Compliance: Essential Requirements for Your Ecommerce Platform
In the dynamic world of ecommerce, maintaining compliance with card brand rules is crucial for all merchants, whether operating through websites, apps, invoices, or contracts. These rules require clear disclosure of business information and cardholder rights to your customers, with specifics varying based on your location, accepted card brands, and business model.
Key Compliance Requirements for Your Ecommerce Site
To help ensure compliance, we conduct regular reviews of our merchants’ websites. Avoid potential issues by clearly disclosing the following information to your customers:
- Contact Information: Provide multiple ways for customers to reach you, such as an email address, phone number, physical mailing address, or at least two social media accounts.
- Pricing: Make pricing transparent and easily accessible before customers complete their purchases.
- Refund or Cancellation Policies: Clearly outline your policies, even if you do not offer refunds, including any conditions or fees associated with them.
- Privacy Policy: State what information you collect from customers and how you use it.
- Delivery Time Frame: If applicable, specify the expected delivery time for physical goods.
Comprehensive Contact Information
Ensuring your customers have access to sufficient contact information builds trust and enhances communication. Acceptable forms of contact include:
- Email address
- Phone number
- Physical mailing address
- Social media accounts
Transparent Pricing
Pricing transparency is key to a positive customer experience. Ensure that all prices are visible and understandable before payment.
Custom Pricing
If your pricing is provided only through custom contracts or invoices, ensure that customers can easily find your contact information, privacy policy, and refund/cancellation policy within these documents.
Members-Only Pricing
For sites with member-exclusive pricing, make it clear that pricing details are available upon login. Ensure that your contact information, refund/cancellation policy, and privacy policy are accessible to both members and non-members.
Donation Pricing
Non-profit organizations can present preset donation amounts alongside custom donation options on their donation pages.
Mobile Payments
For merchants accepting payments exclusively via mobile apps or websites, all ecommerce website requirements must be met within the mobile platform, or provide links to the full site.
Detailed Refund and Cancellation Policies
Your refund or cancellation policy, whether offering refunds or not, must be clearly stated. Include details such as:
- Refund availability
- Conditions for eligibility
- Any associated fees
Clear Privacy Policy
A simple yet comprehensive privacy policy is essential. It must explain:
- The information collected from customers
- How this information is used
Payment Provider Requirements
Before accepting payments through your web portal, payment providers require certain items on your website or mobile app. Ensure you have links to:
- Privacy policy
- Terms and conditions
Terms and Conditions
Your terms and conditions should cover:
- Definitions of key terms and phrases
- User rights and responsibilities, including proper use and accountability
- Privacy policy regarding personal data
- Payment details, such as membership or subscription fees
- Opt-out policy for account termination, if applicable
- Disclaimer/limitation of liability concerning the site’s legal responsibilities
- Notification process for any modifications to the terms