When you set up manual refunds, you add your billing descriptors and ARNs yourself instead of having them pulled in through a connected integration. This article explains what those two pieces of information are, then points you to the right step-by-step guide for your payment processor.
During setup you may have chosen not to connect an integration (sometimes called a "processor" in the setup screens). That only means your processor isn't linked directly to Chargeback.io. You still have a payment processor — Stripe, Braintree, Shopify, and so on — and that's where your descriptors and ARNs live.
How to find billing descriptors in most payment processors
Both your descriptors and your ARNs come from your payment processor, not from Chargeback.io.
The exact location and labels differ by processor, but in general you'll find your billing descriptor in your processor's account, business, or payment settings — often labeled "statement descriptor" or "customer statement descriptor."
Your ARNs are in the details of individual settled transactions, sometimes under a label like "acquirer reference number" or within the transaction's processing or network details.
Find the guide for your processor
To make the process of finding your billing descriptor easier, read through one of these guides for step-by-step instructions, images, and videos:
Some gateways like NMI and Next Payments will not provide billing descriptors or ARNs. If you use these, or similar gateways, you must contact the payment processor that you have connected to these gateways.
If your processor isn't listed
If you don't see your processor above, the same principles apply: look in your account or payment settings for the statement descriptor, and in individual transaction records for the ARN.
If you can't locate either, contact your payment processor's customer support.
Further reading:
How to write billing descriptors that customers recognize: if your descriptor was flagged as too generic.
Sign up for RDR without 2 ARNs: if you don't have ARNs yet, such as a new store with no processed transactions.
Get BINs and CAIDs for RDR: an alternative to ARNs you can use for RDR.
Add billing descriptors to alert products: where to add your descriptors and ARNs in Chargeback.io.
💬 Still need help? Contact Chargeback.io support.
