Verifi Inform: Real-Time Dispute Resolution for Merchants

In today's payment landscape, speed matters.

When customers believe there is a problem with a transaction, they expect answers immediately. If they cannot quickly identify a purchase or resolve their concern with the merchant, many will contact their bank instead.

Historically, this often led directly to a chargeback.

Verifi Inform was developed to change that.

Verifi Inform is a real-time transaction inquiry solution that enables participating issuers to access additional transaction information while speaking with a cardholder. Rather than immediately initiating a dispute, the issuer can review enhanced merchant data, helping customers recognise legitimate purchases and understand the transaction.

The goal is simple: resolve customer questions before they become disputes.

Inform is part of a broader shift within the payments industry toward proactive dispute prevention. Rather than waiting for chargebacks to occur, merchants and issuers increasingly collaborate to resolve customer enquiries at the earliest possible stage.

For merchants, this means fewer unnecessary chargebacks, lower operational costs, improved customer satisfaction, and healthier relationships with acquiring banks.

Consumers have become accustomed to instant answers.

When they see an unfamiliar transaction, they don't want to wait several days for clarification.

Instead, they expect immediate reassurance.

Without access to sufficient transaction information, an issuer has limited options. The safest response is often to initiate a dispute.

That protects the cardholder — but it also creates unnecessary work for everyone else involved.

Real-time transaction visibility changes that dynamic.

Instead of escalating uncertainty into a chargeback, issuers can often answer the customer's question during the initial phone call.

Let's compare how transaction enquiries traditionally worked.

The process is slow, expensive, and reactive.

Now compare it with a modern dispute prevention process.

The difference is measured in minutes rather than weeks.

Verifi Inform is a real-time inquiry solution that allows participating issuers to retrieve enhanced merchant transaction information while assisting cardholders.

Rather than displaying only basic payment data, Inform provides richer context that helps customers recognise legitimate purchases.

Its objective is to resolve uncertainty before the formal dispute process begins.

Merchant Insight

Many chargebacks are not caused by fraud. They're caused by missing information.

Inform helps fill that information gap at exactly the moment it matters most.

A customer completes a purchase. The merchant processes the payment normally.

The customer later contacts their bank. Perhaps they don't recognise the transaction. Perhaps they forgot about the purchase. Perhaps a family member made the purchase.

The issuer retrieves additional transaction details through Inform. Instead of guessing, the issuer has meaningful context.

The customer recognises the purchase. The enquiry ends. No dispute is created.

Merchant Insight

Every dispute that never enters the card network saves time for the merchant, the issuer, the acquirer, and the customer.

That is why the payments industry increasingly focuses on dispute prevention rather than dispute recovery.

The exact information depends on implementation, merchant systems, and participating institutions.

Common examples include:

Providing meaningful context helps customers recognise legitimate purchases much more quickly.

Although almost any merchant can benefit from improved transaction visibility, Inform is particularly valuable for businesses where customers may struggle to recognise purchases.

These include:

Recurring billing, membership renewals, and annual subscriptions.

Monthly subscriptions and multiple household users.

Downloads, software, e-books, and gaming.

Bookings made months earlier, travel packages, and hotel reservations.

Delayed shipments, marketplace purchases, and gift orders.

Course enrolments, membership platforms, and recurring tuition.

Merchant Insight

The longer the period between purchase and card statement, the greater the chance the customer may forget the transaction.

Businesses with longer fulfilment cycles often benefit significantly from richer transaction visibility.

These two solutions are closely related and are sometimes confused.

Both improve transaction visibility. Both reduce customer confusion. Both support earlier dispute resolution.

However, merchants should think of them as complementary tools within the broader Verifi ecosystem.

Their shared objective is helping issuers answer customer questions before formal disputes occur.

These products solve different problems.

Inform
Provides richer transaction information during customer enquiries.
Goal: customer recognition.

CDRN
Notifies merchants after a customer contacts the issuer, creating an opportunity for merchant intervention.
Goal: merchant action.

One informs the issuer. The other informs the merchant.

Inform prevents disputes.

CE 3.0 strengthens eligible dispute responses after a chargeback has already been initiated.

Together they provide protection across multiple stages of the dispute lifecycle.

Customer confusion is resolved earlier.

Customers receive immediate answers.

Fewer investigations. Fewer representments. Fewer disputes.

Customers better recognise purchases.

Lower dispute ratios support long-term payment stability.

Customers are less likely to associate legitimate purchases with fraud.

Merchant Insight

Dispute prevention is often one of the highest-return investments a merchant can make.

Every avoided chargeback saves significantly more than just the disputed transaction amount.

Technology alone is not enough.

The more information customers receive throughout the purchase journey, the less likely they are to contact their bank.

"Inform replaces customer service."
No. Customer service remains essential. Inform complements customer support by providing information directly to participating issuers.

"Inform prevents fraud."
No. It helps resolve customer confusion. Fraud prevention remains the role of fraud management systems.

"Inform eliminates chargebacks."
No. It reduces eligible disputes caused by missing transaction information. Some disputes will always require further investigation.

The payment industry continues moving toward greater transparency.

Inform reflects a broader industry trend: resolving customer questions before they become financial disputes.

Is Verifi Inform the same as Order Insight?
They are closely related solutions within the Verifi ecosystem that focus on improving transaction visibility. The specific implementation and available functionality depend on participating institutions and merchant integrations.

Does Inform stop every chargeback?
No. Its primary objective is reducing disputes caused by customer confusion.

Does the customer contact the merchant?
Not necessarily. Inform is designed for situations where the customer contacts the issuing bank first.

Can Inform improve customer satisfaction?
Yes. Providing immediate answers often creates a much better customer experience than a lengthy dispute process.

Should merchants combine Inform with other solutions?
Absolutely. Many merchants combine Inform with Order Insight, CDRN, Ethoca Alerts, Rapid Dispute Resolution, and CE 3.0 to create multiple layers of dispute prevention and recovery.

• Verifi Inform improves transaction visibility during customer enquiries.
• It helps participating issuers answer customer questions in real time.
• The solution focuses on preventing disputes rather than recovering chargebacks.
• Inform is particularly valuable for subscription businesses, digital merchants, marketplaces, travel companies, and e-commerce businesses.
• Rich transaction information creates better customer experiences while reducing unnecessary disputes.
• Inform is most effective when integrated into a broader dispute management strategy that includes customer communication, alert networks, and evidence management.

• Order Insight
• Customer Clarity
• Verifi CDRN
• Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0
• Ethoca Alerts
• Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR)
• Chargeback Recovery Services

• Verifi Order Insight: Reducing Chargebacks Through Better Transaction Visibility
• Verifi CDRN Explained: Preventing Chargebacks Before They Happen
• Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 Explained
• The Complete Guide to Chargeback Management for E-commerce
• How to Prevent Friendly Fraud: 15 Proven Strategies for Merchants
• Winning the Chargeback Fight: A Practical Guide to Representment