# Alert

> How Alert warns you of a dispute before it becomes a chargeback, how the alert reaches your company and what to respond for each card network.

Página: https://doc.rapidchargeback.com/en/produtos/alerta/visao-geral/

**Alert** is Rapid's solution for **early dispute notification**. (Former name: *Chargeback Alert*. The API path is still `/chargeback-alert/...`.) When a cardholder opens a dispute with the issuing bank, the network (Mastercard or Visa) signals the event to providers before it becomes a formal chargeback. Rapid receives these signals and delivers the alert to you in time to take action.

In API payloads and responses, providers are identified by the slugs `ethoca_alerts` (Mastercard) and `verifi_rdr` (Visa).

What you need to do depends on the card network:

- **Mastercard** (via Ethoca): you have up to 24 hours to confirm whether you will refund, state that the transaction was already resolved, or that you did not find the transaction. Your answer goes back to Ethoca and can prevent the dispute from becoming a chargeback.
- **Visa** (via Verifi RDR): the refund was already made automatically by the acquirer when the alert arrived. There is no response deadline; the status is used only for internal organization.

## How it works

1. The cardholder opens a dispute with the issuing bank
2. The card network signals the dispute to the provider (Ethoca for Mastercard, Verifi RDR for Visa)
3. The provider delivers the alert to Rapid
4. Rapid associates the alert with your company by `descriptor` (Ethoca) or BIN+CAID (Verifi)
5. Rapid delivers the alert to your application by webhook
6. Your application processes the alert and (for Ethoca) returns a status through the callback API

To receive alerts, your company needs:
- An **active webhook** configured in the dashboard (see [Webhook channel](https://doc.rapidchargeback.com/en/canais/webhook/visao-geral/))
- At least one **registered descriptor** (Ethoca) or **BIN+CAID** (Verifi) associated with your company

## Providers

### Ethoca (Mastercard)

Alerts are associated with your company by the `descriptor`, the name that appears on the cardholder's statement. When the alert's descriptor matches one of yours, the alert is delivered.

### Verifi RDR (Visa)

Alerts are associated by BIN + CAID.

The deadline and what to respond for each card network are at the top of this page; the full detail is in [Rules and deadlines](https://doc.rapidchargeback.com/en/produtos/alerta/regras-e-prazos/).

## Next steps

- [Rules and deadlines](https://doc.rapidchargeback.com/en/produtos/alerta/regras-e-prazos/): deadline details by card network.
- [Webhook channel](https://doc.rapidchargeback.com/en/canais/webhook/visao-geral/): how to set up delivery.
- [Status callback](https://doc.rapidchargeback.com/en/callback/visao-geral/): how to update the alert status.