# Playbooks
Source: https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks

Last updated 24 October 2026.

TL;DR

-   Step-by-step actions, not explanations. Use these when something is on fire, you're shipping a project, or you want a quick win
-   Each playbook lists what you need before you start, then walks the steps in order
-   Want the foundations instead? [The Guide](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/getting-started-with-payments/introduction/) is 15 lessons, about 105 minutes

10 min read

Something's on fire, or you're shipping a project, or you want a quick win. Follow these.

Want the full picture?

Playbooks solve immediate problems. **[The Guide](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/learning-pathways/getting-started-with-payments/introduction/)** teaches you the foundations: 15 lessons covering payments, chargebacks, fraud, operations, and costs (~105 min total).

If You Only Have 2 Hours This Week

If nothing is actively on fire:

1.  Pick one metric that's been bugging you (auth rate, chargeback ratio, fraud rate)
2.  Form a hypothesis about why it's off
3.  Design one small test to validate or invalidate that hypothesis
4.  Run it long enough to read. Auth rate shows within days; chargebacks and fraud take weeks. A change customers see follows the [seven live-test points](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/reference/experimentation/#before-a-live-test)

That's how you make progress without getting lost in optimization theater.

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First Week Setup

Just got approved? Do these before your first live transaction.

[⚡ Stripe First Week Day-by-day checklist: descriptor, fraud rules, RDR, webhooks](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/stripe-first-week)

[▪️ Square First Week POS setup, item library, staff training, prevent keyed-in waste](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/square-first-week)

[🛒 Shopify First Week Avoid third-party fees, review fraud risks, optimize checkout](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/shopify-first-week)

Order flagged? Use [Should I fulfill this order?](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/shopify-first-week/#should-i-fulfill-this-order).

You're using AI-written Stripe code? [Review the integration before launch](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/stripe-first-week/#ai-built-checkout-review).

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Crisis Playbooks

Use these when you don't have time to think.

[🔥 Reduce Chargebacks Fast Fast-rising disputes, a processor warning, or a monitoring program](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/reduce-chargebacks-fast)

[🚨 Survive a Fraud Attack Velocity spike, BIN attack, or coordinated fraud in progress](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/survive-fraud-attack)

[🛡️ Breach Response Suspected or confirmed card data breach - first 72 hours](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/breach-response)

[📉 Fix Declining Auth Rates Auth rate dropped suddenly and you need to diagnose fast](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/fix-declining-auth-rates)

[📋 Rejected or shut down Check the notice, the policy and your next application](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/processor-closed-account)

Bots keep trying cards? Use the [incident steps](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/survive-fraud-attack/#bots-keep-trying-cards). A credential was exposed? Use the [Stripe key response](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/survive-fraud-attack/#stripe-key-leaked).

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Quick Wins (2 Weeks or Less)

High-impact improvements you can ship fast.

[🔔 Set Up Dispute Alerts **1-2 weeks**\ Resolve eligible disputes early, then compare chargebacks on similar payments before and after setup](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/setup-dispute-alerts)

[🔒 First-Time 3DS Setup **1-2 weeks**\ Liability shift without killing conversion](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/first-time-3ds-setup)

[📱 Onboard Digital Wallets **2-4 weeks**\ Higher auth rates, lower fraud, better mobile](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/onboard-digital-wallets)

[💳 Handle a Refund Request **Same day**\ Step-by-step from request to resolution](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/handle-refund-request)

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Optimization Playbooks

For when nothing's broken and you just want the numbers better.

[📈 Increase Auth Rates Auth approval rate dropping against comparable payments](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/increase-auth-rates)

[⚙️ Auth Optimization Deep dive on retry logic, network tokens, issuer work](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/payments/auth-optimization)

[🧪 Payments Experimentation Testing fraud rules and checkout changes safely](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/reference/experimentation)

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Project Playbooks

These ones need planning.

[🌍 Launch New Country Expanding to a new market](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/launch-new-country)

[🔄 Switch Payment Providers Leaving costs, saved cards and what to move first](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/processor-switch-checklist)

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For Larger Operations

Over $1M/month? These cover what changes.

[📈 Scaling Milestones What changes at each volume tier: tools, staffing, and negotiation leverage](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/operations/scaling-milestones)

[🏦 Processor Management Multi-processor strategy, rate negotiation, and relationship management](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/operations/processor-management)

[🌍 Launch New Country Local acquiring, regional payment methods, and compliance by market](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/launch-new-country)

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Popular

[🔥 Reduce Chargebacks Fast Popular Crisis playbook for rising disputes or a processor warning](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/reduce-chargebacks-fast)

[🔔 Set Up Dispute Alerts Resolve eligible disputes early; compare results on similar payments (1-2 week project)](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/setup-dispute-alerts)

[🔒 First-Time 3DS Setup Liability shift without killing conversion](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/first-time-3ds-setup)

[📈 Increase Auth Rates Systematic auth rate improvement](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/increase-auth-rates)

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## How Playbooks Work

Each playbook has:

1.  **Trigger criteria** - How to know you need this playbook
2.  **Steps** - Do these in order
3.  **Checkpoints** - How to know each step worked
4.  **Success criteria** - How to know you're done

Playbooks are for doing, not understanding. They're hypothesis-test-learn cycles, not checklists to follow blindly. If you want the concepts, the main sections have them.

## The Experimental Mindset

Throwing tools at a problem you haven't diagnosed is expensive guessing. Every playbook should get you to:

1.  **Understand why** (talk to customers, look at data)
2.  **Form a hypothesis** (we think it's X because of Y)
3.  **Test** (change one thing, measure for 2 weeks)
4.  **Learn** (did it work? why or why not?)

Even in a crisis, you're running experiments. They're just faster and higher-stakes.

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## Next Steps

In a crisis right now?

1.  [Reduce Chargebacks Fast](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/reduce-chargebacks-fast) - Ratio spiking
2.  [Survive Fraud Attack](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/survive-fraud-attack) - Fraud in progress
3.  [Breach Response](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/breach-response) - Data breach suspected
4.  [Fix Auth Rates](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/fix-declining-auth-rates) - Sudden auth drop

Want a quick win?

1.  [Set Up Dispute Alerts](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/setup-dispute-alerts) - Prevent chargebacks
2.  [First-Time 3DS](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/first-time-3ds-setup) - Liability shift
3.  [Digital Wallets](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/playbooks/onboard-digital-wallets) - Mobile conversion

Need background first?

1.  [Fraud Fundamentals](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/fraud/fundamentals) - Understand concepts
2.  [Chargeback Basics](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/chargebacks) - How disputes work
3.  [Benchmarks](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/reference/benchmarks) - What "good" looks like

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## See Also

[🔍 Fraud Detection](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/fraud/detection)[💰 Chargebacks](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/chargebacks)[⚙️ Operations](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/operations)[📊 Benchmarks](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/reference/benchmarks)

-   [Chargeback Metrics](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/chargebacks/metrics/) - Tracking dispute ratios
-   [Fraud Metrics](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/fraud/metrics/) - Monitoring fraud rates
-   [Payments Metrics](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/payments/metrics/) - Auth rate tracking
-   [Network Programs](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/chargebacks/reference/network-programs/) - VAMP, ECM thresholds
-   [3D Secure](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/fraud/prevention/3ds/) - Authentication setup
-   [Chargeback Alerts](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/chargebacks/prevention/alerts/) - Alert services
-   [Processor Management](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/operations/processor-management/) - Working with processors
-   [Experimentation](https://paymentsandrisk.com/docs/reference/experimentation/) - Testing methodology