program: Chargeback Handling
- authority: Mastercard SPME §10.1 and §11.5
+ authority: Mastercard SPME §8.7.5 and §10.1
acknowledgement_business_days: 1
lifecycle_states:
  - first_presentment
  - chargeback
  - second_presentment
  - pre_arbitration
  - arbitration
evidence_requirements:
  first_presentment:
    - transaction_receipt
    - authorization_record
  chargeback:
    - merchant_rebuttal_letter
    - delivery_confirmation
    - customer_communication
  second_presentment:
    - compelling_evidence
    - signed_cardholder_agreement
  pre_arbitration:
    - full_dispute_record
    - prior_correspondence
  arbitration:
    - full_dispute_record
    - arbitration_filing
agent_owner: chargeback_agent
 
- # Updated to reflect refined definitions and thresholds relating to laundering, excessive chargebacks, fraudulent transactions, and bankruptcy as defined in Mastercard SPME §11.5 (2023 edition).
- # These criteria impact evaluation triggers and risk assessment during chargeback handling.
+ # Updated to align with Mastercard SPME §8.7.5 revisions describing the assessment framework for Acquirer performance, including new Issuer Filing Fees for unsubstantiated claims, simplified assessment tiers, and Interchange Recovery processes.
+ # These updates impact how chargebacks are handled in relation to merchant classification and assessment calculations.
+ 

Chargeback Handling

Chargebacks are cardholder-initiated disputes against a transaction. Halyard Pay, as the acquirer, manages the entire dispute lifecycle for its merchants, from initial first presentment through arbitration, in compliance with Mastercard's requirements.

Lifecycle overview

Disputes move through defined stages: first presentment, chargeback, second presentment (re-presentment), pre-arbitration, and arbitration. Adherence to strict evidence requirements and deadlines at each stage is critical to avoid automatic rulings against the acquirer.

Required actions

1. Acknowledge each incoming chargeback within one business day.

2. Collect the necessary evidence based on the current lifecycle stage.

3. Submit second presentments when merchant liability is disputable, providing strong supporting evidence.

4. Only escalate to pre-arbitration and arbitration after issuer rejection of the second presentment.

5. Maintain full case documentation for audits and reporting.

Monitoring and Risk Factors

Halyard Pay monitors merchant risk factors including chargeback ratios, fraud rates, and financial stability. Updated Mastercard MATCH Listing Reason Codes define specific grounds for elevated scrutiny or match listing, including but not limited to laundering (presentation of invalid transaction records), excessive chargebacks (over 1% chargeback-to-sales ratio with minimum USD 5,000 monthly), excessive fraud (fraud-to-sales ratio of 8% or more including at least 10 fraudulent transactions totaling USD 5,000 or more), questionable merchant classification, and bankruptcy.

These refined definitions inform Halyard Pay's chargeback and risk management policies to ensure compliance and mitigate risk exposure.

## Acquirer Assessments and Recovery Fees

In accordance with Mastercard SPME §8.7.5, assessments and recovery amounts related to dispute claims consist of three components:

- Issuer Filing Fee: billed to issuers for unsubstantiated claims.

- Acquirer Non-Performance Assessments: applied for failures such as misclassification or inaccurate Merchant Category Codes (MCC).

- Issuer Interchange Recovery: debited from acquirers and credited to issuers based on interchange rate differentials related to substantiated claims.

This structure replaces prior tiered penalties, simplifying assessment processes and emphasizing timely and accurate merchant data submissions to avoid financial consequences.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME §§10.1, §§8.7.5, 10.1, 11.5.