We’re a cutting-edge financial technology company encompassing point of sale, payment processing, and so much more, including our in-house processing platform, Cygma®.
Modern payment and point of sale technology for all types of businesses
Partnership programs custom-built to your needs and situation
Browse educational articles, EPI news, and case studies to learn more about payment processing.
June 15, 2021
Small Business Tips
Fraud detection should be top of mind for every business, but particularly for those selling online. Whether it’s friendly fraud where customers don’t recognize legitimate transactions they made and request a chargeback, card testing where thieves try to determine if stolen credit card data can be used to purchase goods, or any number of other costly tactics, shielding your business from fraudulent activity is more important than ever. Start protecting your eCommerce business today with the following easy-to-implement fraud prevention tools and tips.
Customers love doing business online because it’s hard to beat the convenience. But for merchants, online sales present certain risks. When buyers pay online or over the phone, the physical credit card is not present for the transaction, hence the name card-not-present (CNP) transactions. CNP fraud is highly prevalent, costing merchants billions each year.
A smart way to prevent CNP fraud on your website is to require customers to input their card verification value (CVV) number for all online, over-the-phone, and mail order purchases. The CVV is the 3- or 4-digit number usually on the back of the credit card. Additionally, request that customers enter the card’s billing zip code when making their purchases to lessen the occurrence of fraud.
Friendly fraud, also known as chargeback fraud, occurs when your customers don’t recognize your business’s name on their credit card statements and initiate a chargeback. Chargebacks are a common and expensive problem for merchants of every type, so be sure your business’s name is clearly represented and recognizable on statements. For example, if your company’s official name differs from your online store’s name, contact your merchant services provider to confirm it’s your store name that actually appears on your customers’ statements.
When corresponding with customers about their orders, include your company’s name and logo, as well as list the item(s) purchased, the quantity, and price to remind them what they purchased and the total paid, which reduces the chance of them forgetting a purchase and initiating a chargeback. The itemized order details are particularly important to include on:
It’s also critical to notify your customers if there is a shipping delay that impacts their order. If their items won’t arrive within the original timeframe, give your customers options to see if they’d rather wait for their order, or cancel it and receive a refund. For cancellations, it’s better to refund the money and keep a customer happy to ensure repeat business than to ship goods to a person who may not be there to receive their items and request a chargeback.
CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. The name may sound strange, but it’s a simple challenge test—such as a remedial math problem or typing in an obscured word—used to determine if a customer on your website is a human as opposed to a scamming robot. Adding a CAPTCHA test to your website or online store is simple and can often be done with a plugin. While the downside is that they require your customers to complete an extra step before their order is submitted, CAPTCHAs significantly increase security and they are so commonplace, customers have come to expect them when buying or completing forms online.
Be on the lookout for suspicious online sales, which may include:
While by themselves these factors may not signal that a transaction is fraudulent, if several occur in an order, it’s wise to investigate the sale before shipping the items, lest you be out valuable inventory.
Teach your employees to remain vigilant against fraud and employ best practices when it comes to their work habits. Besides monitoring orders for unusual or suspicious activity, tell them not to open attachments from unknown or unverified sources and not to log into company networks using a public WiFi connection since these actions open the door to malware infections. Additionally, offer frequent reminders on how to prevent fraud to keep the policies top of mind.
eCommerce businesses taking advantage of solutions like Authorize.net and its Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (AFDS) are way ahead when it comes to outsmarting fraudsters. The suite has a wealth of profit-protecting benefits and fraud detection tools designed to help identify suspicious activity and filter out the good transactions from the problematic, including:
Reduced Chargeback Fees & Overall Costs Minimize and prevent authorization and chargeback fees as well as possible inventory loss resulting from fraudulent transactions
Card Testing Prevention Detect and block malicious card testing attacks to reduce financial losses from fraudulent purchases
Protection of Hard-Earned Profits By maximizing legitimate transactions, you’ll have a better defense against potential fraud
Flexible Security Flags & Filters Set filters based on Transaction Amount & Frequency, Country, and/or IP Address to restrict the likelihood of bogus transactions
Per-Transaction Notifications View up-to-the-minute details on every transaction, initiate authorization holds, and decline flagged transactions
Shipping Address Verification Identify potential fraud by comparing the shipping address to the origin of the IP address placing the order
With such security protocols in place, your business can approve, deny, and even isolate certain transactions based on preset filters. Specific, detailed features within the AFDS allow you to initiate authorization holds and shipping address verifications, while declining flagged transactions.
To learn more about how these solutions can help your online business operate in a more secure way, contact Electronic Payments’ Merchant Support team at 800-966-5520 – Option 4.
Get more information about partnering with Electronic Payments for secure merchant services and payment processing, including a PCI Compliance wizard to help protect your business against credit card fraud.
Contact us today!
Prepare your store for the holiday season with these consumer insights—featuring top data points ...
Get ready for Small Business Saturday with these seven ideas to promote your business and boost s...
Your merchant statement lists critical information about your transactions over the last month. H...
Our annual conference is this fall! Join us at IMPACT24, October 6–10 in Las Vegas. Here’s what t...
Looking for a POS solution? Prioritize service. Here’s why it matters, plus how to get the most o...
Subscribe to our blog and we'll keep them coming!
We'll deliver new posts right to your inbox as soon as they're published. Stay tuned for ongoing tips, advice, and strategies you can use to grow your business!
Have you ever felt that your concerns were not heard? Or your needs were not met? Or you were let down? Or, have you been overly impressed? Pleased with a tech support call resolution? Or had an awesome experience with one of our sales representative, ISO Offices, or Relationship Managers?
It can sometimes be difficult to get an answer or a sensitive ear for an issue you may be having. Or, you may just need help reaching the right department. Who handles paper shipments? Who programs my equipment? What if I don't like my sales rep? How do I reach your CEO? Sometimes, it just helps having a direct email address which goes to a person that can "get the job done."
The Ombudsman is a position at Electronic Payments that is your conduit to the proper channels and persons that can field your request, answer your need, and receive your compliment. Fill out the form below and we'll try our very best to assist you as quickly as we can.
Comments, compliments, criticisms and problems... Please don't hesitate to let us know!
"*" indicates required fields
We're human, promise! And your issue is important to us. While this is an auto-response, a real human has received this email and will direct it to the right department so you can get the attention necessary to help with your request. We'll be in touch soon. In the meantime, here are several avenues of help we offer:
Technical Support Help Desk (24/7):(800) 966-5520 Option 3
Merchant Support Center:www.merchantsupportcenter.com
Customer Service (M-F, 9am - 6pm EST):(800) 966-5520 Option 4
POS Help Center:help.exatouch.com
Talk to you soon,The Electronic Payments Team
Copyright© Electronic Payments, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Electronic Payments is a registered Independent Sales Organization of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA and Commercial Bank of California, Los Angeles, CA.Electronic Payments is a Registered MasterCard© TPP American Express may require separate approval.
Privacy Policy →|Do Not Sell My Personal Information →