Your Approval Rate Should Be Higher
Your fraud solution is probably turning away good customers. Most automated fraud programs assume anything suspicious is fraud, leaving money from good customers on the table. ClearSale combines AI with human review to approve 99%+ orders for our customers.
Good orders rejected by strict fraud filters are called false declines, and they cost merchants $13 for every $1 lost to card fraud. ClearSale never auto-declines suspicious orders: our AI approves 91.3% of orders in milliseconds, and a team of 1,100+ fraud analysts review the rest in less than two hours.
False Declines Cost More Than Fraud
False declines are orders declined by strict fraud filters. They cost merchants far more than fraud. Here is what you need to know:
The Approach: AI Scores, Analysts Decide
When our AI is uncertain, an analyst reviews the order to find evidence for approving it. That is how we keep approval rates above 99%.
AI Scores Every Order
Our AI delivers an immediate decision, automatically approving 91.3% of orders in milliseconds. Clear approvals and denials are handled instantly. Only suspicious orders move to the next step.
Experts Review Gray Zone
Suspicious orders are reviewed by our 1,100+ fraud analysts to determine if there is a good reason for approval. They investigate device data, purchase patterns, and behavioral signals.
Good Orders Are Recovered
The additional analysis means more approvals of good orders than an automated filter would decline. And if any of those orders result in a chargeback, we pay for the chargeback.
The Numbers Speak
ClearSale's false decline prevention by the numbers.
The Capabilities: Analyst Review on Every Suspicious Order
What changes when a suspicious order is reviewed instead of declined.
| Capability | ClearSale |
|---|---|
| Approval Rate | 99%+ |
| Instant AI Decisions | 91.3% of orders, in milliseconds |
| Human Analyst Review | 1,100+ analysts: 8.3% of orders reviewed without a call, 0.4% with a call |
| Analyst Review Turnaround | Less than two hours, immediately for expedited delivery |
| Chargeback Guarantee | Included on approved orders, on the plans with Chargeback Guarantee |
| Customer Experience | Seamless |
Revenue Recovery in Action
What Merchants Say
Without a doubt, the #1 benefit we get from ClearSale is peace of mind. We know that once we get that approval from them, we can ship our guitars out with confidence.
Brendan SmythHeartbreaker Guitars
The time I would have spent reviewing orders? Now I can spend that time going out and landing more business.
Richard GastmeierRV Part Shop
ClearSale successfully knocked out our two biggest problems: Fraud and the time and resources it took to fight fraud.Rustom JehangirBlue Robotics
False Decline Prevention FAQ
Common questions about false declines and how ClearSale solves them
What is a false decline?
A false decline occurs when a legitimate customer's order is rejected by a fraud prevention system. The customer attempted a real purchase but was incorrectly flagged as fraudulent. For every $1 lost to card fraud, merchants lose $13 to false declines (source: Javelin), and 41% of consumers never return to a merchant after a false decline (source: ClearSale research).
How does ClearSale reduce false declines?
ClearSale combines AI scoring with human analyst review for edge cases. When the AI cannot confidently approve or deny an order, it routes to 1,100+ expert fraud analysts who manually review it instead of auto-declining. This recovers orders that AI-only solutions would reject.
What impact do false declines have on customer experience?
ClearSale's 99%+ approval rate means virtually no legitimate customers are turned away. This preserves customer relationships, lifetime value, and brand reputation. ClearSale's own research shows 41% of consumers never return to a merchant after a false decline. A false decline can be a permanent loss.
How long does analyst review take?
91.3% of orders are approved automatically. When an order is flagged, ClearSale turns around the analysis in less than two hours, and immediately when needed for expedited delivery.
Does reducing false declines increase fraud?
No. ClearSale's approval rate and fraud catch rate are independent metrics. The AI + Human model approves more legitimate orders without letting more fraud through. On the plans with Chargeback Guarantee, chargeback protection is included on approved orders: if an approved order turns out fraudulent, ClearSale pays.
How much revenue can I recover by reducing false declines?
That depends on how many good orders your current fraud filter declines today. ClearSale offers a free fraud analysis to calculate your specific opportunity.
Want to see what your approval rate could be?
Send us your current approval rate and monthly order volume and we will show you what ClearSale's analysts would have approved.
Response within 48 hours. No commitment required.