Merchant descriptor
The text that identifies a merchant on the cardholder’s statement. When it does not resemble the shop the customer actually visited, the customer’s first move is to query the charge with their bank rather than with the merchant — which turns a phone call into a dispute. It is one of the few dispute controls that costs nothing to get right.
Why it matters to a merchant
A small field with an outsized effect on disputes: the descriptor is what the cardholder sees on their statement weeks later, and a descriptor that does not resemble the shop's sign is a chargeback waiting to be filed by an honest customer who simply does not recognise it. Checking it once, on a real statement, is cheaper than arguing the resulting disputes.
Read more: Refunds and voids: three things that are not the same
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Related terms
In this section: How a payment moves