Paynode makes business aviation payments seamless

Paynode provides quick and easy credit card payments, a secure system and simple interface, and transparent payment tracking.

At Avinode, we strive to provide a seamless and secure payment experience for all our members. However, to maintain the integrity of our platform, it's essential that credit card payments are handled responsibly. To help prevent issues and disputes, we’ve compiled some guidelines on how to properly use credit cards within Avinode and avoid common pitfalls.

Why Credit Card Payment Practices Matter

Responsible use of credit cards on Avinode helps protect both your business and the integrity of our system. Ensuring secure and appropriate transactions reduces disputes, prevents service interruptions, and avoids costly chargebacks. By following best practices, you can contribute to a smoother experience for everyone on the platform.

• Use Cards Only for Legitimate Business Transactions

  • Credit cards should only be used for authorized and agreed-upon transactions. This includes payment for services or goods that have been explicitly discussed and confirmed within the platform. Avoid using credit cards to make payments that haven't been properly documented or consented to by all parties involved.
• Use Valid and Up-to-Date Cards
  • Always use current and valid credit cards with sufficient limits to cover the transaction amount. Expired cards or cards with inadequate credit limits can cause failed transactions, leading to potential delays and frustration for all parties involved.

• Maintain Clear Communication with Your Client

  • Always communicate clearly and transparently with your client about the nature and amount of the transaction. This helps prevent misunderstandings that can lead to disputes or chargebacks. Providing an invoice or clear documentation of services rendered will also be beneficial in case any issues arise later.

Avoiding Chargebacks and Disputes

Chargebacks can be a significant issue for businesses, causing both financial and reputational harm. To avoid chargebacks, consider the following tips:

• Provide Clear and Detailed Documentation: Make sure that every transaction is backed by proper documentation, such as an invoice or quote that clearly outlines the services rendered and the payment terms. This helps prevent misunderstandings and gives both parties a reference point if any issues arise.

• Address Concerns Promptly: If a client has a question or concern about a payment, address it immediately. Resolving an issue early can prevent it from escalating into a formal dispute or chargeback.

• Unfamiliar Payment Methods: Be cautious if someone suggests a payment method or card that seems unusual or that you haven't encountered before. This could be an attempt to bypass normal security measures, leading to potential chargebacks or fraud.

• Frequent Chargebacks

  • Chargebacks are a signal that something has gone wrong in the transaction process. Members with frequent chargebacks may be engaging in questionable practices, such as disputing legitimate charges after services have been delivered. Chargebacks are time-consuming and costly for both sides, and repeated incidents can harm relationships within the community.

• Use of Third-Party or Unauthorized Cards

  • Using a third-party card or a card that does not belong to the business or individual responsible for the transaction can lead to fraud or disputes. Ensure that the person or company benefiting from the transaction is the same as the one providing payment.

Responsible Card Use Builds Trust

By following these best practices and avoiding problematic behaviors, you contribute to a safer, more reliable payment environment within Avinode. Transparency and responsible use of credit cards not only protect your business but also foster trust within the community. Should you ever have any questions or concerns about credit card payments, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team for assistance at support@avinode.com. 

Together, we can ensure that Avinode remains a platform built on security, trust, and mutual respect for all members.

Below are answers to frequently asked questions about chargebacks - what they are and how they are managed. It’s important to know that Avinode is committed to supporting our members throughout this process. We work closely with you to gather the necessary evidence and will defend chargebacks on your behalf.

What is a Chargeback? 

A chargeback is a reversal of funds following a debit or credit card purchase. One of your customers can set this process in motion when they decide to file a dispute over the charge with their bank or credit card provider. 

I want to defend the chargeback and am confident that I will win. Why do I need to wire the funds?

With chargebacks, it is important to know that your clients bank makes the final decision on whether the chargeback is valid or not.  

Your clients bank will usually go ahead and pull the funds in question from the business account immediately. This means that our credit card processor will automatically pull the funds from Avinode’s liable account. Your clients bank will hold onto these funds while they sort out whether the chargeback request is valid.

For this reason, we request your business to send a wire to our credit card processor immediately, before any action is taken regarding the chargeback. 

How does the defense process work?

Our chargeback process is streamlined to ensure that each case is handled professionally and efficiently, minimizing the impact of chargebacks on our member’s business. Here is how it works:

1. Notification: Avinode receives the chargeback notification from the credit card processor.
2. Gathering Information: Avinode will notify you and inquire to share with us all relevant transaction details, including quotes, invoices, and any communication with the cardholder. It is very important that our members respond to us within the deadline given and with all requested documents.
3. Review: Our team reviews the submitted information to strengthen the case.
4. Submission: Avinode submits the gathered evidence to the credit card processor within the stipulated deadline.

5. Resolution: The bank or processor will investigate and make a decision. Avinode will notify our members about the outcome of the chargeback. 

    

How long will it take for the clients bank to make a decision?

Chargebacks can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, especially if the business contests the disputed charge. Avinode team members will closely monitor the outcome, but it is important to note that we have no influence over the time frame of the issuing bank’s final decision. We will be sure to notify our members as soon as we receive an outcome. 

What can I do to prevent chargebacks? 

To help prevent disputes in the future, we have compiled some guidelines on how to properly use credit cards within Avinode here - Best Practices for Credit Card Payments in Avinode.

Should you ever have any questions or concerns about credit card payments or chargebacks, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team for assistance at support@avinode.com. 

What is a Liability Check?

If 3DS cannot be applied to a card transaction, you may be asked to approve & accept liability for the transaction manually. In these cases, the transaction will still be able to be processed, but you will not be protected by the 3DS liability shift. Therefore, if the transaction turns out to be fraudulent, your company would bear the financial loss, rather than the card issuer or the payment processor.

What steps can I take to get the Liability Check approved or removed?

1. You can Accept Liability to approve the fraud check if you are confident that the client will not raise a dispute later on. Bear in mind by choosing this option, your company assumes the liability instead of the card issuer or card network (AMEX, VISA, or MasterCard).
2. You can Cancel the transaction. Then, your client can use the same payment link to retry the payment with the same card or a different card, ensuring that the 3DS authentication is successful.

For any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact our Support team via chat or email. Simply click on the Help button. 

Related Information: Payment Request Statuses and Flags

When will I receive my card payment?

Funds are disbursed to your bank account once two conditions are met:

1. You have Confirmed Services Rendered
   AND

2. Paynode has received the funds from the card issuer

If payment is received for an air charter service that has already taken place and Confirm Services Rendered is clicked immediately, it takes approximately 2 - 5 business days for funds to be disbursed and 0 to 1 day to arrive in your Paynode account.

How can I check the status of my card payment?

Below is an example from the History Tab on a Payment Request that shows when payment was received, when there was confirmation of services rendered, and when disbursement happened.  Please note - the Payment Request does not show when the funds were received into the member's Paynode account. 

Track the status of card payments

How to request a credit card payment:

Once a credit card hold has been authorized and a capture has been placed on a card, this will be reflected in the Incoming payments list. The status will say “Open - Hold Authorized."

When the credit card hold has been captured, the status will say "Paid."

This is how your client submits payment with a card.

1. Once you publish a Payment Request, an email is sent to the address you included in the Payment Request.

2. Your client receives the email, along with a link to pay.

3. When your client clicks on the payment link, they arrive at a web page that provides the details of the charges

4. Your client must click to accept your documents, as well as Paynode' s Terms of Use and then click to Proceed to Payment Details

5. Your client is then presented with a screen to submit their credit card details.

6. The transaction is screened through 3D Secure. Click here to learn more about 3D Secure.

7. Once payment has been processed, the screen shows that it has been paid and your client will receive a receipt via email which includes copies of the documents they accepted.

3D Secure - Authentication in order to reduce card fraud.

At Paynode, security is front and center. This is why we apply 3D Secure (3DS) to each card payment.

Understanding 3D Secure: How It Works to Protect Payments

Every time a transaction is authenticated with 3DS, you will have the assurance that the person using the card is actually the cardholder. 3DS also protects customers while paying online, as it prevents other people from trying to process a transaction without being authenticated. 

What is 3D Secure?

3D secure is a security protocol that helps prevent fraud in online credit and debit card transactions. The purpose of 3DS is to authenticate that the person using the credit card is in fact who they say they are.

How does 3D Secure work?

It is up to the card issuer to determine how the cardholder will experience 3DS.

• "Frictionless"
  In some instances, the card issuer will opt to deliver a "frictionless" 3D Secure experience for the cardholder. This means that the card issuer's logo and messaging may be displayed while the transaction is authenticated, but the cardholder is not prompted to enter any credentials. This most often happens for repeat purchases.

• "Authentication required"
  In other instances, the card issuer will require the cardholder to input their credentials. The cardholder is redirected to a "3D Secure" page (served by the issuing bank) and asked to authenticate themselves to the issuing bank by confirming their identity.

When 3D Secure is successful, the transaction is approved and the liability from fraudulent chargebacks (stolen or counterfeit cards) shifts to the issuing bank.

If 3Ds has failed, the cardholder must contact their bank and check that they have 3DS enabled or what the actual issue is. 

While Paynode applies 3DS to all transactions, not all cards are enrolled in 3DS. If a card is not enrolled in 3DS or for some reason 3DS cannot be applied you may be asked to manually approve a liability check.

What is a refund?

A refund allows you to send an amount charged on a credit card back to the original form of payment. A credit card refund means that you are returning the funds to the card that was previously charged. You can refund the full amount or a partial amount. 

You can issue multiple refunds, up to the original amount charged on the card.

Best practice tip:

• ALWAYS refund money back to the original form of payment.  If a payment was received via credit card then you can ONLY refund it back to the same credit card.
• Never provide a refund by sending a wire to a cardholder. 
• By returning the funds back to the card, you eliminate any possibility of the cardholder requesting a chargeback for funds you have already returned.

Supported card processing currencies

Paynode members whose company is registered in Europe can process card transactions in five currencies:  EUR, GBP, SEK, CHF and USD.

Paynode members whose company is registered in the United States can process card transactions in USD only.

Why card processing currencies vary by region

In order for process cards in a specific currency, the following criteria must be met:

• Paynode must support the currency by establishing it within its house account.
• The member's company must be legally registered in the currency's region / country (Europe or United States).
• The member must hold a bank account in that currency that is located within the currency's region / country (Europe or United States).
• The member's Paynode bank account for the specified currency must be registered with Stripe (the card processor).

Paynode accounts have banking details located in the UK, so all European based members can process cards in the 5 supported currencies.

Paynode accounts also have banking details for USD in the US which enables US based members to process cards in USD.

Credit card country requirements

In order to onboard the credit card payment method, a company must be registered in one of the countries listed below.

Note: This does not apply to other payment methods such as wires, FX conversions, and Instant payments.