Organizer FAQ: Understanding disputed charges, chargebacks, and fraud prevention
What is a disputed charge?
A disputed charge is a transaction that the cardholder questions with their financial institution. This can occur if they believe the charge is an error, fraud, or unauthorized use of their card. In many cases, disputes are initiated because the ticket buyer doesn’t recognize a legitimate transaction.
What is a chargeback?
A chargeback is a type of dispute where the bank reverses a completed credit card transaction, returning the funds to the cardholder. This can be initiated by either the cardholder or the issuing bank. Chargebacks are commonly used to address fraud, unrecognized charges, or goods/services not received as expected.
What does Showpass do to prevent fraudulent behavior?
Showpass actively monitors all transaction activity to detect and prevent fraud. Common red flags include:
- Unusually high transaction volume within a short period
- Mismatched cardholder and purchaser details
- Frequent and rapid ticket transfers following purchase
We also use clear credit card statement descriptors so ticket buyers can easily recognize their transactions and avoid unnecessary disputes.
What can I do to prevent chargebacks or holdbacks?
Organizers can protect themselves by enabling additional fraud prevention layers within their Showpass setup. These measures include:
- Restricting ticket transfers
- Enforcing custom refund and exchange policies
- Monitoring sales trends
To further upgrade your financial security setup, please submit a Request Form to contact our Client Support Team.
What happens if a charge is disputed before the event?
Our fraud team promptly contacts the cardholder to confirm the legitimacy of the purchase:
- If the purchase is legitimate: We advise the cardholder to contact their bank to withdraw the dispute. The tickets remain valid.
- If the purchase is confirmed as fraud: We accept the dispute, issue a refund, and return the tickets to inventory. The cardholder will be blocked from further use of the platform. A $15 administrative chargeback fee will be invoiced to the organizer’s account.
Need support? Our team is here to help. Get in touch with us by filling out this contact form.