Integrating Visa CE 3.0 & Mastercard Fraud Protection

What This Guide Covers

This guide helps you implement automated fraud chargeback protection through Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 Mastercard Fraud Protection & American Express's equivalent programs. When properly configured, these programs can reduce your liability for fraudulent chargebacks by automatically proving legitimate cardholder usage patterns.

Links to Card Scheme compelling evidence rules:

Visa 3.0

Mastercard FTP

Amex

How It Works

When a cardholder disputes a card-not-present transaction as fraud these programs allow merchants to submit a "purchase history" - namely two previous, undisputed transactions made with the same card - to prove the customer really made the purchase. If a match can be shown between core data points detailed below, the dispute can be stopped before it turns into a chargeback.

Key Requirement

You need at least 2 related transactions from the same cardholder (within a specific timeframe) to qualify for protection.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Identify Qualifying Chargebacks

Your chargeback must have one of these reason codes to be eligible:

Step 2: Find Related Transactions

To prove cardholder legitimacy, find transactions that match these criteria:

2A. Card Matching (All Must Match)

• Last 4 digits of the card number
• Card network (Visa, Mastercard, etc.)
• Bank identification number (first 6 digits) - when available
• Billing descriptor (how the charge appears on statements)
• OR unique card identifier (if your system generates card fingerprints)

2B. Time Window

• Transactions must be 120-365 days before the disputed transaction
• Use your transaction timestamp to calculate this range

2C. Transaction Status

✅ Qualifying transactions:

• No disputes filed
• Only non-fraud chargebacks (if any)

❌ Disqualifying transactions:

• Any fraud disputes filed
• Active fraud reports on file

Step 3: Verify Cardholder Patterns

For each qualifying transaction, you must have at least one match from each category:

Device Evidence (Choose 1+)

• IP Address - Same internet connection
• Device ID - Same device/browser identifier
• User Agent - Same browser/device signature

Delivery Evidence (Choose 1+)

• Email address - Same account email
• Shipping address - Same delivery location
• Account ID - Same user account
• Subscription ID - Same recurring service

Additional Evidence (Include all available)

• Phone number - Same contact number
• Billing address - Same payment address
• Product details - Same or similar items purchased

Data Requirements

Required Transaction Information

For each qualifying transaction, collect the below data points and share with Justt. Additional information is detailed here.

interface TransactionData {
  // Card Information
  cardLast4: string;           // Last 4 digits (e.g., "1234")
  cardScheme: string;          // "VISA", "MASTERCARD", "AMEX"
  bankId?: string;             // First 6 digits (optional)
  billingDescriptor: string;   // Merchant name on statement
  cardFingerprint?: string;    // Unique card ID (if available)
  
  // Transaction Details
  timestamp: Date;             // When transaction occurred
  transactionId: string;       // Your internal transaction ID
  status: string;              // "completed", "failed", etc.
  amount: number;              // Transaction amount
  
  // Dispute Information
  reasonCode?: string;         // If previously disputed
  reasonDescription?: string;  // Dispute reason details
  fraudReportActive: boolean;  // Any active fraud flags
  acquirerRefNumber?: string;  // Network reference number
}

Required Cardholder Information

interface CardholderData {
  // Device Evidence (need at least 1)
  ipAddress?: string;          // IP address used
  deviceId?: string;           // Device identifier
  userAgent?: string;          // Browser/app signature
  
  // Delivery Evidence (need at least 1)
  email?: string;              // Account email
  accountId?: string;          // User account ID  
  subscriptionId?: string;     // Subscription identifier
  
  // Shipping Details
  shippingAddress?: {
    street: string;
    city: string;
    state: string;
    zipCode: string;
    country: string;
  };
  
  // Additional Evidence (optional but recommended)
  phoneNumber?: string;        // Contact phone
  billingAddress?: Address;    // Billing address
  productName?: string;        // Product purchased
  productDescription?: string; // Product details
}