Learn how Visa, Mastercard, and American Express card payments work through Paytrail, how to activate them, and what to consider for safe use.
Benefits for the consumer
- Widely accepted and trusted payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express
- Support for single-use and virtual cards if they have 3D Secure
- Secure checkout experience verified by Visa or Mastercard SecureCode
- Card data stored safely using tokenization (if supported by the consumer’s bank)
Use and security
Card payments through Paytrail are processed by Nets, our acquirer partner. All transactions are subject to the rules of the card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and to the Nets acquiring terms and conditions. These rules apply to merchants in the same way they apply to Paytrail, since card payments are processed under a shared agreement between Nets and Paytrail.
Review the card scheme rules and Nets terms and conditions.
All traditional card payments are verified using the security certification methods required by the card schemes (e.g. Mastercard SecureCode, Verified by Visa), provided the card is enrolled in the program. This helps reduce fraud and improve payment security.
- The customer will see Paytrail as the payment recipient on their statement.
- American Express is only available to merchants with businesses registered in Finland.
Fraud monitoring
Card payments through Paytrail happen without a physical card, which increases the risk of fraud and misuse. To reduce this risk, all traditional card payments are verified using certification methods such as Mastercard SecureCode or Verified by Visa, when supported by the customer’s card.
We monitor transactions together with Nets and notify you if we detect suspicious or fraudulent activity. Please make sure your contact details in the Merchant panel are up to date so we can reach you if needed.
As the merchant, it’s important that you also review your incoming orders regularly. If you have any concerns about the authenticity of a payment, we’re happy to help. Contact us at support@paytrail.com or call +358 20 718 1820.
Here are some key checks you can do:
- Review all suspicious orders in your Merchant panel
- Compare the card’s issuer country with the customer’s IP location
- If the locations do not match or the IP appears suspicious, investigate the order before fulfilling it
- All traditional card payments are verified using certification methods for card companies (e.g. Mastercard SecureCode, Verified by Visa) if the card is included in the certification program. This effectively reduces card fraud
Chargebacks are a risk with card payments. Reviewing this information early can help you prevent disputes and protect your business.
Learn more in our identifying card fraud article.
Cancellation policy and terms
To avoid disputes or chargebacks, it’s important that your terms and conditions are clearly presented and up to date.
- Show your terms and any restrictions (such as cancellation conditions) clearly during the checkout process.
- Ensure the customer accepts the terms before payment, such as by ticking a checkbox.
- This safeguards your position if a dispute arises that violates your terms.
- Include any industry-specific conditions required by card scheme rules (e.g. travel, event tickets, etc.).
Providing this information before the customer is transferred to the payment step helps ensure transparency and reduces the risk of payment issues later.
How card data is stored
Paytrail supports tokenization, a secure and reliable way to store card data for future use.
- Tokenization replaces the card number with a secure token.
- This protects sensitive information and enables recurring or repeat payments (when supported by the customer’s card and bank).
Read the article Cards: Tokenization and subscriptions for more on recurring payments.
Activate cards in the Merchant panel
- Log in to the Merchant panel.
- From the left-hand menu, select Payment methods.
- Find Credit card payments and click Activate or send us an activation request by clicking the Send application button. Your request will be processed within a few business days.
If needed, contact us at support@paytrail.com or call +358 20 718 1820 to activate American Express (available only to merchants registered in Finland).
Overview
Cardholders can dispute a payment through their card issuer. This process is designed to protect consumers and is handled through the card networks (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, American Express), Nets, and Paytrail.
Typical reasons for disputes include:
- The product or service was not received
- A refund was not received
- The product or service didn’t match the description
- The card was charged multiple times
To prevent disputes, make sure:
- All orders are processed according to your terms and conditions
- Refunds are issued promptly to the same card used for the original payment
- You only refund card payments through the Merchant panel
The customer can make a dispute to their card issuer. The process then continues through the card network and Nets, and finally reaches Paytrail. We will notify you of the dispute.
Disputes are always handled in cooperation with the merchant, and we do our best to assist in resolving the situation.
Next steps if a dispute occurs
Your next steps depend on whether the product or service has already been delivered. Expand the relevant section below for instructions on how to proceed.
If you receive a dispute notification and the order has not yet been shipped:
- Do not send the order
- Inform Paytrail — in practice, this means you accept the dispute
- We will send you an invoice that includes the transaction amount and processing fees
Important: Do not refund the payment through the Merchant panel. Accepting the dispute will automatically trigger the refund. If you also refund it manually, the amount may be returned twice — once from the panel and once from the dispute process.
If the dispute concerns an order that has already been delivered, you will need to provide documentation confirming delivery. These documents should be sent to Paytrail as instructed in the dispute notification. Typical examples include:
- A copy of the receipt or order confirmation sent to the customer
- A tracking number
- A copy of the customer’s signature confirming receipt
- For digital products: delivery details such as the recipient’s email address and a timestamp
When delivering physical products, it is your responsibility to choose a shipping method that includes signature confirmation. The signature must follow the guidelines of international card schemes — otherwise, the dispute may not be defensible.
If the dispute states the product was defective or did not meet expectations, we will let you know which documents are required, as these vary case by case. According to card scheme rules, if a product needs repair or servicing, it must be returned to you (not a third-party service provider).
Requested documents must be submitted to Paytrail by the deadline stated in the dispute notification.
If the documents are not sent in time, the dispute is likely to result in a chargeback. We will contact you, and you will be invoiced for the transaction amount and the chargeback fee.
Chargeback fee
A chargeback fee is a processing fee applied when a payment is returned to the customer through the dispute process.
The chargeback fee is 50,00€.
Acquirer
Any financial institution selected by Paytrail that provides the Merchant via Paytrail with facilities to accept payments from the cardholder by processing transactions for the payment methods for which the Acquirer is authorized by the relevant scheme owner.
Cardholder
Any person who is issued a card; possesses and uses the card and, when required, whose signature appears on the card as an authorized user.
Scheme Owner
The party offering and/or regulating the relevant payment method (e.g. Visa or Mastercard).
Card system rules
The collective set of bylaws, rules, regulations, operating regulations, procedures and/or waivers issued by the scheme owners as may be amended or supplemented over time and with which the Merchant must comply when using the relevant payment method.
Fees
Consumer fees
No additional fees for the customer.
Merchant fees
Follow Paytrail’s price list.