About Card Member disputes
A dispute occurs when a Card Member contacts American Express to question a charge on their statement that they don't recognise. A chargeback occurs when, after investigation of the dispute, we debit your account for the amount of the disputed transaction and credit the Card Member with this amount. There are simple steps you can take to minimise the chances of a dispute and chargeback happening.
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Access the full range of tools available to you as a Merchant.
Ways to avoid disputes
Advise Card Members of your return policy for damaged and unwanted goods or cancellations of any kind.
If possible, obtain the Card Member's signature on the Return Policy.
Ensure your trading name appears correctly on Card Member statements. To check your trading name, call us on 1300 363 614.
Itemise the bill (e.g. by room, restaurant or mini-bar).
Check the Card is not altered, damaged or expired.
Always obtain a valid authorisation code for the full value of the transaction.
Never split a charge to avoid your floor limit threshold or to skip authorisation.
Be suspicious of purchases with different delivery and billing addresses, orders for large numbers of identical items, and requests for immediate delivery of expensive items.
Always prioritise Chip and Pin procedure for chip card. The terminal will give further instruction on how to proceed with the transaction(s).
Ensure the signature on terminal receipt(s) is matching with the signature at the back of card.
Ensure you keep all your records of sales and charges for 12 months, including signed receipts for delivery items.
Provide all supporting documents, as specified in the 'Request for Information' notification, within the stated timeframe.
There may be certain circumstances where we will make a chargeback without sending a 'Request for Information' notification or letter (for example, with Merchants who receive a lot of disputes, or where a Card Member provides proof of a refund that hasn't been processed to their account.
Complete Disputes Guide
Small Merchant Disputes Guide
Lodging and Accommodation Disputes Guide
Online and Mail Order Disputes Guide
Car Hire Disputes Guide
Managing disputes
1
If a dispute cannot be resolved directly with the Card Member, you'll receive a 'Request for Information' letter outlining your requirements.
2
Respond by the required date by post fax or online. Otherwise we may deduct the amount of the transaction from your Merchant account.
3
After we reach a final decision, either the Card Member pays the charge, or your account is debited by the required amount.
To sign up to manage disputes online, register here
Fraud Prevention and Protection
American Express offers a suite of fraud tools including Verify It, American Express SafeKey® and Accertify Fraud Management that are designed to help your business minimise fraudulent transactions.