Mastercard is expanding a program to help European merchants fight card disputes over purchases that were real. Shoppers should check statements first.
Mastercard is expanding a program called First-Party Trust to help European merchants deal with "friendly" fraud. That is when a shopper disputes a purchase that was real, either on purpose or by mistake.
The program reaches Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa in October 2026. It is set to cover all of Europe in July 2027. For shop owners, the upside is that they may soon be able to send proof to banks that a purchase really happened.
The push comes as disputes grow. Global chargebacks are forecast to hit 324 million in 2028, up from 261 million in 2025. A chargeback happens when a bank reverses a card payment after a shopper disputes it.
If you shop, check your statement before disputing a charge. A charge can look unfamiliar even when the purchase was real.
The material available does not explain how the tool works. It also does not say what it costs, which merchants qualify, or how banks will treat the proof they receive. Those details will decide how much this helps in practice.
Before you dispute a card charge, check your statement and records, because a purchase you forgot may be real.
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