What is a retrieval request? When a bank asks about a card payment
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
- 1Your card appears in your app
- 2Tap it to pay in a shop
- 3See every payment as it happens
A retrieval request, sometimes called a copy request or inquiry, is when a customer's card issuer asks the business, through its acquirer, for details about a payment. It often happens when a cardholder doesn't recognise a charge, and it can come before a chargeback.
How it works
- The cardholder queries a payment with their bank.
- The bank asks the business's acquirer for information about it.
- The acquirer passes the request to the business with a deadline.
- The business sends records showing what was bought, when and by whom.
What to send
Useful records include the receipt or invoice, proof of delivery, the customer's order details and any messages. Showing the business name the customer will recognise, as it appears on their statement, often clears up confusion quickly.
Try it
Name your platform and watch it come to life
Type a name, tap a colour and pick what it does. The phone changes as you go.
Colour
What it does
Design and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
Why answering matters
Ignoring a request can make a chargeback more likely, since the issuer has nothing to show the payment was genuine. Card schemes have changed how they handle these requests over time, so businesses follow the steps their own provider gives.
Where SendPay fits
SendPay doesn't offer card machines or acquiring. SendPay platforms let you get paid with payment links, invoices and subscriptions, alongside GBP, EUR and USD accounts and branded Visa cards, powered by licensed partners.
How it works
Your own money app- 1Name it and pick your colours
- 2Choose what it does
- 3Launch when you are ready
Why sign up
Create your free SendPay account
It's all about creating your own financial platform with ease. Start with a free account today.
- 🪪A free business accountOpen it in about a minute with your business name, email, password and mobile. No card and no documents to start.
- 💳Get paid from day oneTake card payments, and share your own payment link and invoices so customers pay in a click.
- 🌐A free business websiteFree to build, free to publish and free to keep, with unlimited visits.
- 🚀Your own financial platformDesign and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.
Questions people ask
What does a chargeback really cost?
Weigh refunding, accepting or fighting a dispute.
Chargeback cost calculator →What is a chargeback?
When a card issuer reverses a payment after the customer disputes it.
Chargebacks →What is a soft descriptor?
The business name that appears on a customer's card statement.
Soft descriptors →What is chargeback representment?
How a business challenges a chargeback with evidence.
Representment →Read next
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.