Duplicate Processing, Condition 12.6.1

Your card processor has notified you that a cardholder is disputing a transaction that you processed.

The cardholder claims that a single transaction was processed more than once.

There are four common causes for this type of dispute:

You entered the same transaction into your terminal more than once.
You electronically sent the same transaction capture batch to your card processor more than once.
You deposited both the merchant copy and the acquirer copy of the transaction receipt.
Two transaction receipts were created for the same purchase.

Transactions receipts are not duplicates.

Provide information and documentation to show the two transactions are separate and are not for the same item or service.

Transaction was duplicated.

Accept the dispute.

You have already processed a credit or reversal for the transaction.

Provide documentation of the credit or reversal; include the amount and the date it was processed.

The cardholder no longer disputes the transaction.

Provide a letter or email from the cardholder that shows they no longer dispute the transaction.

How to avoid this dispute in the future

Avoid entering a transaction more than once. If you do enter a transaction twice, credit the duplicate.
Train your sales staff on the proper procedures for processing transactions, including how to credit duplicate transactions.
Review transaction receipts before you deposit them.

For more information, please see Dispute Management Guidelines for Visa Merchants.

Acquirer’s approach or timelines may be different and you should adhere with your current Acquirer’s process. Not all disputes apply to every country/region, please check with your acquirer for further information.