Statement Descriptors
Statement descriptors clarify payments on customer statements. By using clear, accurate descriptors, businesses can help customers recognize transactions, reducing the likelihood of disputes.
Descriptors for card payments will always contain a "Pay*" prefix whereas descriptors for bank-to-bank payments will not. For example, a statement descriptor of "PBJ Pay" will show up as:
- USD card: Pay*PBJ Pay
- CAD card: NBX*PBJ Pay
- Bank-to-bank: PBJ Pay
Statement Descriptor Requirements
A complete statement descriptor must meet the following requirements:
- Contains only Latin characters
- Contains between 1 and 20 characters:
- Descriptors for card payments have a 20-character limit, including the required Pay* prefix
- Descriptors for bank-to-bank payments have a 12-character limit
- Doesn’t contain any of the following special characters:
<,>,\,',",* - Reflects the merchant’s Doing Business As (DBA) name
- Contains more than a single common term or common website URL; a website URL is acceptable only if it provides a clear and accurate description of a transaction on a customer’s statement
Manage Statement Descriptors
Configure statement descriptor
The merchant will be prompted to configure their default statement descriptor when completing their merchant application.
A dynamic descriptor can also be configured by setting a statement_descriptor_suffix in the Payment IntentsAPI. When provided, this dynamic descriptor overrides the merchant's default descriptor.
View statement descriptor
To view a merchant’s statement descriptor in the Dashboard:
- Navigate to Merchant Management > Merchants
- Select the respective merchant
- Select the Processing Details tab
- Locate the General widget for the desired payment method
If a dynamic statement descriptor is being used, the descriptor can be viewed within the Payment Details page.
Update statement descriptor
To update a merchant's statement descriptor, email with the new descriptor.