Chargeback

When a cardholder disputes a transaction, for example because of fraud, goods not received, duplicate billing, a wrong amount or cash not dispensed at an ATM, they lodge a complaint with their issuing bank. If the claim is valid under the card scheme rules, the issuer raises a chargeback through the network to the acquiring bank, which debits the merchant or the ATM-owning bank. The merchant may contest it by providing evidence, after which the dispute can go through further stages and, if necessary, arbitration by the card scheme.

Chargebacks protect consumers and give them confidence to use cards, while discouraging merchants from poor practices. Each stage has strict time limits set by the scheme rules, so customers should report disputed transactions quickly.

A refund is different: it is initiated voluntarily by the merchant. In Nepal, NRB's directives require banks and PSPs to resolve failed and disputed digital transactions within set timelines and to maintain grievance handling mechanisms.

ठगी, सामान नपाउनु, दोहोरो बिलिङ, गलत रकम वा एटिएमबाट नगद ननिस्कनु जस्ता कारणले कार्डधारकले कारोबारमा विवाद गर्दा जारीकर्ता बैंकमा उजुरी दिन्छन्। कार्ड स्किमको नियमअनुसार दाबी मान्य भए जारीकर्ताले नेटवर्कमार्फत प्राप्तकर्ता बैंकमा चार्जब्याक पठाउँछ, जसले व्यापारी वा एटिएमवाला बैंकको खाता डेबिट गर्छ। व्यापारीले प्रमाण दिएर प्रतिवाद गर्न सक्छ र आवश्यक परे स्किमले मध्यस्थता गर्छ।

चार्जब्याकले उपभोक्ता संरक्षण गर्छ। प्रत्येक चरणको समयसीमा कडा हुन्छ, त्यसैले विवादित कारोबार छिटो जानकारी दिनुपर्छ। रिफन्ड भने व्यापारीले स्वेच्छाले गर्छ। नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंकको निर्देशनले असफल र विवादित डिजिटल कारोबार तोकिएको समयमा समाधान गर्न बाध्य बनाउँछ।