Merchant Account Responsibility Guide
Complete integration overview and best practices for maintaining a healthy payment account with CartDNA's Shopify applications
CartDNA App Integration Overview
Understanding responsibilities and ensuring seamless payment integration
At CartDNA, our Shopify payment applications are built to provide seamless and secure integration between your merchant account—whether with Stripe or any other payment service provider—and your Shopify store.
We ensure our applications are fully approved and compliant with Shopify's standards and, where applicable, with the respective payment provider's guidelines.
In case of any issues, restrictions, or limitations with your existing payment account, our applications offer the flexibility to connect to an alternative account—whether it's a new merchant account, a sub-account, or a different provider—at no additional cost.
Key Points
- Fully Shopify-approved applications
- Seamless integration with any payment provider
- Flexible account switching at no extra cost
- Business continuity guaranteed
- Complete compliance with platform standards
Important Clarification
The merchant account you use—be it Stripe or any other provider—is entirely your responsibility as a merchant. CartDNA, as a software development agency, does not manage, control, or intervene in the compliance, risk assessments, or operational aspects of your merchant account. All matters related to account holds, terminations, risk reviews, or documentation are strictly the responsibility of the merchant.
10 Essential Best Practices
Maintain a healthy, compliant, and scalable payment account regardless of your provider
Gradual Volume Increase
- Scale Progressively: Payment providers monitor transaction trends. Avoid sudden spikes in volume which may trigger reviews or temporary holds.
- Consistent Activity: Maintain regular and predictable transaction patterns, especially following periods of inactivity.
Vary Transaction Amounts
- Start Modestly: Begin with low-to-mid value transactions to build credibility.
- Natural Mix: Process a healthy variety of transaction sizes to reflect realistic customer behavior.
Accurate Business Information
- Clear Product/Service Descriptions: Ensure your business profile reflects your actual offerings.
- Correct MCC Code: Use the appropriate Merchant Category Code for your business type to avoid misclassification.
Minimize Chargebacks
- Preventative Measures: Clearly state refund/return policies and use recognizable billing descriptors.
- Dispute Response: Respond to disputes quickly to preserve your account's reputation.
Clear Refund & Return Policies
- Visibility: Publish policies prominently on your site.
- Efficiency: Process eligible refunds quickly to avoid customer disputes.
Accessible Customer Support
- Multiple Channels: Offer support via email, phone, or chat to reduce escalations to the payment provider.
- Proactive Communication: Update customers promptly on order status or delays.
Regulatory Compliance
- Terms Adherence: Comply with the provider's terms and acceptable use policies.
- Timely Submissions: Provide required documents (e.g., business verification, ID) promptly when requested.
Fraud Prevention
- Use Built-In Tools: Enable any available fraud detection tools (e.g., Stripe Radar).
- Manual Reviews: For high-value orders, verify manually if necessary.
Multiple Accounts for Scaling
- Risk Distribution: For high-volume operations, consider using sub-accounts or additional merchant accounts to avoid risk concentration.
Notify Provider of Major Events
- Advance Communication: Inform your payment provider about anticipated large campaigns or spikes in volume to avoid false fraud flags.
Need Integration Support?
For support related to your integration or switching between merchant accounts, our expert team is here to assist you every step of the way.