General Best Practices

Payment processing best practices should be built on: 

• Qualifying and getting the lowest interchange rate
• Preventing chargebacks
• Winning representments 

These fundamental approaches outline how you can use card-not-present fundamentals to save money, reduce risk, and improve operational efficiency when processing digital and direct payments. 

Presenting Information 

Focus on providing clarity for consumers when you present transactional information to them including: 

• Contact information should be clearly displayed on every page of a catalog or web store
• Billing descriptors should be recognizable to the customers 
• Email confirmations should be sent immediately whenever an order or refund is processed. 
• Policies, terms, and conditions should be posted clearly 

Gathering Cardholder Information

To help reduce fraud make sure you collect several pieces of cardholder information including: 

• Customer contact information such as phone number, email address, and billing address 
• Card information such as the name on the card, the account number, and the card type
• Adding additional protection such as "Verified by Visa" or MasterCard's "SecureCode" 

Processing Orders 

Observing key rules can reduce your exposure to chargebacks and result in lower interchange fees. Some of these rules are: 

• Conducting Address Verification System check 
• Using a "Zero Dollar Verification" 
• Shipping within 7 days of the authorization 
• Submitting your deposits to your processor within 2 days of shipment 

For more detailed information on general best practices download our eBook.