Is there a way to confirm a Visa payment isn't fraudulent?

Payments + Shipping & Fulfilment
1

I have an order over $5k that has been charged on a visa and paid for by Shopify. When I do a little due diligence on where this will be shipped and by whom it was ordered, it seems unlikely that this is a valid order.

I do not want to ship this large crate across country and then find out that the card may have been stolen. Is there a way that I can get confirmation from Visa that this is not a fraudulent charge or stolen credit card?

I am trying to mitigate a charge back.

2

Great question.

Sounds like you have done some due diligence on the order already, this is good. However, just because the billing address on the credit card and the order’s shipping address do not line up exactly, it doesn’t always mean it’s fraud.

Ordering gifts, a recent move by the customer, or even B2B orders all show this similar signature.

Additional verification will help you distinguish this high value order from fraud. Additionally, it’ll give you evidence to help overturn a fraudulent or real chargeback.

  • Phone verification

  • Does the customer’s phone number match the billing address?

  • Does the customer respond by call or SMS to confirm the order?

  • ID verification

  • For high value orders, require an ID like a drivers license or passport from the customer to fulfill.

Don’t forget, if you have automatic capture enabled for payments, you’re already in risk of a chargeback even if you immediately refund. Switching to manual capture allows you to perform these additional verification steps and then when you’ve verified the customer and their payment, then capture the authorized charge for the order.

3

@dylanpierce got great guidance on verification and payment capture gotchas.

Above that is one dead simple rule:

Can you afford the loss of inventory and a chargeback:

  • Yes, ship order
  • No, cancel order

As being greedy for the prospect of a large value order you cannot afford is silly.

1 Like
4

I am not sure why visa does not have a line for Merchants to request
additional confirmation for high dollar value on orders.

We normally have 2-3 week backlog so we are holding the order longer than
usual to see if the credit card company flags it as fraudulent.