If your dispute ratio is creeping toward 0.9%, you have about a month before it becomes a monitoring programme problem. This is the plan we run with every merchant in that spot.
Week one: find the leaks
Group the last 90 days of disputes by reason code and product. Most merchants find that two products or one reason code cause half the problem.
Weeks two and three: stop disputes early
Turn on pre-dispute alerts so the issuer tells you before a dispute is filed. Refund the small ones automatically and answer the rest with evidence.
Week four: lock it in
Fix the billing descriptor.
Add delivery confirmation emails.
Set refund rules so the team stops deciding case by case.
“A ratio is a habit, not a number. Fix the habits and the number follows.”
Key takeaways
Find the two causes behind most of your disputes.
Use alerts to stop disputes before they count.
