The best fraud prevention for peptide ecommerce is a layered system: AVS/CVV + velocity limits + device and email signals + manual review triggers + shipping safeguards + fast customer support. Over-blocking causes false declines. Under-blocking causes chargebacks. The goal is balance.
This guide covers the practical fraud stack that protects peptide merchants without killing legitimate sales.
Why Fraud Prevention Matters More in High-Risk Categories
Peptide payment processing operates under closer scrutiny than standard ecommerce. Payment partners watch four signals closely:
- Dispute rate — chargebacks as a percentage of total transactions
- Refund ratio — high refund rates can signal product or fulfillment issues
- Delivery issues — "item not received" claims drive disputes
- Customer complaints — support tickets and bank inquiries
When these signals rise above thresholds, the consequences escalate: rolling reserves, processing holds, or full account shutdowns.
A strong fraud stack reduces all four signals at once. It stops bad transactions before they happen, protects legitimate customers, and keeps your account in good standing.
The Layered Fraud Stack
Effective fraud prevention is not one tool — it is multiple layers working together. Each layer catches what the previous one misses.
Layer 1 — Basic validation
These are the table-stakes checks that every peptide merchant should have enabled:
- AVS (Address Verification System) — confirms the billing address matches what the card issuer has on file
- CVV checks — requires the 3-digit (or 4-digit for Amex) security code from the physical card
- BIN country checks — optionally flag or block transactions where the card's issuing country does not match the shipping country
- Email and phone required — ensures every order has contact information for follow-up
These checks are standard on most gateways. If yours are not enabled, start here.
Layer 2 — Velocity and retry rules
Card testing is one of the most common fraud patterns in peptide ecommerce. Fraudsters use small purchases to test batches of stolen card numbers. Velocity rules stop this:
- Limit payment attempts per card, email, or device within a time window (e.g., no more than 3 attempts per card per hour)
- Space out retries — do not allow rapid-fire retry sequences
- Block brute-force testing patterns — multiple failed attempts from the same IP or device should trigger a temporary block
Without velocity rules, a single fraud attack can spike your decline rate and trigger processor review.
Layer 3 — Manual review triggers
Do not manually review every order — that does not scale and slows legitimate customers. Instead, set automated flags that route specific orders to manual review:
- Ticket size unusually high for your store's average
- Billing and shipping address mismatch — especially for first-time buyers
- First-time buyer + expedited shipping — a common fraud signal
- Multiple cards attempted in one session
- Disposable email domains (e.g., mailinator, guerrillamail)
Manual review lets you approve borderline orders instead of blocking them outright, which protects revenue while catching fraud. This is more effective than the blanket bans that cause false declines.
Layer 4 — Shipping safeguards
Fraud does not end at checkout. Shipping safeguards protect you after the transaction:
- Require signature confirmation for orders above a threshold (e.g., orders over $150)
- Ship only to verified addresses for first orders from new customers
- Document delivery clearly — carrier tracking, delivery confirmation, and timestamp records
These safeguards are especially important for defending against "item not received" chargebacks. Proof of delivery is your strongest representment evidence.
Layer 5 — Customer support as a fraud prevention layer
This is the layer most merchants underestimate. Fast, accessible support prevents disputes from escalating to chargebacks:
- Respond to inquiries within 24 hours (faster is better)
- Send proactive order status updates — tracking, shipping delays, delivery confirmation
- Make your refund process easy to find and use — customers who can get a refund from you directly will not file a bank dispute
Support is not just a cost center. It is part of your fraud and chargeback prevention stack.
Fraud Prevention Checklist
Use this as a standard operating procedure for your peptide store:
- AVS and CVV verification enabled on your gateway
- Retry limits enforced (no more than 2-3 attempts per card per hour)
- Velocity rules enabled for card, email, IP, and device
- High-ticket orders require signature confirmation on delivery
- Delivery confirmations and tracking numbers stored for every order
- Refund policy easy to find from checkout and order confirmation pages
- Support responds within 24 hours (ideally same-day)
- Manual review triggers set for high-risk patterns
- Disposable email domain blocking enabled
For additional protection, consider adding chargeback alert services that notify you of disputes before they become formal chargebacks.
How Fraud Prevention Fits Into Your Larger Payment Strategy
Fraud tools are one piece of the puzzle. They work best when combined with:
- A clear billing descriptor that customers recognize
- Compliant website language that passes underwriting review
- Strong refund policies that reduce "I want my money back" disputes
- Clear shipping policies that set delivery expectations upfront
- A merchant account properly underwritten for peptide sales
Together, these elements create the stability foundation that keeps your processing running. The goal is not zero fraud — it is keeping your dispute ratio low enough that processors see you as a well-managed merchant.
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Next Steps
If your chargeback ratio is climbing or you are seeing card testing attacks, your fraud stack needs attention. Start with the basics (AVS, CVV, velocity) and build up from there.
Learn more about how Unison protects peptide businesses: Peptide Payment Processing.