Mastercard First-Party Trust ProgramRequirements, Data Elements, & Where the Program Applies

What the Mastercard First-Party Trust Program Can Do to Stop Chargeback Abuse

In simple terms, the Mastercard First-Party Trust exists so that a merchant’s transaction history can be used to reject invalid chargeback requests from customers. The program checks the merchant’s evidence when the chargeback is filed, and it shifts liability to the issuer when that evidence matches.

Mastercard introduced First-Party Trust in the United States in October 2024. Prior to this, an issuer deciding such a dispute had little beyond the cardholder’s word. So, it is little surprise that research from Ethoca published shortly before the program rollout put first-party fraud at 75% of card-not-present fraud claims.

Here, I will set out what the program requires, which data elements qualify, how a merchant takes part, where it is now available, and what an issuer may do once a chargeback has been rejected.

What is the First-Party Trust Program?

First-Party Trust

[noun]/fərst • pär • dē • trəst/

The First-Party Trust program is an initiative by Mastercard designed to streamline and enhance the dispute resolution process. The program facilitates better data sharing and transaction verification, with the aim of reducing fraudulent chargebacks and improving trust among merchants, cardholders, and issuers.

First-Party Trust is similar to Compelling Evidence 3.0 from Visa in some ways. Using a few key data elements, you can show a card issuer that a cardholder made a given transaction, proving that an invalid “fraud” claim is false.

For example, let’s say a customer files a chargeback, claiming a purchase was fraudulent. This claim might have qualified for a chargeback using reason code 4837. But the customer has bought something from the same merchant before, did not report any fraud, and key data elements like device information, delivery information and proof of identity match the transaction in question. In that case, the claim can be invalidated.

Before the program, the merchant could only present this evidence in an advisory way, and a cardholder or issuer could generally ignore it. Now a reason code 4837 chargeback is rejected if the merchant meets the transaction data requirements.

The Mastercard Chargeback Guide sets out the program under message No Cardholder Authorization (reason code 4837, or 37 for Debit Mastercard transactions on the Single Message System). It applies to no other reason code. A chargeback rejected on this basis carries its own message code, 5002 (First-Party Trust Reject), so the issuer can see why it was returned.

Why Did Mastercard Implement First-Party Trust?

The increasing complexity and volume of digital transactions has led to a rise in fraudulent chargebacks and disputes. First-Party Trust is Mastercard’s answer to this problem.

Traditional dispute resolution processes often lack sufficient data, making it difficult for issuers to accurately assess the legitimacy of disputes. This inefficiency results in higher operational costs for merchants and increased frustration for cardholders, highlighting the need for a more transparent system.

First-Party Trust addresses these challenges by enhancing data sharing between merchants and issuers. It provides comprehensive transaction details that help distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent disputes.

Where is Mastercard First-Party Trust Available?

Mastercard has rolled the program out in stages on a by-region basis. The dates below are taken from Mastercard’s own announcements:

• October 2024: United States, for domestic transactions.
• June 2025: Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific.
• October 2026: Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
• July 2027: the remainder of Europe (per Mastercard’s 22 October 2026 release).

Any merchant may take part where the program is available, and Mastercard issuers participate automatically under their Mastercard agreement. The merchant side is opt-in: nothing is checked unless the merchant has integrated and shared data.

It is worth noting that Mastercard’s developer documentation still lists the United States as the only supported region for both integration APIs. Merchants outside the United States should confirm availability for their region with their acquirer before making the assumption that the program is active.

What Data Points Can be Used?

You’ll need to provide data from at least two historic transactions which were not reported as fraudulent. These transactions must have been undertaken at least 121 days — but no more than 365 days — from the date of the disputed transaction. This is because there could be other disputed, fraudulent transactions within the 120-day chargeback time frame.

You must provide three data elements in total. First, you must provide one piece of evidence from each of the following two categories:

Your third data element can be an unused element from one of the above categories. For example, you may provide the cardholder’s device fingerprint and IP address, as well as the shipping address. You also have the option to provide one of the following items as your third piece of evidence:

Additional Factor

• Login ID
• Telephone Number
• Device Location
• Device Name
• Shipping / Billing Address
• IP Address
• Email Address

Requirements for Mastercard First-Party Trust

You need to meet a few important requirements to take advantage of the Mastercard First-Party Trust program.

First, you will need strong data management and fraud detection systems. These systems should be able to capture and securely store detailed transaction information and share it in real time with issuing banks. You will also need an integration route into the program. Mastercard offers two:

• Identity Check Insights: This can be accessed through your own 3DS server or the 3DS Smart Interface API.
• Ethoca Consumer Clarity: This is a Merchant Transaction API.

One route is sufficient, and the participation section below sets out how each one works. Through either route, you can quickly and accurately provide the necessary details to resolve disputes.

How Will This Impact Chargeback Management?

Mastercard has amended its rules and standards to ensure that the liability position of the card issuer is reflected where the merchant provides the First-Party Trust evidence.

This program, along with the Visa CE 3.0 proposition, represents the first foray into using cardholder and merchant data together to resolve fraud claims. A major advancement, given that these bodies of data were traditionally siloed, and using them in concert to respond to a dispute was rarely feasible.

The main constraint of these initiatives is the availability of the data. Merchants must be able to easily access it and transmit it for processing. As of the 2024 launch, uptake of the Visa CE 3.0 program had been limited, so the Mastercard First-Party Trust scheme is one to watch closely.

First-Party Trust is a step in the right direction. But time will tell whether it can stem the massive growth in friendly fraud the industry is currently seeing. 

Advantages of the First-Party Trust Program

Mastercard First-Party Trust offers several advantages similar to those provided by Visa. As I mentioned above, the platform promotes transparency and accountability by ensuring that all parties adhere to stringent guidelines. Ideally, this will create a more level playing field, as both issuers and acquirers are held to the same standards when evaluating chargeback disputes.

To illustrate further, here’s what Mastercard First-Party Trust can do for you:

Overall, the Mastercard First-Party Trust program is a good tool for merchants and financial institutions. It should help to better handle disputes by promoting transparency, reducing fraud, and protecting revenue. That said, it’s important to recognize that it may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for every transaction scenario.

How to Participate in the First-Party Trust Program

Merchants can participate in First-Party Trust through two different channels.

Merchants have the option to participate through one — or both — of the above channels.

As for integration: as a merchant (or merchant partner), you can participate in the First-Party Trust program through Identity Check Insights. To do this, you connect using your own 3DS server or the 3DS Smart Interface API. You also have the option to integrate through the Ethoca Consumer Clarity Merchant Transaction API.

Again, you can choose one of these methods, or go with both. In the former case, you transmit data to Mastercard, who stores this data on your behalf. With the latter case, Mastercard requests evidence via the API in the event of a dispute.

In either case, Mastercard then cross-references the data from the disputed transaction with two prior transactions. You’re protected as long as First-Party Trust confirms the evidence.

What Happens After a Chargeback Is Rejected?

A rejected chargeback is not always the end of the dispute. The Mastercard Chargeback Guide (most recently updated 13 May, 2025, as of this writing) sets out the conditions under which an issuer may file a No Cardholder Authorization chargeback again after a First-Party Trust reject.

The Chargeback Guide permits the second filing only all three of the following are true:

In practice this means the issuer must treat the card as compromised before it can reopen the dispute. The issuer must also supply either a First-Party Trust Cardholder Exception Affidavit (form 0830), signed by the cardholder and notarised, or an attestation from its own chargeback contact explaining how the cardholder refutes the digital evidence.

The re-filed chargeback must be processed within 120 calendar days of the Central Site Business Date of the transaction. As of May 2025, these conditions apply where both the issuer and the merchant are located in the United States (as above, I suggest you confirm the position for other regions with your acquirer).

Once a chargeback has been refiled on that basis, the Chargeback Guide lists two grounds for the acquirer’s second presentment: a refund previously issued, or an invalid chargeback. Compelling evidence is not among them, so the merchant’s remaining remedies are procedural, rather than evidential.

How Should Merchants Adjust for the First-Party Trust Program?

Participating in First-Party Trust should improve your ability to manage and prevent chargebacks, provided the data behind it is in order. The three measures below determine whether a merchant qualifies for the liability shift when a dispute arrives.

Before registering for First-Party Trust, take stock of how many chargebacks you receive and identify the patterns within them. Knowing the frequency and the causes of your chargebacks is what allows you to prepare for the program and draw the full benefit from it. The same evaluation shows where the program will have the most significant effect.

Before registering for First-Party Trust, take stock of how many chargebacks you receive and identify patterns. Knowing the frequency and causes of your chargebacks will help you better prepare and leverage the program’s benefits. This evaluation will also highlight areas where the program can make the most significant impact.

Chargeback intelligence tools strengthen transaction and fraud monitoring. Integrating that intelligence into your front-end systems supports better decisions and prevents first-party fraud at the source. A merchant that works proactively in this way can reduce incidence of chargebacks considerably.

These measures allow a merchant to use the Mastercard First-Party Trust Program to reduce chargebacks, protect revenue, and improve operational efficiency. But no program, however comprehensive, protects a business from chargebacks on its own. First-Party Trust is no exception to this rule.

The sound position is a multilayered strategy that addresses the root causes of friendly fraud, prioritizes dispute resolution, and takes advantage of chargeback alerts. This way, illegitimate chargebacks of every variety are addressed; not only those related to clear-cut fraud.

A merchant that cannot produce one matching element from each category, from two prior transactions, does not receive the liability shift. The chargeback proceeds under the standard No Cardholder Authorization rules. At this point, representment is the only remedy left.

Chargebacks911® helps merchants capture, retain, and present the transaction data that programs like First-Party Trust depend on, and manages the disputes the program does not cover. Our performance-based ROI guarantee means you only pay when we recover revenue. Contact us today for a no-obligation analysis.

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Mastercard Chargeback Prevention Best Practices

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