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How to ensure fraud and chargeback prevention

Tag: strategy

How to ensure fraud and chargeback prevention
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

How to ensure fraud and chargeback prevention

Fraud and chargeback claims can malign your reputation, eventually resulting in loss in your business. In order for merchants to safeguard themselves against fraud and chargeback, it is recommended that they either choose a reliable and secure online payment platform available in the market or hire professionals to handle cases of chargeback and fraud within the company. Before we discuss the strategies for fraud and chargeback prevention, let us look at the definition of chargeback.

What is a chargeback?

Chargeback refers to an appeal made by a cardholder/consumer against fraud committed by a merchant. The appeal is made to the issuing bank. The bank deducts said amount from the merchant until the merchant is able to collect enough evidence to prove his/her case, in which case the money is returned. In some cases, the cardholder may issue a second chargeback known as pre-arbitration. This occurs when a consumer is determined to prove that he/she has been a victim of fraud at the hand of the merchant.

Let us discuss certain principles and restrictions that a merchant should look into in order to prevent fraud and chargeback.

Restriction on the number of payment attempts

Most online transactions happen through an online payment gateway. One way to minimize the risk of chargebacks is to impose a restriction on the number of times a cardholder can attempt to make a payment. Additionally, the number of purchases made through one card in a day can also be restricted. This simple principle can help you reduce the risk of chargebacks and even prevent the problem from occurring altogether.

Restrictions with regard to email

It is often found that people who come with an intention of committing fraud use multiple email addresses to make purchases using the same card. A merchant must monitor the cards that are linked to multiple email addresses. This may seem like a rather simple way of dealing with it, but it can be a highly preventative measure. It is always better to catch them before the crime occurs.

Monitoring IP addresses

Technology now makes it possible to monitor IP addresses. This can work in favor of the merchant since they can monitor the addresses and find out the e-commerce history and reputation of a particular buyer. There are multiple restrictions that a merchant can apply, such as blacklisting a particular IP address.

Customer service

Credit card companies often offer chargeback notification as a service. This means that any time a cardholder raises a dispute, the merchant is informed simultaneously. By making use of this service and providing good customer support, it is oftentimes easy to address the customer’s issues. Prompt action in such cases can help prevent chargebacks and build better customer relations for the future.

Maintaining and updating records

It is always a good idea to maintain complete and up-to-date records of all transactions made by a cardholder. These records should include dates of purchase, the amounts paid as well as authorization information. These records can be very helpful while handling and fighting chargeback disputes.

Proper training of employees

Employees should be trained on how to handle card and non-card transactions. By enlightening them on the subject, the merchant can save himself/herself from fraud altogether. Verifying signatures, requiring complete card information, etc. are just some ways that fraud can be prevented. As the popular adage goes ‘prevention is better than cure’; it would save the merchant a lot in chargeback fee if the fraud was to be prevented altogether.

Choose your battles

The merchant is charged a certain fee when a chargeback is asked for. An additional fee is imposed if the merchant decides to dispute it. Too many chargebacks also damage the merchant’s relationship with the account provider. Therefore, it is wise for the merchant to choose to dispute only the chargebacks that he/she is likely to win.

The above-mentioned steps may seem like too much for a merchant to take on by themselves. It is advisable, in such a case, to hire a chargeback management firm to deal with the issue of fraud and chargebacks, and adopt these effective strategies to safeguard your business.

5 years ago
How Cross-selling Can Help Maximize E-commerce Profits
Mohab Super Merchants 0

How Cross-selling Can Help Maximize E-commerce Profits

Are you using the cross-selling strategy to increase your sales in your online shop? You are losing a lot of money if you haven’t considered cross-selling. Both cross-selling and up-selling tactics are effective ways of increasing the order value, including one of the most critical business metrics. Are you wondering what this is? Well, this post will outline what cross-selling is, how it works, and why your online store needs it.

What’s cross-selling?

This is a sales approach designed to generate more sales by recommending related, complementary or additional items to a consumer who has shown commitment to buying a product. These are products that improve or optimize the original item by providing new functionalities. For instance, think about the insurance or casing sold to you whenever you purchase an electronic device.

However, this isn’t merely about providing anything you can think of. The key here is to offer the customer additional value by showing them how you understand their needs. Just like any other sales and marketing activities, cross-selling must be planned and executed strategically.

Differentiating cross-selling and up-selling

Both cross-selling and up-selling help maximize the purchase value and enhance the buying experience of a consumer by adding value to a product. Cross-selling only focuses on the promotion of additional products from related categories while up-selling encourages a consumer to buy a higher-end version of the same item or pay more for extra features and upgrades.

Cross-selling in e-commerce

When you choose to incorporate cross-selling as a sales strategy, you will focus on introducing related products to consumers who view products on your website or have added an item to their shopping cart. If executed correctly, the cross-selling technique will feel natural and boost your client’s purchasing experience by offering them matching products that will increase the value of the product they have bought.

How cross-selling is done

The initial and most vital step to succeeding in cross-selling is finding matching products, and creating offers. Like other e-commerce aspects, the positioning and timing of these offers must be tested. But, a prevalent practice is to provide the right options on the pages of your product especially during follow-up email campaigns and checkout.

Common cross-selling strategies include:

  • Visual aids – This strategy is ideal for lifestyle and fashion products, where clients are mainly driven by visual cues. Use high-quality product videos and images to show the functions of the items in real life and prompt the consumer to purchase the entire package rather than getting one item.
  • Bundling – This involves packing items that go together naturally like a digital camera, camera case and memory card. This will maximize your profits and you should make sure that the client knows that they require these items to use the product they bought initially. Consider providing outstanding discounts to appeal to the buyer.

Reasons for cross-selling in your online store

You must be wondering if cross-selling is worth the effort. Of course, it is! Most retailers have relied on cross-selling for many years for a reason; it works. If you haven’t thought of incorporating it in your store, you are leaving cash on the table. Advantages of cross-selling include:

  • Boosts profits: Many large chain stores usually have high margins on accessories than on main products. Consider using this strategy in your store. If you choose to offer flat-rate or free shipping, you will save money on the small accessories that do not cost extra to ship but still offer more revenue.
  • Increasing the average order size: A consumer who is ready to but a product is likely to get another item if the second item adds productivity to the first item. So, if you spend some funds to market such products to your new clients, most of them will buy more from you.
  • Increased customer lifetime value: Each time a consumer buys your products, they will spend more. This means you will be earning more whenever the customer opts to buy from you.

Cross-selling can help grow profits. If you haven’t yet used cross-selling, consider giving it a try. Once you find the best selling items, get related products that will interest your customers. Present all the products to interested customers during the checkout process or on the product’s page. Do not forget to build trust with clients and avoid pitching too hard.

5 years ago
Tips to increase revenue and brand loyalty
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

Tips to increase revenue and brand loyalty

One of the most difficult aspects of managing a business is increasing revenue.  As a business owner, you have to grapple with increased competition in the backdrop of increasing operation costs. While most businesses focus on customer acquisition to boost revenues, research shows building brand loyalty can have an even greater impact. A recent report shows that 43% of customers spend more money on brands they are loyal to highlighting the importance of building brand loyalty. The same report shows that the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, while the probability of selling to a new prospect is 5-10%. If you want to increase your revenue base, you have to start thinking about strategies that will build loyalty.

From integrating secure online payment systems, customer referral programs, and excellent customer service to responsiveness, there are many ways of building loyalty with an eye on increased revenue. This article explores some of these strategies in detail. Keep reading.

  1. Create a customer reward program

One of the best techniques to retain customers is through gifts and rewards. This is the shortcut to customer loyalty and today; it is possible to personalize such gifts for better impact. With the data collected from your systems, it is possible for instance to wish a customer a happy birthday and even send them a personalized card and a gift.

This gesture will not only help in retaining the customer, but also promote your business by way of word-of-mouth marketing. Your business revenues will increase through return purchases and from referrals by your satisfied customers.

  1. Prioritize customer service

Businesses today struggle to increase revenues due to high customer churn rates. One of the main reasons for customer defection is poor customer service. According to the American Express 2017 Customer Service Barometer, 33% of customer say that they would consider switching brands in case of poor customer service. The same report shows that more than half of Americans have scrapped a planned purchase due to poor customer service.

These numbers emphasize the importance of providing excellent customer service. You must be there for your customer at all times because this is the only way to ensure they complete a purchase and remain loyal to your brand. If you want to improve your revenue numbers, you should invest in the best customer service.

  1. Provide value

Your customers already know many other brands selling the same goods and services as you. As such, your main focus should not be on the products themselves but on the value they add to the customers’ lives. You need to distinguish your brand as one that provides value, not just through what you sell, but also through community participation among other things.

  1. Engage with your customers

In today’s wired world, your customers are everywhere and they want to interact with your brand on all platforms. It is no longer enough to build a website because your target customers are on social networks and this is where you should also be. Make sure you connect with your customers as this gives them a sense of belonging and makes them loyal to your brand.

Use available platforms to inform your customers of new trends in the industry, your company activities, and anything else that is relevant to your relationship with the customer. Your customers should feel a part of your business as this will keep them coming and they will also promote your brand. This is a smart way to increase revenue for your business.

  1. Offer conveniences

If you make life easier for your customers, they will keep coming back and this will improve your revenue base. For instance, if you accept payments online free, offer feedback on social media, do free deliveries among other things this will retain your customers and increase revenue.

There is no denying that the current business environment is tough but if you focus on customer retention, it is possible to stay ahead of the competition. These two-prong customer retention strategies will not only build customer loyalty but also increase revenues.

5 years ago
Are You Spending Too Much on Shipping?
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

Are You Spending Too Much on Shipping?

One of the easiest ways to provide excellent customer experience in your online business is by providing convenient, excellent and affordable shipping. However, this comes at a cost, and in a business environment where all expenses seem to be rising, you need to have a look at your shipping costs once again. You have to maintain a balance by offering the best customer experience while at the same time cutting costs on shipping logistics.  According to a recent survey carried out by Jupiter Media Matrix Inc and published by Forbes, 63% of customers abandoned a purchase due to excessive shipping costs.  With such insight, the free shipping threshold set by giant retailers such as Amazon becomes all the more significant.

So, are you spending too much on shipping? Is there anything you can do about it? This article gives insights on how to optimize your shipping strategy without compromising on the customer experience.

How to Start Reducing High Cost of Shipping

Most experts put freight spend at 9-11% of sales. According to a Canadian Shipper Report, transportation spend is about 10-11% for businesses with less than $250 million in sales. For those with revenues more than $9 billion, freight costs range between 2-3%.  Some of the ways to deal with high shipping costs include:

  1. Identifying Overspending in Shipping

Common pitfalls leading to high costs of shipping include:

  • Using flat rate boxes to ship everything: “If it fits in the box, it ships at the same price every time,” and this is a great thing for you up to a point. Other alternatives can save you money depending on the item you wish to ship including Regional Rate Boxes and Priority Mail.
  • Relying on SmartPost and SurePost alone: These two options are great but they still depend on the United States Postal Service at the last mile to deliver a package to the customer’s doorstep. A cheaper option would be to use the United States Postal Service all the way as they now match the rates offered by SmartPost and SurePost and other shipping services.
  • Failure to account for dimensional weight: If you haven’t started factoring in a dimensional weight (DIM weight) introduced by FedEx and UPS in 2015, you might be paying more for your shipping. Today, shippers use DIM weight calculation and an actual weight calculation for every package, and you pay the higher rate. You have to start considering overall package size and weight more keenly to pay a lower rate when shipping.
  • Failure to use other packaging options: Don’t use boxes for everything and instead consider Poly mailers for items which are not fragile. It cuts down the cost of shipping.

 

  1. Optimize Your Free/Affordable Shipping Strategy

To offer free shipping without breaking the bank, consider the following options:

  • Free Shipping for Domestic Orders only
  • Free Shipping for orders over a certain order amount
  • Free shipping for return customers
  • Free Shipping for a minimum number of items purchased
  • Adjust the price of product downwards to reduce “stated” shipping costs

 

  1. Find Ways to Reduce Costs of Shipping

Consider the following strategies:

  • Buying packaging from discount suppliers
  • Negotiating bulk discounts
  • Reusing and recycle
  • Using shipping rate calculators to find the best rates
  • Batch-process as much as you can for higher efficiency and reduced costs
  • Use hybrid services for bigger shipping discounts. Delivery takes longer but you save money in the process.
  • Use a third party logistics company/international warehouse

It is also important to audit all invoices for errors, consolidate shipments and seek referrals from other businesses to find the best shipping rates. If you feel your shipping spend is too high, these strategies will help reduce costs and keep your business going.

By combining an affordable shipping experience with seamless payment processing using the best payment gateway, your business stands a better chance in the competitive e-commerce landscape. It is a high time you choose the best payment gateway and be able to streamline your shipping process.

6 years ago