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Authorize.net: Descriptor & ARN Guide

Learn How to Locate Your Billing Descriptor and Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) in Authorize.net

Theodore avatar
Written by Theodore
Updated over a week ago

⚠️ Without your descriptor, no alert provider can send you alerts.

Without ARNs, you won’t receive RDR alerts, which cover 97% of Visa transactions.

Finding Your Billing Descriptor & ARNs for Authorize.net

Navigate to any Visa transaction and look for the following information:

  • Merchant Name: Your billing descriptor

  • Reference #: Your ARN

find-arns-authorize

⚠️ Important Notes

Each Reference Number (ARN) must:

  • Be 23 digits long

  • Start with a 2 or 7

  • Come from a Visa transaction

You’ll need 4 Reference Numbers (ARNs) to complete setup in Chargeback.io.

Submitting more than 4 ARNs does not speed up enrollment.

What If I Don’t Have Any Refunds or ARNs?

To proceed, you have two options:

  1. Use B&C (BIN(s) + CAID(s)) instead of ARNs, or

  2. Generate ARNs by using your own card.

How to Add Descriptor(s) & ARNs

Here’s how and where to add your descriptor(s) and ARNs:

  1. In the sidebar, click Alerts to expand the dropdown.

  2. Select Configure.

  3. Click + Enroll More Descriptors.

  4. Click Continue on the Integration page.

  5. Enter your billing descriptor(s) in the Billing Descriptor field.

    • If you have more than one, separate them with commas.

  6. During the RDR enrollment process, enter 4 Visa ARNs, separating each with commas.

💡 Be sure to review the FAQs about billing descriptors and ARNs.

Activation Times

  • CDRN and Ethoca: ~12 hours

  • RDR: ~7+ business days

These are average activation times and may vary. ​See this guide for more details.

💡 Questions or concerns?
Get help from our support specialists at Chargeback.io.

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