Glossary

Friendly fraud

Chargeback opened by the buyer themselves over a legitimate purchase they made, with no third-party fraud involved.

Friendly fraud is the chargeback opened by the cardholder themselves over a purchase they actually made, without a third party having misused the card. The reasons vary: forgetting the purchase, buyer's remorse not resolved directly with the seller, or a deliberate dispute to get the money back while keeping the product.

Unlike fraud with a stolen card, friendly fraud is not caught by fraud prevention at the moment of purchase, because the transaction itself is legitimate. Defense in this case depends on evidence: proof of delivery, a history of access to the product, communication with the buyer.

A chargeback ratio never spikes, it climbs quietly. By the time the platform warns you, three months of damage is already booked. Anyone watching it week by week is never caught off guard.
Wellington CostaGlobal Payments Specialist

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Written by Wellington Costa Global Payments Specialist

Writes about payment infrastructure, checkout conversion and chargeback reduction. Works directly with digital product sellers, affiliates and creators selling to more than 40 countries through Mundpay.