How to Find Your Billing Descriptor & ARNs With Stripe

⚠️ Without your descriptor, no alert provider can send you alerts. Without ARNs, you won’t receive RDR alerts, which cover 97% of Visa transactions.

ℹ️ Be sure to check these FAQs regarding billing descriptors and ARNs.

How & Where to Add Descriptor(s) & ARNs

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

Click Alerts in the sidebar to expand the dropdown, then select Configure.
Click the + Enroll More Descriptors button.
Select your payment processor (e.g., Shopify).
Enter your descriptor(s) in the field labeled Billing Descriptor.
1. If you have more than one, separate them with commas.
In the RDR enrollment process, enter four different ARNs (for Visa transactions) in the field provided, separating each code with a comma.

ℹ️ It should take 12 hours for CDRN and Ethoca to activate. And typically 3 business days for RDR to activate.

👉What If I Have No Refunds/ARNs?

You'll need to do test refunds to generate your ARNs or get your BINs and CAID (B&C). Also follow this step if you have fewer than 4 ARNs.

Read this guide to learn how to get your B&C or do test refunds.

Finding Your Billing Descriptor for Stripe

1. Log in to Stripe

Click the cog icon ⚙️ (usually in the top-right corner or sidebar) to open Settings.

2. Go to Business Settings

Scroll down to Account Settings and select Business.

3. Locate Public Details

Under Business Settings, click Edit in the section called Public details (sometimes labeled Public business information).

4. View Your Statement Descriptors

Here, you’ll see the billing/statement descriptors that appear on your customers’ bank statements:

Add your statement descriptor (or shortened descriptor) to Chargeback.io.

If your descriptor is too similar to another business, a Chargeback.io specialist may contact you to request a change.

This is also the page where you can edit your descriptor at any time.

👉 Before making changes, review Stripe’s guidelines to ensure your descriptor complies with their rules: Stripe’s Statement Descriptor Guide.

How to Find ARNs with Stripe

1. Navigate to Payments

In the sidebar or top navigation, click on Payments. This will show you a list of transactions.

2. Locate the Refund

Find the ARN for the specific refund you want.

Search by order number or amount or filter by refunds to make this easier:

3. Click on the Refund

Click View Details to see more information on the refunded purchase.

4. Click View Details

The Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) should be displayed within the refund details.

Look for labels like "ARN", "Acquirer Reference Number", or "Refund ID".

Source: Stripe support

Essentials for Finding ARNs

ARNs must be 23 digits long.
They must begin with 2 or 7.
You will need 4 ARNs total.
ARNs must come from Visa purchases.
ARNs can also appear on partially refunded orders.

ℹ️ You don't need to submit more than 4 ARNs. This won't speed up enrollment times for RDR.

Understanding Stripe ARN Status

ARN is Available: The ARN will display within a refund on your Stripe dashboard.
ARN Isn’t Available: If ARN is not supported for the refund, you will not be able to see it.
ARN is Processing (default status): The refund has not yet been processed.

⚠️ In some cases, transactions may show a System Trace Audit Number (STAN) instead of an ARN. We cannot accept these, since Verifi requires Visa ARNs.

💡 Need more help? Get support from our representatives at Chargeback.

We’re here to help with any questions you may have.