Before the issuing bank decides to file a chargeback, they can request additional information about that transaction, and it’s called a retrieval request.

Retrieval requests, also known as “soft” chargebacks, occur when a card issuer asks a merchant for a certain transaction details to verify its validity.

There are several reasons for retrievals, and these could be the following:

● The cardholder questions the charge or wants to dispute a transaction
● There are inaccurate or incomplete transaction details
● There was a processing error
● There are possible signs of fraud

Overall, a retrieval request is made to clarify the purchase — the items that were sold, whether all requirements were met, etc. The response should be provided within 10 days.

The documentation that you send to the issuer should include as much descriptive information as possible. This means that besides the details about the product or service that was purchased, the cardholder’s name and the date of the transaction, it’s also good to provide the transaction amount, order confirmation number, tracking code, etc.