Four systems must be live by October 31: pre-dispute alerts (enrollment lead time makes this urgent), tuned screening rules (last year's thresholds meet this year's volume), evidence capture (delivery confirmation + policy snapshots flowing automatically), and dispute automation (because December's dispute volume won't wait for manual response). The September checklist covered configuration; October is systems.
The four systems
- [Alerts](/blog/chargeback-alerts-shopify-setup): enrollment + descriptor registration takes weeks. Started in September, verify activation now; starting now, expedite. Live alerts during BFCM convert December disputes into cheap November refunds.
- Screening rules: review every Flow rule and risk threshold against BFCM reality — thresholds tuned for 50 orders/day misfire at 500. Decide now what auto-holds, what auto-clears, what queues for review.
- Evidence capture: audit that delivery confirmations, order session data, and policy snapshots are recording — every gap is a February dispute you can't defend.
- Dispute automation: BFCM's dispute tail lands December–February at 3–5x volume. A manual process that handles 10/month drowns at 40. Install and configure now, while there's slack to verify it end-to-end.
The October timeline
- Week 1: alert enrollment verified or expedited; automation installed and processing live disputes as a test.
- Week 2: screening thresholds re-tuned; review-queue staffing plan agreed for November.
- Week 3: evidence-capture audit; descriptor and checkout delivery estimates updated for holiday reality.
- Week 4: full dress rehearsal — a test dispute walked through detection → evidence → submission, and the final checklist re-verified.
November's job is executing; October's job is making November boring.
Frequently asked questions
Is October too late to prepare for BFCM disputes?
No — but it's the last comfortable month. Alert enrollment and automation setup both need lead time; start week one.
What's the most common BFCM dispute mistake?
Treating it as a November problem. The disputes arrive December–February; the preventable causes all lock in before the sale starts.
Post reflects public documentation, industry surveys, and Aurai's own book of disputes as of the publish date. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Stripe, PayPal, and Shopify are trademarks of their respective owners; Aurai is independent and not endorsed by any of them. Network rules change — always verify current official rules before acting on any specific tactic.