Stop Chargeback Theft - Stand with Small

Across Australia, small and family businesses are being hit by a growing form of fraud where customers falsely claim a legitimate purchase was unauthorised or never received.

It happens even when businesses provide receipts, proof of delivery and customer confirmation.

Big banks and payment platforms unknowingly side with the fraudsters. Funds are removed immediately from small businesses, dispute fees can be charged, and businesses are left with no goods, no payment and no real right of appeal.

This is not a victimless issue. For many small businesses, a single fraudulent chargeback can wipe out weeks of profit and repeated losses can threaten jobs, viability and livelihoods.

Small and family businesses play a vital role in Australia’s economy and communities. They should not be left exposed to a system that rewards fraudulent behaviour and punishes honest operators.

Without action, chargeback fraud will continue to:

  • drive up costs,

  • discourage online trade, and

  • push more small and family businesses to the brink.

Protecting consumers should not come at the expense of small business survival.

Fairness, balance and accountability must be restored.

Stand with Small - Sign the petition!

We, the undersigned, call on the Australian Government and the Big Banks to take urgent action to combat chargeback theft that defrauds small and family businesses and protect them from unfair and unrecoverable losses.

We call on the Government to:

1. Stop ignoring chargeback theft. 

2.⁠ ⁠Urgently establish a parliamentary inquiry into chargeback theft.

2. Introduce minimum evidentiary standards that banks must apply before approving chargebacks.

3. Rebalance the burden of proof so small businesses are not presumed guilty by default.

4. Strengthen transparency and accountability for banks, card schemes, and payment platforms in chargeback decisions.

5. Establish clear protections for small businesses, including fair dispute processes and limits on automatic reversals.

Sign this petition to demand action against chargeback theft and stand with small and family businesses.

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