Improve Your GuardScore™

Chargeback rate is 35% of your GuardScore™—the single biggest factor. Under 0.5% puts you in the safe zone. Over 0.9% triggers VAMP penalties and tanks your score.

Step-by-Step

1. 1Enable RDR (Rapid Dispute Resolution) through Verifi or Ethoca—automatically refunds disputes before they become chargebacks
2. 2Implement fraud scoring (Sift, Signifyd, or Stripe Radar) to decline suspicious orders proactively
3. 3Use clear billing descriptors (no confusing names that lead to 'I don't recognize this' chargebacks)
4. 4Add email/SMS order confirmations with customer support contact info
5. 5Extend your refund window (30+ days)—make it easier to refund than dispute
6. 6For subscription merchants: Add pre-cancellation flows and easy cancel buttons

3DS shifts fraud liability from you to the card issuer. Processors love it—instant fraud indicator reduction. Bonus: Reduces chargebacks 40-60%.

Step-by-Step

1. 1Enable 3DS in your payment gateway (Stripe, Adyen, Checkout.com all support it)
2. 2Use adaptive 3DS—only trigger for high-risk transactions to avoid cart abandonment
3. 3Set thresholds: 3DS for orders over $100, international cards, or first-time buyers
4. 4Test your flow—make sure 3DS doesn't break mobile checkout
5. 5Monitor approval rates—some cards don't support 3DS, so have a fallback
6. 6Document your 3DS policy for processor applications (shows you're serious about fraud)

Fraud indicators are 25% of your score. AI-powered fraud detection shows processors you're not a sitting duck. Even basic tools make a huge difference.

Step-by-Step

1. 1Start with basic checks: AVS (address verification), CVV verification, IP/BIN matching
2. 2Add velocity limits—block multiple orders from same IP/email/card in short timeframe
3. 3Geo-block high-risk countries if you don't ship there (use Stripe Radar geo rules)
4. 4Implement fraud scoring (Sift, Signifyd, Riskified, or built-in Stripe Radar)
5. 5Set up manual review queues for borderline orders (score 50-70 = review)
6. 6Block disposable email addresses, VPNs, and known fraud IPs

Compliance factors are 15% of your score. Clean ToS, refund policy, and SSL certificates cost nothing but signal legitimacy to processors.

Step-by-Step

1. 1Write a clear refund policy (30-60 days, easy to find, plain English)
2. 2Add privacy policy (use a generator like Termly or iubenda if needed)
3. 3Update Terms of Service—include dispute resolution, payment terms, what you sell
4. 4Enable HTTPS sitewide (free SSL via Let's Encrypt or Cloudflare)
5. 5Add customer support contact—email, phone, or live chat on every page
6. 6Get PCI-DSS compliant (use hosted checkout like Stripe to simplify this)
7. 7For high-risk: Get licensed if your industry requires it (e.g., money transmitter licenses)

Business velocity is 5% of your score. You can't fake time, but you can optimize your trajectory. Steady growth beats sudden spikes.

Step-by-Step

1. 1Process consistently—even small volume is better than gaps (processors hate 0-transaction months)
2. 2Grow steadily—aim for under 30% month-over-month growth (big spikes trigger fraud alerts)
3. 3Document your business—keep clean bookkeeping, bank statements, and revenue records
4. 4Avoid processor-hopping—switching PSPs every 3 months looks desperate
5. 5If you're brand new: Start with low volume, build track record, then scale
6. 6Use one processor for 6+ months before applying to premium options (Stripe, Adyen)

Industry risk is 20% of your score. You can't change your industry, but you can mitigate the risk factors specific to your vertical.

Step-by-Step

1. 1CBD merchants: Add age verification, post lab reports, restrict shipping to legal states
2. 2Gaming merchants: Implement responsible gaming tools, self-exclusion, deposit limits
3. 3Nutraceuticals: Add disclaimers, subscription management, clear auto-renewal disclosures
4. 4High-ticket: Offer split payments, add trust badges, provide detailed product info
5. 5Travel/events: Clear cancellation policy, travel insurance options, chargeback reason tracking
6. 6Adult content: Use age gates, content warnings, member verification

GuardScore™ changes in real-time as your metrics change. Weekly monitoring catches problems before they become disasters.

Step-by-Step

1. 1Check your GuardScore™ weekly (it's free—no excuse not to)
2. 2Set up chargeback alerts in your payment dashboard (Stripe, PayPal, etc.)
3. 3Monitor key metrics: chargeback rate, fraud rate, authorization decline rate
4. 4Respond to disputes within 24-48 hours (fast responses = lower chargeback rates)
5. 5If you see a negative trend, investigate immediately—don't wait for it to get worse
6. 6Use MerchantGuard™ alerts to stay ahead of policy changes and processor crackdowns