Most merchants think about chargebacks after they happen, but the real leverage is in what you do before. Part 1 of a seven-part series covers 3DS2 authentication, AVS/CVV matching, delivery confirmation, and clear refund policies.

Having 3DS2 turned on and having it configured well are two very different things. The gap between a well-implemented setup and a poorly-implemented one can run 5 to 15 percentage points of approval rate on the same volume.

The password screen you remember hating during checkout is mostly gone. 3DS2 passes over 100 data points to the issuer, reaching 85-95 percent approval rates versus 60-70 percent under the old protocol, plus a real fraud liability shift.