Credit Card Charge Back Dispute Process

Background

Once a payer’s credit card charge appears on the payer’s account the payer has the right to dispute the charge with their credit card issuer. The card issuer then “charges back” the transaction with reason code that best approximates the card holder’s dispute. The charge back transaction appears in the daily settlement file, the amount in dispute is debited (withdrawn from) the synagogue’s (the merchant) checking account (this is one reason why a daily settlement file may be out of balance with the deposits for the previous day and cause the “Auto Batch” feature to not occur).

The daily settlement email (and attached settlement file) will contain a notification of the charge back. The synagogue has 10 calendar days to respond to the disputed transaction or allow the dispute to stand. NOT responding in a timely manner will result in the dispute to be considered valid and stand as charged back.

Dispute process

To dispute a charge back the synagogue needs to provide sufficient documentation.

Guidelines for submitting documentation:

1. All documentation must be submitted to Shulware Merchant Services ([e-mail]). Shulware will then forward the documentation to its platform support group for processing.
2. The amount and quality of the documentation provided directly relates to the issuing bank validating the charge and ending the dispute by reversing the charge back (again charging the payer’s credit card).
3. All documentation should be provided in PDF format in portrait mode (most card issuer banks will not accept PDF documents in landscape mode).

Types of documentation to provide:

1. Any invoices, contracts, sales slips, card imprints, or anything bearing the signature of the cardholder
2. An email from the cardholder indicating authorization to charge their credit card on file
3. Any documentation that indicates the payer, by completing and submitting the form, acknowledges their payment will be made by credit card
4. Receipt of invoice and payment for product, service, or donation provided
5. Proof of delivery
6. Terms and conditions (preferably signed by cardholder or some other method indicating acknowledgement and agreement to T&C)
7. IP address for online transaction
8. Any correspondence (printed, email or text) with the congregant or donor
9. A brief letter from the synagogue outline the circumstance surrounding the transaction

NOTE: This is not an exhaustive list. Any type of supporting documentation is important and should be included.