How Compelling Evidence 3.0 works
Visa aimed the rule at first-party misuse, which Verifi, a Visa solution, describes as cardholders reporting fraud on transactions they authorised, knowingly or unknowingly. The merchant has to show a history with the same cardholder:
- At least two earlier transactions between the same merchant and cardholder
- Each 120 to 365 days older than the disputed transaction
- No fraud activity or fraud claims on those earlier transactions
- Data that matches across them: account ID, IP address, shipping address or device ID
Before the dispute and after it
The evidence can be used at two points. When an issuer starts a 10.4 dispute in Visa Resolve Online, a real-time request goes to the merchant through Verifi's Order Insight, and if the reply meets the criteria the dispute is blocked and liability shifts to the issuer. After a dispute, the merchant submits two qualifying transactions through its acquirer in the pre-arbitration response, and a successful case reverses the dispute.
Verifi notes the difference for a merchant's figures: a blocked dispute protects the dispute ratio, while a dispute reversed afterwards has already been recorded.
Who Compelling Evidence 3.0 helps
Merchants with returning customers benefit most: subscriptions, digital goods, marketplaces and gaming. A first purchase cannot qualify, because there is no history to show. A payment platform that supports the rule stores the account ID, IP address and device ID with every order for at least a year, and connects to Order Insight directly or through a provider.
Compelling Evidence 3.0, First-Party Trust or 3-D Secure?
- Mastercard First-Party Trust
- Mastercard's programme for the same problem. A merchant shares past transaction data, and compelling evidence shifts liability for the dispute to the issuer.
- 3-D Secure
- Authenticates the cardholder while the payment is made. Compelling Evidence 3.0 works after the fact, from purchase history.
- Order Insight
- The Verifi channel that carries the merchant's data to the issuer. Compelling Evidence 3.0 is the rule that gives the data its effect.
Where Compelling Evidence 3.0 shows up in a platform
Modules that do the work
- Fraud & riskReal-time fraud scoring, limits and case management, with the risk engines you already trust.
- Card acquiringCard acceptance on the phone, in store and online, through the acquirer you choose.
- CheckoutA hosted checkout for cards, wallets, bank payments and crypto, routed to the best provider.
Platforms that need it
Where it is written
The laws and standards this page's facts come from.
- Compelling Evidence 3.0 overview and FAQ, read 13 October 2026 (Verifi, a Visa solution)
- First-Party Trust, product page, read 13 October 2026 (Mastercard Developers)
General information, not legal advice: what applies to you depends on your services and your market.