When to Get Professional Help
Most payment problems are solvable on your own with the right information. But some situations genuinely need outside help. Knowing the difference saves you money (no unnecessary vendors) and protects your business (no missed crises).
- Handle it yourself: routine chargebacks, statement review, basic fraud prevention, processor settings
- Call your processor: account holds, rate questions, compliance questionnaires, technical integration issues
- Get outside help: chargeback ratio above 0.65%, organized fraud attacks, processor termination, PCI compliance requirements
On this page
Things You Can Handle Yourself
These are normal parts of running a business that accepts payments. You don't need a consultant or vendor.
| Situation | What to Do | Where to Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Got a chargeback | Gather evidence, respond before deadline | Responding to a Dispute |
| Decline rate seems high | Check your top decline codes, contact processor if systemic | Decline Codes |
| Suspicious order | Review manually, check AVS/CVV results, refund if unsure | Fraud Basics |
| Processor fees seem high | Calculate effective rate, compare benchmarks, get competing quotes | Reading Statements |
| Customer says charge is unauthorized | Check your records, offer refund if legitimate concern | Chargeback Prevention |
When to Call Your Processor
Your processor has a support team. Use them. You're paying for it.
Call immediately if:
- Your deposits stopped or are delayed without explanation (see Holds & Reserves)
- You received a notice about account review or reserve increase
- You see fees on your statement you don't understand
- You need help completing your PCI compliance questionnaire
- You want to enable or adjust fraud rules (AVS, CVV, velocity)
How to get useful help:
- Have your merchant ID ready
- Be specific about the problem ("My deposit for March 15 is $500 less than expected" beats "something's wrong with my money")
- Ask for written confirmation of anything they tell you
- If frontline support can't help, ask for the risk or underwriting team
If your processor sends you an email about "elevated chargebacks," "account review," or anything related to risk, reply within 24 hours. Even if you don't have a complete answer, acknowledge the email and share what you're doing about it. Silence is the #1 reason processors escalate from warning to termination.
When You Need Outside Help
These situations are beyond normal self-service. Getting the right help quickly matters.
Chargeback ratio above 0.65%
You're approaching Visa's monitoring thresholds. If you can't bring it down within a month, consider:
- A chargeback alert service (Verifi CDRN or Ethoca). These intercept disputes before they become chargebacks
- A payments consultant who can audit your dispute sources and recommend targeted fixes
- The 0.9% Panic Guide if you're already in crisis territory
Organized fraud attack
If you're seeing coordinated fraud (multiple cards to the same address, burst of orders from one region, card testing attacks that overwhelm your velocity rules), you may need:
- Your processor's fraud team (not general support; ask specifically for their risk or fraud team)
- A fraud prevention vendor if attacks are persistent and your processor's tools aren't enough
- See Survive a Fraud Attack for the emergency playbook
Processor termination or MATCH listing
If your processor terminates your account, they may place you on the MATCH list (formerly TMF), which makes it very difficult to get a new processor. This is serious.
- Ask your processor explicitly: "Will this result in a MATCH listing?"
- If you're MATCH-listed, you'll need a high-risk processor (they exist but charge more)
- Consider a payments attorney if you believe the listing is unjustified
PCI compliance requirements
If you handle card data directly (not through a hosted payment page), you may need:
- A PCI Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) for formal compliance audits
- A security consultant to help implement required controls
- See PCI DSS Guide for what's required at your level
Who NOT to Hire
Be skeptical of:
- "Guaranteed chargeback elimination" vendors. Nobody can guarantee zero chargebacks. If they promise it, they're either eating the cost (and charging you a premium) or lying.
- Generic "payment consultants" who lead with tool recommendations. Good consultants diagnose first, recommend tools second. If they're pushing a specific vendor in the first meeting, they're getting a referral fee.
- Vendors who require long-term contracts for small businesses. At SMB volumes, you should be able to cancel monthly. Long contracts protect the vendor, not you.
The Decision Framework
Is my chargeback ratio above 0.65%?
Yes → Get help (alert services, consultant, or processor risk team)
No →
Am I under active fraud attack?
Yes → Call processor fraud team + see Survive a Fraud Attack playbook
No →
Has my processor sent me a warning or review notice?
Yes → Reply immediately, consider consultant if you can't resolve
No →
Can I find the answer in this site's documentation?
Yes → Handle it yourself
No → Call your processor's support team first
You've Completed the Operations Pathway
You now understand:
- What to do daily and weekly to keep payments running
- How to read your processor statements and spot overcharges
- When to handle things yourself and when to escalate