Payment Fraud Prevention

ICICI Merchant Services is committed to helping its retailers and merchants minimize the risk of credit card payment fraud.

How we help protect your business:

  • Robust system design - Our systems are compliant with applicable industry security regulations and feature robust encryption for added data protection
  • Training - Take advantage of our Card Acceptance Training Program, which will help equip your staff with the skills and knowledge to competently handle card acceptance. Speak to your Relationship Manager or our Customer Care team for more details.
  • Quick reference materials – we provide stickers with the Customer Care and Authorisation Center contact numbers on your point-of-sale for quick reference if you need it.

How you can help protect your business

Help protect yourself from fraud by observing these simple rules when managing your card payments:

You should always:

  • compare and match the signature on the card with the signature on the charge slip. If the signature panel on the reverse of the card is blank, insist the cardholder signs on the signature panel in your presence and then compare the signatures.
  • if the signature panel on the reverse of the card is blank, hold the card and contact the Authorisation Centre under a ‘Code 10’ call (see Operating Guide section regarding ‘Suspicious Transactions’) and you will be advised as to the appropriate action to take.
  • keep copies of charge slips for 18 months from the transaction date so you can produce them in the case of a disputed transaction. Keep them in a cool place, away from sunlight and not in a plastic folder as thermal paper deteriorates over time.
  • complete settlement every day as a delay can result in a payment dispute.
  • compare the photo on the card (if it is a photocard) to the person presenting it.

You should:

  • never swipe the card more than once - If necessary, VOID the transaction before SETTLEMENT. Otherwise, the cardholder may be debited twice and you are likely to come under scrutiny of MasterCard and Visa International.
  • never split a sale under any circumstances. e.g., if an authorisation is tried for Rs. 25,000 and the response is "Decline" or "Refer to Issuer", do not try to split the sale into smaller amounts. Instead, contact the authorisation centre for a voice authorisation.
  • never amend the transaction amount after the charge slip has been signed by the cardholder.
  • never levy an additional charge or surcharge on card payments as this is likely to cause a cardholder dispute and require a refund from your account.

Additional recommendations

For high value merchandise - we recommend keeping invoice copies with a stamp confirming "Goods received in good condition across the counter. Goods once sold will not be exchanged" and ask the cardholder to sign your copy of the Invoice.

For merchandise being delivered – we recommend you obtain a Proof of Delivery and have the Terms & Conditions of the sale signed by the cardholder. These should be on the face of the invoice and not on the reverse of the invoice. If not printed, this can be in the form of a rubber stamp. If a chargeback (dispute with cardholder) is raised, please provide a proof of delivery copy signed by the cardholder and not a confirmation from the courier that the merchandise has been delivered.

Refunds & void sales

Refunds of card transactions should only be done through your Acquiring Bank by a credit to the card account. In case of a voiding a sale transaction, please contact the Customer Care centre before settling the terminal batch. To cancel or VOID a transaction, please ensure you have the following to hand:

  • your Merchant Identification (MID) number
  • card number
  • transaction date
  • transaction amount
  • expiry date of card
  • approval code and reason for cancellation