When a customer sees a charge from a business they don’t recognize on their credit card statement, their first instinct is to contact their bank to file a dispute. Not long afterward, the merchant must go through the time-consuming, stressful, and potentially costly process of fighting back. 

As a gentleman’s club owner who has an adult business merchant account and is already operating in a competitive, high-risk sector, it is better to nip the problem in the bud. Improving your billing descriptor is the answer.

Billing descriptors explained

A billing descriptor is text that identifies your business. It appears on the customer’s credit card statement along with a payment reference number.

Descriptors can fall into four categories. They can be soft (temporary and used for pending transactions) or hard (the permanent descriptor denoting the final amount charged). Static descriptors include only a business name and are appropriate for companies that just offer one product or service. 

By contrast, dynamic descriptors contain additional details. These include the company name shortened to three letters followed by an asterisk, a brief description of the product or service, and the business’s phone number.

Billing descriptors and chargebacks

In short, a well-conceived billing descriptor will reduce chargebacks for your gentleman’s club. This is because people are far more likely to pay a bill from a business they recognize. The good news is that creating a good descriptor only requires remembering a few helpful tips.

Utilize clear, straightforward language, including necessary details and nothing more. Use the business name your customers know, not a different official moniker. For clarification, provide your website name and customer service phone number. Note that this number should be connected to a reliable support line that links consumers to dedicated professionals. If you do not have that resource in place, don’t include a phone number.

On the surface, billing descriptors may not seem very important. However, they actually play a huge role in your club’s success. By enhancing the customer experience and fostering trust, these humble pieces of text can reduce chargebacks and improve brand recognition. In fact, they can elevate a patron’s overall impression of your establishment.