Preventing Chargebacks on Recurring Payments

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Too many chargebacks mean serious losses for your business. It could also mean you have trouble finding a credit card processor who will work with you in the future. Chargebacks are more likely to occur with recurring charges to a customer’s card than they are anywhere else, but is there anything you can do to prevent them?

What Are Chargebacks?

If you’re not already familiar with the term, chargebacks occur when the customer disputes the transaction. The merchant has the charges debited from its bank account, and the customer gets his or her money back. The goal of the card industry is to protect consumers and the merchant bears the risk.  Unfortunately, though, sometimes customers just aren’t happy and choose to initiate a chargeback. In settings like that, it is possible to reduce your numbers. 

Preventing Chargebacks

If you have a recurring service that customers can sign up for, there are several ways of avoiding chargebacks.  First, make sure you clearly inform customers about free trials. Help them understand how long that trial lasts and what happens at the end of it. As it gets closer, make sure they know how much time is remaining and how long they have to renew. Ensure they know exactly how much they will be charged, too. 

Beyond that, you can clearly state your refund and return policy. Highlight your policies on your sign up page. You may even want to have them check a box so you know they understand when they can get a refund or make a return. You may also want to make canceling a subscription a fairly easy process. After all, if a customer knows he or she can easily cancel, you’re more likely to empower them and help them understand that they have control. That means less risk, which usually translates to more loyal customers. 

Finally, make certain the bill is posted on a regular bill. Keeping the same billing date and the same format creates a level of transparency that is a must with recurring charges. Chargebacks happen, especially with recurring services, but they don’t have to happen to you. Contact Y2Payments today at 888-693-1850 to learn about our payment processing and chargeback protection system.