ClearSale is a global pioneer and proven leader in ecommerce fraud protection solutions and chargeback protection guarantee for ecommerce merchants. Originating in South America more than 20 years ago, it now operates in over 170 countries worldwide.

ClearSale is a complete fraud solution that addresses chargebacks and false declines. It combines sophisticated A.I. technology and advanced secondary reviews to help maximise its client’s revenue, approve every valid order and keep customers happy.

They just recently were successful in winning the NORA Best Security/Anti-fraud Solution award.

Liz Beggs, Chief Operating Officer at Payments Consulting Network sits down with Ralph Kooi, Country Manager at ClearSale to discuss all things fraud and the company’s outlook in the coming years.

LB: Please provide a brief high-level overview of your business

RK: ClearSale started more than 20 years ago in Brazil and is now currently in over 170 countries worldwide with thousands of global staff. ClearSale entered the Australian market 5 years ago and is one of the oldest companies in the world to offer fraud prevention. ClearSale is headquartered in of the most fraudulent countries in the world, with nearly half of all global ecommerce fraud happening within its borders. The company has worked its way up to becoming the largest fraud protection provider in Latin America with over 60% market share in Brazil. Its proprietary fraud AI technology and global staff of fraud professionals work towards the goal of increasing approval rates and eliminating chargebacks.

ClearSale offers its solution via alliance engagements, similar to a white-label program. It has BNPL companies as well as aggregators as alliance partners. Its biggest differentiators are that it has a 1,500 staff overseeing advanced secondary reviews of any transaction that looks like a medium or high-risk transaction, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. It has also pioneered the chargeback guarantee feature.

LB: What types of fraud management services do you offer merchants in Australia?

RK: ClearSale currently offers fraud management services online and through telephone orders (MOTO).

LB: Are there any industry sectors or client types that you focus on for fraud management services?

RK: ClearSale has a number of key strengths that include:

• Over 1,500 seasoned fraud analysts in Brazil that operate 24×7. When a transaction is flagged as potential fraud, it is sent to undergo an advanced secondary review, and our analysts are ready at any time of day or night to oversee this process. This ensures that your customers are not stuck in a waiting pattern to get approvals on their purchases.
• Our fraud management tool is flexible and customisable based on your business’s unique needs and particular vulnerabilities.
• Outsourcing the fraud screening process can reduce internal resource costs.
• Excellent customer service as ClearSale prides itself on nurturing relationships with merchants. Merchants have access to relevant staff, including the fraud analysts, if they need to discuss a particular purchase in detail. This intelligence can also assist in modifying the automated rules-based logic to identify and solve recurring issues.

LB: What were your key achievements over the last 12 months in fraud management services?

RK: ClearSale launched a significant update of the Merchant Portal that includes:

• 150% customer growth.
• 70% increase in Shopify 5-star reviews.
• 1,600 positive reviews on feature customers on a voting platform.
• Soft launch of ThreatX (brand impersonation protection) e.g. Impersonating websites, products and social media profiles.

LB: What fraud innovations do you have on your product/service roadmap for the next 12 months?

RK: There are plenty of innovations currently on the product/service roadmap but the most significant ones on the horizon are an exciting expansion of our fraud management tools in the financial services sector and the ThreatX service.

LB: What industry changes or trends do you see occurring over the next 2-3 years that will have a major impact on your business and/or your clients?

RK: As there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment with the cost-of-living pressures, more consumers are turning to ecommerce and doing their research to find the cheapest prices. This can be a great opportunity, especially for smaller merchants, to secure a loyal customer. However, the current climate also raises the rates of friendly fraud and breaches, as experienced fraudsters and good customers alike may be experiencing the desperation that can sometimes push us to do illegal acts.

We may be seeing more consolidation of payment service platforms and BNPL providers. The BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) services will increase due to cost-of-living pressures. Due to high rates of return and promotion fraud, retailers may be rethinking their shipping and return policies.

LB: What key criteria or features should a business consider when evaluating fraud management services?

RK: Don’t just look at the cost of a fraud management tool, ensure that you take into consideration how much time and resources you are spending internally on fraud management.

Don’t just look at chargebacks for fraud – look at your declines. We have found that 60–90% of your declines are actually good orders – so what are you doing to ensure you aren’t losing those customers for life?

If you wish to scale up your fraud monitoring, will you require additional staff? If so, what is the ROI of implementing an external fraud partner and is it the right model for your business?

If you need further help, we’ve put together a very handy buyer’s guide here.

LB: Are there any particular industry segments that ClearSale targeted and any that are avoided?

RK: ClearSale targets especially high-risk industries: luxury goods (high ticket size), travel and hospitality, sporting goods, automotive, and really anything consumer goods related. ClearSale typically avoids the hobby and food delivery industries. The hobby industry is usually lower costs, lower ATS (Average Ticket Size) and lower order amounts. The food delivery industry is a quick turnaround for sales and costs generally get too high and is time dependent.

LB: What partnerships, if any, do you have with PSP’s?

RK: ClearSale has partnerships with LimePay, Payoneer and SplitIt globally.

LB: Do you white label your solution and if so, who are your clients?

RK: ClearSale currently provides a white label solution globally, but it is more of an alliance partnership. We currently do not have these partnerships in Australia at present.

LB: Congratulations on receiving the NORA Best Security/Anti-fraud Solution award. Who did you compete against and what do you think this award will do for the business?

RK: The other companies that competed for the NORA award were Adyen, Stripe, Riskified, Signifyd and Forter. We were thrilled to receive the NORA award and believe that this win will provide brand awareness and cement ClearSale’s name in this region. It will allow us to invest in relationships and collaboration with vendors. I believe that we won this award as we’ve worked to develop strong relationships with local customers and provide the best solution for the SMB market rather than focusing on the enterprise space.

Author: Liz Beggs, Chief Operating Officer, Melbourne, Payments Consulting Network

Liz Beggs is a versatile and results focussed leader with over 25 years of multi-industry experience in consulting and management. She delivers value add, innovative solutions to internal and external clients with subject matter expertise in commercial cards and payments technology systems, drawing on her broad commercial GM level experience in corporate services and product management.​

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ClearSale is a member of our Fraud and Chargeback Management Panel.

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