In this article, you will learn how to handle inquiries made against your business.
What is an inquiry?
An inquiry is a preliminary dispute phase initiated by some card networks. Inquiries are used to collect transaction clarification in hopes of potentially preventing a dispute altogether. There is no charge made against your business during this phase.
Only some card networks use inquiries. This list includes American Express and Discover.
Some networks — such as Mastercard and Visa — prefer to skip this phase and move to the dispute stage right away.
Failing to provide satisfactory evidence during the inquiry phase will likely result in a dispute. A successful dispute can lead to a chargeback. A chargeback is when the cardholder is refunded the charged amount, with that amount being drawn from your Workiz Pay account. In the event of a chargeback, your business would also be charged a non-refundable fee ($25 US/$20 CA).
How to respond to an inquiry
When an inquiry has been made against your business, it is strongly recommended that you respond during the inquiry phase. Although some card networks use inquiries as a preliminary phase in the dispute process, failing to respond to an inquiry may signal an implicit acceptance of the claim. This may result in a likely unwinnable dispute.
You will be notified of an inquiry via email, with instructions on submitting your evidence right from your Workiz Pay dashboard.
To learn more about the sort of evidence you can provide to satisfy an inquiry, please see this article.