from their merchants.

Interchange Network

An electronic network, maintained by card networks, which exchanges data relating to the value of card sales and credits among issuers and acquirers.

Internet Service Provider

An organization that provides connections between users and the internet.

ISO 20022

ISO 20022 is an international messaging standard for financial institutions. It was designed to provide a standardized method for sending messages and exchanging payment data using both Latin and non-Latin characters.

ISP

See Internet Service Provider.

Issuer

Any financial institution that issues credit cards and maintains card-accessed customer credit lines on behalf of card networks.

Issuer Decline

An issuer decline code is a code supplied to a merchant by an issuing bank signifying rejection of a credit card transaction. It means the issuer has placed a stop or hold on a transaction. The specific decline code is meant to give a brief explanation as to why the issuer rejected the purchase.

Issuing Bank

See Issuer.

JCB J/Secure

JCB J/Secure is an authentication service deployed on the JCB card network. It uses real-time authentication software to verify card users before a transaction. This data is used to detect stolen cards, identify unauthorized users, and thwart fraud attempts before a transaction can be processed.

Keylogger

A keylogger, also known as a keystroke logger, is a program that silently records every key you press on your computer's keyboard. The information they collect can range from everyday messages to sensitive details like passwords, credit card information, and more.

Letter of Credit

A document issued by a bank guaranteeing the payment of a customer’s draft up to a stated amount for a specific period, provided that specified conditions are met.

Level I Data

Information captured during a traditional credit card purchase transaction, including total purchase amount, date, merchant category code and supplier/retailer name.

Level II Data

The same information captured at Level I, plus the following: sales tax amount, customer’s accounting code, merchant’s tax ID number, applicable minority- and women-owned business status, and sales outlet zip code.

Level III Data

The same information captured at Levels I and II, plus the following: quantities, product codes, product descriptions, ship to zip, freight amount, duty amount, order/ticket number, unit of measure, extended item amount, discount indicator, discount amount, net/gross indicator, tax rate applied, tax type applied, debit or credit indicator, and alternate tax identifier.

Line of Credit

The amount of credit a lender will extend to a borrower over a specified period of time. A credit card is essentially a line of credit.

Liveness Detection

Liveness detection is a pivotal security feature in different authentication processes, including biometric verification. Its primary function is to confirm that the individual being authenticated is physically present during the biometric data capture.

LOC

See Letter of Credit.

Loyalty Fraud

Loyalty fraud (also known as “loyalty point fraud” or “reward point fraud”) happens when a criminal abuses or exploits a merchant reward program for personal gain. Fraudsters can attack individuals through identity theft, or hack merchants’ databases to gain private information.

Machine Learning

A type of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to learn from usage and statistical data. This allows programs to perform specified tasks without explicit instructions.

Magnetic Stripe

Also called a “mag stripe.” A panel located on the back of a payment card containing magnetically encoded cardholder account information.

Magnetic Stripe Reader

A point-of-sale device that reads encoded information from a card’s magnetic stripe when the card is passed through the reader.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack

A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack is a type of cyberattack by which a hacker or scammer secretly intercepts and possibly changes the messages being sent between two parties without them knowing.

Mastercard

A member-owned international bank card association which licenses members to issue cards or accept merchant drafts on the association’s behalf.

Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Merchant Program

The Excessive Chargeback Merchant program is a dispute compliance scheme created by Mastercard. The program's purpose is to exercise oversight regarding eCommerce merchants and prevent too many chargebacks from occurring on the Mastercard network. This is achieved by imposing penalties on merchants for noncompliance.

Mastercard Excessive Fraud Merchant Program

The Mastercard Excessive Fraud Merchant program is a fraud compliance scheme created by the card network. The program's purpose is to exercise oversight regarding eCommerce merchant activity and prevent excessive fraud from occurring on the Mastercard network. This is achieved by imposing penalties on merchants for noncompliance.

Mastercard First-Party Trust Program

The First-Party Trust program is an initiative by Mastercard designed to streamline and enhance the dispute resolution process. The program facilitates better data sharing and merchant verification, with the aim of reducing fraudulent chargebacks and improving trust among merchants, cardholders, and issuers.

Mastercard Installments

Mastercard Installments is a buy now, pay later option provided for the Mastercard payments network. The program offers consumers the option to pay for in-person purchases in monthly installments rather than in one lump sum.

Mastercard SecureCode

Mastercard SecureCode is the Mastercard-branded deployment of 3-D Secure technology. The tool asks cardholders to validate their identities during the checkout process by entering a one-time-use password supplied by the card network.

MATCH List

A shared database maintained by the card associations that lists all sellers/merchants which have been terminated by acquirers.

MCC

Special numbers assigned by the card associations to sellers based on their product vertical. This is done for identification and tracking purposes. VISA uses the equivalent Standard Industry Codes, or SIC.

mCommerce Fraud

mCommerce fraud refers to a subset of eCommerce fraud that is perpetrated using mobile devices.

Member

A financial institution that belongs to the Visa and/or Mastercard network. A member is licensed to issue cards to cardholders (issuer) and/or accept merchant drafts (acquirer).

Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants List

A shared database maintained by the card associations that lists all sellers/merchants which have been terminated by acquirers.

Merchant

Store owner or seller of products.

Merchant Account Reserve

A merchant account reserve is a predetermined amount of a business’s revenue held in reserve by an acquiring bank. This reserve protects the banks against unforeseen liabilities in the event of fraud or chargebacks.

Merchant Advice Codes

Merchant advice codes function as explicit communication channels from issuers to merchants. They clarify the reasons why a transaction was declined, and they offer guidance to merchants on actions that can be taken to ensure their customers remain satisfied and engaged.

Merchant Agreement

The written contract between the merchant and acquirer that details their respective rights, responsibilities and warranties.

Merchant Bank

A financial institution that is a member of Visa and/or Mastercard and maintains the merchant credit card processing relationship. The acquirer receives all transactions from the merchant to be distributed to the issuing banks.

Merchant Category Code

Special numbers assigned by the card associations to sellers based on their product vertical. This is done for identification and tracking purposes. VISA uses the equivalent Standard Industry Codes, or SIC.

Merchant Discount

The fee an acquiring member charges a merchant to cover the costs of providing deposit credit and handling credit card sales transactions.

Merchant File

A file used by the acquirer to list pertinent information on its merchants.

Merchant Fraud

Merchant fraud can refer to any situation in which a bad actor pretends to be a merchant, with the intent of committing fraud against either consumers or a financial institution.

Merchant Identification Number

A unique identification number issued to merchants for use in all processing systems to locate information concerning the merchants and their accounts.

Merchant Processing Agreement

A signed contract between a merchant and a credit card processor that outlines the responsibilities of the processor and the merchant in the credit card transaction process.

Merchant Qualification Standards

The minimum standards established by Mastercard and VISA for merchant acceptance that requires the merchant to be financially responsible and of good repute.

Method of Payment

The way a merchant chooses to accept payment for products or services. Examples include: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, JCB, Electronic Check and private label cards.

MID

A unique identification number issued to merchants for use in all processing systems to locate information concerning the merchants and their accounts.

MO/TO

Acronym meaning “Mail Order/ Telephone Order.” Used in card-not-present transactions to denote transactions conducted via phone or mail order.

Money Laundering

Money laundering is an illegal practice whereby individuals take funds acquired through criminal activity and attempt to disguise the origins of their funds. They achieve this by moving money through an intricate system of transfers, transactions, and shell businesses.

Multi-Factor Authentication

A user verification method in which a user must supply multiple pieces/types of identity-confirming evidence (e.g., a password and a single-use code) before being able to access certain areas on a site.

Negative-Option Billing

Negative-option billing is the practice of giving customers a service that was not previously provided, then charging them for the service unless they specifically decline it.

Net Win Rate

The percentage of cases won by a merchant through representment, as compared to the total number of chargebacks received in a given period.

New Account Fraud

New account fraud occurs when a fraudster adopts a false identity to create a new payment card account. This can occur at either the banking or the merchant level, with fraudsters using stolen or synthetic identities to secure new credit or debit cards.

NFC Payment

NFC payments are a form of contactless payment made possible by near-field communication (“NFC”) technology. They involve using enabled devices, such as smartphones or contactless payment cards, to make secure, instant transactions at point-of-sale (POS) terminals that also support NFC.

No-Show

A charge to a cardholder account assessed by a lodging merchant if the person either fails to arrive or fails to cancel a reservation.

Off-Line Debit Card

A debit card that does not deduct funds from the checking account immediately. Transactions are processed like a regular credit card and funds are not deducted for 24-72 hours. No Personal Identification Number (PIN) is needed to process the transaction.

Off-Line Sale

A transaction conducted without a live internet connection. Allows the merchant to enter a transaction if unable to process under the regular sales key. Also called a “Force of Post Auth” or “Offline Transaction.”

Omnichannel Retail

Omnichannel retail is a cross-organizational sales and marketing approach that provides consumers with a fully-immersive shopping experience. Omnichannel retail optimizes and integrates multiple sales channels through high-level analysis and cooperation to meet and exceed consumer demand.

One-Click Checkout

One-click checkout is a practice that may be implemented as part of the eCommerce checkout process. It lets users set default payment credentials and shipping information to make future purchases with the click of a single button.

Online Merchant

Any merchant doing business over the internet. eCommerce may be their primary sales channel, or one of many.

Online Seller Account

The bank account a seller identifies as the sole account from which monthly and/or transaction fees are debited.

Online Transaction

A transaction that is authorized electronically from the front-end network.

Open Data

Open data is any non-proprietary data available to be freely used and redistributed. The conditions under which this data is provided are what allow for redistribution and intermixing with other information.

Order Fulfillment

Order fulfillment describes the process of receiving and delivering goods to your customers. This can include inventory management, order processing, shipping, and return intake, among other facets of your operation.

Order Insight

A dispute resolution tool created by Verifi which enables real-time data sharing between participating merchants and cardholders, potentially resolving Visa transaction inquiries that would otherwise become chargebacks.

Original Credit Transactions

An Original Credit Transaction (OCT) is a specific type of payment method used in the financial industry. A payment service provider, such as a bank or a financial institution, directly credits a payment to the recipient's card or account. This is typically used for services like direct deposit of payroll, government benefits, or tax refunds.

Package Redirection Scam

A package redirection scam is a form of eCommerce fraud involving a scammer who alters or manipulates shipping information to trick a cardholder, merchant, or mail carrier into delivering goods to the scammer.

Partial Chargeback

A partial chargeback refers to a chargeback that returns only a portion of a disputed transaction. This is generally because the cardholder is dissatisfied with only part of an order, and wants a refund just for that amount.

Pay by Bank

Pay by bank is a method of online payment that lets customers purchase goods and services by transferring funds directly from their bank account to the seller’s account.

Payment Authentication

Payment authentication is the process of verifying the identity of the party on the other end of a transaction. This is often done by merchants, who need to verify that their customers are authorized to use a specific payment card.

Payment Capture

A payment capture is the legally binding point at which transactional funds move from a cardholder's account into a merchant’s account. Payment capture comes after authorization; at this point, the payment is effectively "settled," and the transaction is over.

Payment Fraud

Payment fraud refers to any criminal fraud tactic by which the perpetrator conducts a financial transaction without a valid authorization to do so. The fraudster typically impersonates a legitimate user, then completes as many purchases as possible (often in quick succession) to acquire goods for resale.

Payment Gateway

Software used to manage the electronic connection between consumers and their financial institutions, transmitting data for verification.

Payment Reversal

“Payment reversal” is a blanket term for any situation in which transaction funds are returned to the cardholder's bank account. Payment reversals are also known as “credit reversals” or a “reversal payment.” Authorization reversals, refunds, and chargebacks are all forms of payment reversals.

PayPal Chargeback Protection

PayPal Chargeback Protection is a program designed to shield merchants from the financial repercussions of chargebacks. Essentially, it’s meant to provide a form of insurance against chargebacks initiated by customers through their credit card issuer for transactions conducted via PayPal.

PayPal Purchase Protection

PayPal Purchase Protection is a program offered by PayPal that is designed to defend users against fraud. If a user is the victim of abuse, and the transaction in question qualifies for Purchase Protection, that buyer may be covered for the full purchase price, plus the cost of fees like shipping charges.

PayPal Resolution Center

The PayPal Resolution Center is a resource accessible through a portal located on the company’s website. Customers can use the PayPal Resolution Center to report a problem with a product or service, unauthorized transactions, billing issues, and more.

PayPal Seller Protection

PayPal Seller Protection is a free program that, in qualifying cases, allows merchants to keep funds that would otherwise be lost to disputed transactions. Seller Protection only applies to select qualifying transactions.

Per-Transaction Fee

A fee that can be charged by card networks to merchants for each transaction that is processed.

Personal Identification Number

A unique numeric code used as verification to complete a transaction via a payment card.

Phishing

Phishing is the act of impersonating a trustworthy party, or sending messages purported to be from a trustworthy party, to trick individuals into revealing personal information.

PIN

A unique numeric code used as verification to complete a transaction via a payment card.

Point of Purchase Conversion

A one-time ACH debit from a consumer’s bank account for in-person purchases made at the point-of-sale.

Point of Sale

The location at which a payment card transaction occurs, usually by way of a device such as a credit card terminal or cash register.

POS

The location at which a payment card transaction occurs, usually by way of a device such as a credit card terminal or cash register.

POS Terminal

A terminal at the point of sale, connected via telecommunication lines to a central computer. Authorization, recording and transmission of electronic transactions are performed through the terminal.

Pre-Authorization Settlement

A pre-authorization settlement occurs when funds from a pre-authorization hold are deposited into the merchant’s bank account after the transaction has been settled. This is typically used when the final transaction amount is unknown at the time of purchase.

Prearranged Payment and Deposit

A credit or debit entry, initiated pursuant to a standing or one time authorization from a consumer. Used to perform electronic funds transfers to or from a consumer’s bank account. Direct Deposit of a paycheck is an example of a PPD.

Prenote

A non-dollar transaction sent through the ACH network for the purpose of verifying a cardholder’s account data.

Presentment

Payment presentment is the act of formally presenting a request for payment to a bank. After presentment, the funds can then be withdrawn from the account held by the drawee — typically a credit or debit cardholder — and transferred to the merchant.

Presentment Currency

The currency in which a purchase is authorized through a card network.

Private Label Card

A card issued by a merchant that can only be used in the issuing merchant’s business. An example would be a department store credit card.

Processing

A procedure used by merchants to send credit card transaction data to the issuing bank, enabling the merchant to be paid for the transaction in question.

Processing Fees

The fees associated with the processing of credit card transactions.

Processor

A company responsible for processing interchange transactions. Processors are often operated by an acquirer, and are acting on the acquirer’s behalf.

Promo Abuse

Promo abuse can refer to any situation in which customers take advantage of a business’s promotional offer, in a way which was not intended by the merchant, for the purpose of monetary gain.

Provisional Credit

A provisional credit is a temporary credit issued by a bank to an account holder. This statement item can later be reversed or made permanent, depending on the reason for the credit issuance.

Proxy Piercing

Proxy piercing is a technology that enables hosts to determine whether a customer is attempting to mask their IP address by using a proxy server.

PSD2

The Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) is a ruleset administered by the European Commission. Its purpose is to regulate payment services and payment service providers throughout the European Union and European Economic Area, allowing new entities to operate as financial institutions with proper oversight.

Purchasing Card

A payment card issued to corporations and allowing the corporation numerous parameters to control daily and monthly spending limits, total credit limits, and where the card may be used.

Push Payment Fraud

Authorized push payment fraud, or APP fraud, happens when a cybercriminal tricks a consumer into authorizing a payment under false pretenses. During the APP scam, the fraudster will pretend to be someone the individual trusts, like a bank or utility provider, then attempt to convince the individual to authorize the payment without much consideration.

QR Code Payments

A QR code payment is a contactless alternative payment method made by one user scanning a QR code from a mobile app.

Qualified Rate

The discount rate level, at which the transaction qualifies when it meets all requirements for the best (lowest) rate.

Rapid Dispute Resolution

A dispute resolution tool created by Visa which enables merchants to define rules for automatically refunding qualifying disputes in real-time data, resolving Visa transaction inquiries that would otherwise become chargebacks.

RDR

A dispute resolution tool created by Visa which enables merchants to define rules for automatically refunding qualifying disputes in real-time data, resolving Visa transaction inquiries that would otherwise become chargebacks.

Re-Authorization

To request an additional amount to be authorized on an existing transaction. Used in lodging and hospitality when the original authorization is not sufficient to cover the charges.

Reason Code

A numerical code which identifies the specific reason for a chargeback. Mastercard and Visa each have their own chargeback codes.

Rebuttal Letter

A chargeback rebuttal letter is a well-written synopsis of a chargeback case that explains why the claim is invalid. This situation-specific letter is an integral component of a dispute response package, which also includes compelling evidence to support your case.

Receipt

The paper or electronic evidence of a purchase; a receipt.

Recurring Transaction

A transaction charged to a cardholder’s account (with prior permission) on a periodic, ongoing basis for recurring goods and services, i.e., club memberships, subscriptions, or streaming services.

Referral

The message received from an issuing bank when an attempt for authorization requires a call to a Voice Authorization Center.

Refund

A refund occurs when the merchant rebates all, or a portion, of an original transaction amount to the cardholder. Refunds are made to the same card that was used for the original transaction. Similar to a Credit.

Refund Fraud

Refund fraud, sometimes referred to as refund theft or a “whitehouse scam,” involves abusing a merchant’s policies to pursue a refund from a retailer and receive money or other goods without a valid reason to do so.

Refund Services

A refund service is a type of organized scam that targets merchants on behalf of consumers. In other words, it’s both a form of return fraud and also an example of “fraud as a service” (or “FaaS”) that is promoted to consumers through a variety of online channels.

Representment

An attempt by the merchant or acquirer to reverse a chargeback by offering additional supporting documentation. The acquirer literally “re-presents” the transaction to the issuer on behalf of the merchant.

Reshipping Scams

A reshipping scam is a bogus job for which a third-party victim is “hired” by a fraudster. The unsuspecting victim is promised payment for receiving illegally obtained packages at one address, then shipping them to a different address.

Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act

The Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act is a US federal law that prohibits any post-transaction third-party seller from charging any financial account in an internet transaction unless it has disclosed clearly all material terms of the transaction and obtained the consumer's express informed consent to the charge. In other words, the seller must obtain the number of the account to be charged directly from the consumer in order to process a sale.

Retrieval Request

A request by the issuer to the acquirer for a copy of the original sales ticket.

Return Fraud

See refund fraud.

Return Policy

The merchant's limitations and/or requirements for accepting returned merchandise.

Return Rate

An return rate refers to the measure of transactions that buyers return as a share of overall purchases.

Reversal

The undoing of a chargeback. When an acquirer successfully represents a chargeback to the issuer, the chargeback is reversed and the funds are returned to the merchant.

Revised Payment Services Directive

See PSD2.

SaaS

A software distribution model by which the provider hosts applications and makes them available to users via the internet, typically on a subscription basis.

Sales Draft

The paper or electronic evidence of a purchase; a receipt.

Sales Transaction Fee

The amount the financial institution charges a merchant for each sales transaction.

Samsung Pay

A contactless payment service created by Samsung Electronics that allows users to make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web.

Second Presentment

Second presentment (also known as “representment”) is the process of re-submitting a transaction, along with additional documentation, to the bank after a chargeback.

Section 75

Section 75 is part of the Consumer Credit Act. It gives credit cardholders in the UK the right to file a dispute regarding a transaction between £100-30,000.

Secure Payment Page

Web pages on which payment information is encrypted for privacy and data integrity before it's sent over the internet.

Seller Account

The bank account a seller identifies as the sole account from which monthly and/or transaction fees are debited.

Seller Bank

A financial institution that is a member of Visa and/or Mastercard and maintains the merchant credit card processing relationship. The acquirer receives all transactions from the merchant to be distributed to the issuing banks.

Settlement

The process of transferring sales/credit amounts between acquirers and issuers, including debiting a cardholder's account and crediting a seller's account.

Shopping Cart

A program used by online merchants that allows customers to accumulate a list of items for eventual purchase. Customers can easily add or remove items, view total costs, and checkout securely.

Shopping Cart Abandonment

Dropping out of the process before completing the purchase. Potential customers collect items for an online order but never finalize the transaction.

Shortened Descriptor

Aa shortened descriptor is a static prefix that will always appear at the beginning of your billing descriptor. The remaining characters can be dynamic, but this will always appear first.

SIC

Special numbers assigned by the card associations to sellers based on their product vertical. This is done for identification and tracking purposes. VISA uses the equivalent Standard Industry Codes, or SIC.

Smart Card

A payment card with a built-in microprocessor (chip) that stores cardholder data information.

Smishing

SMS Verification

SMS verification is a fraud prevention practice that allows merchants to send SMS (short message service) messages to a buyer’s device during the checkout process. The buyer will typically be asked to enter a 4- to 8-digit code sent via text as a way to verify the purchase.

Smurfing

Smurfing refers to a money laundering tactic by which individuals break up large sums of money into smaller, less noticeable amounts. These smaller amounts are then laundered separately, with the intention of avoiding detection.

Social Engineering

Social engineering attacks occur when a fraudster impersonates a trusted individual, such as a representative from a billing department or an employer. This is done to convince their victim to release important proprietary information like passwords or account numbers.

Soft Decline

A denied authorization attempt. This does not necessarily mean the card is bad, just that it is not authorized for the current purchase. Unlike a hard decline, the merchant may reattempt a transaction following a soft decline, once the conditions that caused the decline are resolved.

Software as a Service

A software distribution model by which the provider hosts applications and makes them available to users via the internet, typically on a subscription basis.

Spear Phishing

Spear phishing is a targeted version of phishing. Attackers focus on specific individuals or organizations, typically through misleading emails. The goal is to obtain confidential information, such as login credentials, or plant malware on the victim's device.

Standard Industry Code

Special numbers assigned by the card associations to sellers based on their product vertical. This is done for identification and tracking purposes. VISA uses the equivalent Standard Industry Codes, or SIC.

Stored-Value Card

A card that is used by a merchant to issue spending credit to their customers.

Stored-Value Cards

Stored-value cards are payment cards that have monetary value tied directly to the card, rather than being linked to an external account with a financial institution. This includes subway metro cards, for instance, as well as many retailer-issued gift cards.

Submission

Files transmitted by a merchant containing one or more transactions.

Subscription Billing

A transaction charged to a cardholder’s account (with prior permission) on a periodic, ongoing basis for recurring goods and services, i.e., club memberships, subscriptions, or streaming services.

Summary Adjustment

A correction made by the acquirer when there is an error in a submitted deposit.

Swipe

Running a credit card’s magnetic stripe through a reader that interprets the data encoded on it.

Synthetic Identity Theft

Synthetic identity theft, also known as synthetic identity fraud, occurs when cybercriminals use compiled stolen data to create new identities (instead of stealing and using existing accounts). They can use these synthetic identities to carry out fraud attacks.

TC40 Data

A TC40 data claim occurs when a customer makes a fraud claim against a merchant. The issuer generates a claim, then transmits it to the merchant’s acquirer, as well as to Visa, as a means of noting all reported fraud incidents tied to the merchant.

TCS/Terminal Capture System

A process by which transactions are stored in the terminal until they are batched. Commonly used in restaurants for making tip adjustments.

Terminal Identification Number (TID)

A unique number assigned to each POS terminal, used for identifying which merchant has initiated a transaction and where an authorization is to be sent.

Terminal Provider

A company that supplies credit card hardware and software to a merchant.

Terminated Merchant File

The Terminated Merchant File is a database of merchants who have had a MID canceled for breaching standards set by the card schemes. Acquirers consider merchants on the TMF to be risky ventures, and will normally decline to work with those merchants.

The Credit CARD Act of 2009

The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, more commonly known as The Credit CARD Act, was a consumer protection mechanism implemented in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The purpose of the CARD Act is to protect consumers against unreasonable interest rates and ensure cardholders are billed fairly.

The Fair Credit Billing Act

The Fair Credit Billing Act of 1974, or FCBA, is a federal law designed to protect consumers from unfair credit billing practices and build consumer confidence in then-new forms of credit in the process. The act serves as the legal basis for the chargeback process.

Third-Party Fraud

Third-party fraud refers to any crime committed by using false identification to pose as another person or organization, without that party’s knowledge or authorization.

Third-Party Processor

A processing provider that enables businesses to accept card payments without opening their own merchant account.

Tokenization

Tokenization refers to the process of protecting sensitive data by replacing it with a randomized placeholder number called a token.

Tor Browser

Tor Browser

Tor Browser (or “The Onion Routing Browser”) is a web browser designed to protect your privacy. It is a modified version of Mozilla Firefox that connects to the internet through the Tor network, and uses the onion routing concept to ensure anonymity.

Transaction

Any actions such as purchases or credits made between a cardholder and a merchant that results in activity on the account.

Transaction Date

The actual date on which a transaction occurs.

Transaction Disputes

A transaction dispute occurs when a credit cardholder registers a formal complaint against a merchant regarding a specific transaction. Most transaction disputes are the result of claims of fraud or unauthorized purchases, although one may be filed if the item never arrived, services weren’t performed, or the item arrived damaged, etc.

Transaction Fee

The amount a merchant pays per transaction for processing.

Transaction Fraud

Transaction fraud can be any type of purchase which was not authorized by a legitimate user. With credit cards, for instance, transaction fraud usually involves unauthorized use of a victim’s credit card to make purchases.

Transaction ID

A transaction ID is a sequence of numbers generated during the electronic transfer of funds from a consumer to a merchant. The number is used to identify a transaction for recordkeeping purposes.

Transaction Laundering

Transaction laundering is a process by which fraudsters disguise themselves as legitimate eCommerce merchants and begin working with an acquirer to process payments. Unbeknownst to the acquirer, the fraudster is actually using their account to launder revenue from criminal activity.

Transaction Risk Analysis

Transaction risk analysis, or TRA, is the process of analyzing issuer, acquirer, and merchant risk scores (and other factors) concerning location, time, spending habits, and other behavioral patterns. If a transaction relays any information outside of the historical norm for these factors, an alert system will be triggered, and further authentication will be required.

Truth in Lending Act (TILA)

The Truth in Lending Act, or TILA, serves as a safeguard for consumers in their interactions with lenders and creditors. It is a federal law that has been put into action by the Federal Reserve Board via a sequence of rules and regulations.

Two-Factor Authentication

A user verification method in which a user must supply multiple pieces/types of identity-confirming evidence (e.g., a password and a single-use code) before being able to access certain areas on a site.

Unauthorized Transaction

Any transaction for which a cardholder has not provided specific authorization.

Valid Date

The date embossed on a payment card stating when the card may first be used.

Value-Added Reseller

A third-party provider that adds features to an existing product or service, then resells the combined product to end users.

VAR

A third-party provider that adds features to an existing product or service, then resells the combined product to end users.

VAR Sheet

VAR sheets, or "Value-Added Reseller" sheets, contain essential information about a business that facilitates communication between a business's payment gateway and its merchant account. This includes account information, gateway configuration, and more.

VBASS

The Visa BIN Attribute Sharing Service, or VBASS, is an optional service that provides merchants and other entities with enhanced Visa BIN data. Use of VBASS helps merchants improve authorization rates, reduce fraud, and improve their overall checkout experience.

Velocity Checks

Velocity checks (sometimes referred to as “velocity limits”) are a fraud prevention mechanism widely used by eCommerce merchants. The tool is designed to flag potential fraud based on the rate at which a buyer submits multiple transactions.

Verifi CDRN

The Consumer Dispute Resolution Network (CDRN) is a chargeback prevention solution from Verifi, a Visa company. Like other alert products, Verifi CDRN alerts serve to warn merchants whenever a cardholder disputes a transaction.

Verified by Visa

Verified by Visa (VbV) is an advanced security feature from Visa that helps authenticate purchasers as authorized cardholders. This extra layer of verification helps protect both cardholders and merchants during checkout.

Virtual Account Number

A virtual account number is a temporary token used in place of a permanent account number. A user may provide a virtual account number to conduct a purchase, thereby keeping their actual account information secure.

Virtual POS System

See VPOS.

Visa

A member-owned bank card network which licenses members (issuers) to issue credit cards through the Visa Program.

Visa Account Updater

Visa Account Updater, or VAU, is a service that exchanges updated account information between participating merchants and Visa card issuers. Merchants using stored information for recurring payments can use VAU to boost retention and prevent chargebacks.

Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program

The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) is a consolidated initiative that tracks acquirer activity related to fraud and chargebacks. It leverages a transaction count-based metric and the Visa Account Attack Intelligence (VAAI) Score system to offer better risk-based enforcement and improved fraud coverage.

Visa BIN Attribute Sharing Service

See VBASS.

Visa Claims Resolution

Visa Claims Resolution is a Visa-specific platform that seeks to declutter and streamline the consumer dispute and chargeback resolution process. VCR introduced definitive changes to the dispute resolution process, including shortening the timeframe for merchant response to 30 days, and routing all chargebacks through one of two workflows.

Visa Digital Goods Merchant Fraud Monitoring Program

The Visa Digital Goods Merchant Fraud Monitoring Program is an update to (and extension of) the Visa Fraud Monitoring Program. As the name implies, this subset of the VFMP is aimed at digital goods merchants.

Visa Dispute Monitoring Program

The Visa Dispute Monitoring Program, or VDMP, is a compliance program administered by Visa for the purpose of controlling merchant chargeback issuances. If a merchant exceeds the monthly chargeback threshold set by Visa, they will be entered into the program. This will result in punitive fees, operating restrictions, and costly periodic reviews.

Visa Dispute Monitoring Program

The Visa Dispute Monitoring Program, or VDMP, is a compliance program administered by Visa for the purpose of controlling merchant chargeback issuances. If a merchant exceeds the monthly chargeback threshold set by Visa, they will be entered into the program. This will result in punitive fees, operating restrictions, and costly periodic reviews.

Visa Fraud Monitoring Program

As the name implies, the Visa Fraud Monitoring Program, or VFMP, is a merchant monitoring initiative administered by Visa. The program aims to help merchants manage their criminal fraud risk and, in turn, protect the larger payments environment.

Visa Issuer Monitoring Program

Under this program, Visa closely monitors card-not-present (CNP) sales, dispute, and fraud activity to identify issuers with excessive fraudulent activity. The card network mandates that those issuers must take steps to reduce the number of disputes and/or fraud incidents involving their cardholders.

Visa Purchase Return Authorization

The Visa purchase return authorization mandate established an authorization requirement for return transactions (also known as a cardholder refund). To process the return/refund, you’re now required to seek authorization. It’s the same basic steps you’d take to authorize a purchase, but working in reverse.

Visa Resolve Online

Visa Resolve Online, or VROL, is a web-based platform designed by Visa to make handling disputes for Visa card transactions easier and more efficient. It functions as a centralized hub where issuers, acquirers, and processors can manage card disputes in real-time.

Visa Secure

Visa Secure is a security protocol and technology deployed by Visa to enhance the security of online transactions. It is the Visa-branded version of 3-D Secure 2.0 technology.

Visa+

Visa+ (sometimes stylized as “Visa Plus”) is a digital money transfer service designed to act as a bridge between different existing P2P payment platforms. It allows users of one payment app to send money seamlessly to users on a different platform.

Vishing

Vishing, often called voice phishing, is a form of cybercrime that leverages telephone calls to illicitly obtain sensitive personal information. Scammers employ social engineering strategies to persuade victims into disclosing confidential details, such as bank account access, over the phone.

Visual Search

Visual search is an AI-enabled technology that allows customers to search for products and items by visual cues rather than textual information. For example, if a customer is searching for “blue t-shirt,” the algorithm will present them with visual products that match this description. The user can then refine the search according to the customer’s taps or input.

Void Transaction

A void transaction (or transaction void) is a transaction that is canceled by a merchant before it reaches settlement with the merchant’s payment provider. Once a transaction has been “settled,” a transaction is effectively complete and can no longer be nullified.

VPOS

A virtual payment terminal (also called a virtual point of sale or “VPOS”) is a web-based application used by merchants to accept credit cards without the presence of the physical card.

Wardrobing

Wardrobing is a type of return fraud committed by legitimate shoppers who buy wearable or usable items with the intention of returning them after use. For example, an expensive outfit that is worn once then returned, or a book that is returned after reading.

Win Rate

The percentage of representment cases won as compared to the number of challenged claims (as opposed to the total number of chargebacks received).

Zero Floor Limit

A term for merchants meaning that all transactions of any amount must receive authorization.