Consumer clarity
What is consumer clarity?
Consumer Clarity (CC), formerly known as Ethoca Eliminator, is a Mastercard service that sends transaction details to while a is still questioning a charge. It runs on the Ethoca network and works in the window before an inquiry becomes a formal .
The record a merchant makes available covers the merchant name and logo, itemized receipt lines, order and delivery status, status and customer-service contacts. It surfaces inside the issuer's own channels: the agent's screen in the call center and, where the bank has enabled it, the transaction detail view in the mobile banking app. The cardholder sees who they actually paid rather than an unfamiliar , which is the single most common trigger for "I don't recognize this charge" claims.
Key facts
- Also known as: Ethoca Eliminator (former name), Ethoca Consumer Clarity
- Operated by: Ethoca, a Mastercard company
- Visa equivalent: , delivered over the Verifi network
- Stage in the flow: pre-dispute, before a is assigned
- Data shared: merchant name and logo, digital receipt, order and delivery details, refund and subscription status, merchant contact details
- Reason codes it targets: Mastercard 4863 (cardholder does not recognize, potential fraud) and 4837 (no cardholder authorization), the codes filed when a charge isn't recognized
- Delivery channels: issuer call center, issuer mobile and online banking
How it works
- The merchant connects its order data. Order-management or CRM records are exposed to the Ethoca network through an API, either directly or through the merchant's payment provider.
- A cardholder questions a charge. A line on the statement isn't recognized, so the cardholder calls the bank or taps the transaction in the banking app.
- The issuer requests the details. The bank queries the network against the and receives the merchant's enriched record in real time.
- The details reach the cardholder. The agent reads out the purchase information, or the app renders the receipt, logo and merchant contact next to the charge.
- The inquiry closes or escalates. A cardholder who recognizes the purchase drops it. A charge that's still contested moves into the normal flow.
Why it matters
- An inquiry resolved at the bank never enters the , so the merchant avoids the and the transaction never counts toward the , which applies whether or not the merchant later wins.
- Most starts as genuine non-recognition. A receipt showing the item, date and delivery status removes the "I never bought this" opening before it's stated.
- Refund status displayed next to the charge stops the duplicate dispute a cardholder files when a refund is already in flight but hasn't posted.
- Subscription details, including the next billing date and how to cancel, address the recurring charge a cardholder forgot signing up for, which is where confusion-driven disputes concentrate for subscription businesses.
Common issues
- Issuer coverage. The receipt only appears where the bank has deployed Consumer Clarity in its channels. Everywhere else, the cardholder still sees the raw .
- Scheme scope. Consumer Clarity covers inquiries on Mastercard transactions. Visa inquiries route through Order Insight, so a merchant accepting both networks needs both connections.
- Thin data. Sparse or stale order records return a receipt that doesn't answer the cardholder's question, and the inquiry proceeds to a dispute anyway.
- Timing. Deflection only works before a dispute is filed. After that the route is representment with .
- Confusion with Ethoca Alerts. notify the merchant after a dispute has been initiated so the merchant can refund and stop the chargeback. Consumer Clarity works one step earlier, at the moment of the inquiry.
