Visa Deploys AI to Transform Cumbersome Charge Dispute Process
Visa Inc. signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Visa is launching six new tools using artificial intelligence to modernize the process of disputing credit card charges, the company told CNBC exclusively.
For anyone who has ever stared at a credit card statement wondering, “What is this charge?” the ensuing dispute process can feel outdated and frustrating. Visa, the global payments giant, is now stepping in with a suite of artificial intelligence tools designed to overhaul this experience for everyone involved—cardholders, merchants, banks, and processors. The goal is to cut through the manual backlog, reduce costs, and prevent disputes before they escalate.
The Scale and Cost of a Growing Problem
The need for modernization is urgent. Andrew Torre, Visa’s president of value-added services, told CNBC in an exclusive interview that the company processed over 106 million charge disputes globally in 2025—a 35% surge since 2019. This sharp increase points to broader trends in digital commerce, from rising subscription services to evolving fraud patterns.
“Some of the challenges are these back-office systems are still largely manual,” Torre explained, highlighting the operational friction. “We really had to think differently about how we approach this at scale.” His perspective is grounded in direct experience; as a leader at one of the world’s largest payment networks, he oversees the systems that trillions of dollars in transactions flow through annually.
Visa’s ambition is clear: streamline the process to such an extent that the explosive growth rate in disputes begins to decline. “Our goal is to streamline this as much as possible,” Torre said. “We’d love to be able to see that growth rate come down.”
AI Tools Tailored for Each Stakeholder
The new solution set is divided into two clusters, targeting the two primary sides of a dispute: the merchant (where the money was spent) and the issuer/acquirer (the cardholder’s bank and the merchant’s payment processor).
For Merchants: Three tools aim to stop disputes at the source. One uses generative AI to draft clear, compelling responses to potential disputes. Another provides “deeper level” order insights directly to financial institutions, helping cardholders recognize unfamiliar charges by showing more transaction context—like a merchant’s detailed descriptor or a receipt snippet. A third helps merchants analyze and manage their own dispute data proactively.
For Issuers and Acquirers: The other three tools focus on backend efficiency. They employ predictive AI models to assist with case-by-case analysis, automate document summarization and data entry, and create a unified AI-powered platform to manage the entire dispute lifecycle from a single dashboard.
“We’ll be able to get them insights and data so they can move from being reactive to proactive,” Torre said. This shift from a costly, after-the-fact investigation to a more intelligent, preventive approach is central to Visa’s value proposition.
Part of a Broader Industry AI Wave
Visa’s move is not isolated. It reflects a massive, industry-wide capital allocation toward artificial intelligence. As the article notes, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs
