As every hotelier knows, credit cards are a source of almost-inevitable conflict in the hospitality industry. When guests amass charges they later dispute, a chargeback may be issued, disrupting the smooth financial operation of the hotel and costing hoteliers untold amounts of time and money to satisfy both the guest and the card issuer.

Through their partnership, American Express and AAHOA have come together to educate AAHOA members on how to address effectively the increasing number of chargebacks within the hospitality industry. Tune in for two exclusive webinars coming up Nov. 9 and 11 and hear directly from American Express how to minimize your own cost and inconvenience in the event of a chargeback or dispute.

Unlike other major credit cards, American Express is both the credit-card issuer and backing financial institution. When a dispute arises, American Express uses the information at its disposal in both roles to respond in one of three ways. They may dismiss the case outright, send an inquiry to the merchant in question or immediately issue a chargeback.

The situation is often exacerbated by the relatively recent introduction of chip readers embedded in the credit card itself. Despite its reasonable success in reducing the costs of credit card fraud (more than $3 billion annually) for card issuers and banks, chip readers have the unfortunate and costly effect of forcing merchants to assume responsibility for any fraud-related compensation payable to the customer.

Whatever the disputes’ origin, the process of addressing credit card issues can be a lengthy and complicated experience for merchants - particularly small business owners with limited time and staff members for addressing the chargebacks. AAHOA is pleased to offer two exclusive American Express-led webinars designed to help educate members on credit-card issues and reduce or eliminate chargebacks and disputes.

The first webinar, titled "American Express Disputes Management," will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. EST. The second webinar, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m. EST, is titled, "Managing Disputes in the Hospitality Industry." Both webinars will be led by Emma Doniger, senior manager of U.S. Merchant Marketing at American Express. Note that these webinars are live-only. Recordings will not be available afterward.

Register today to join us for these exclusive webinars! Please contact AAHOA Director of Education Kathija "Kat" Mohammed (Kathija@aahoa.com) if you have any questions.