Shopkeeper verifying paperwork on a laptop.

Protect your business from fraud

Keep your transactions safe.

Visa card acceptance guidelines

Fraud prevention

Visa offers a variety of materials to support your fraud prevention, security and risk management efforts. Learn the steps to ensure the legitimacy of every Visa card, cardholder and transaction.

Accepting with card present

If you accept cards in person, there are steps you need to take.


Accepting with card absent

Take extra precautions when you cannot see the customer's card. Not all of Visa’s card security elements apply to these transactions.


Fraud prevention tools

Use only secure, validated payment applications

Woman handing Visa card to clerk for purchase.
Woman entering password to verify identity.
Seated man using laptop at home.

Suspect fraud?

Trust your instincts! If a sale seems too good to be true, it probably is. We hear all too often that what a merchant thought was a great sale turned out to be fraud. So take the time to check out that huge order that is being shipped halfway around the world to a customer with whom you have never done business. A little bit of extra work may protect you from being the victim of a fraud scheme.

More resources

Learn how to prevent fraud

Visa can help you protect your business