A Visa ARN (Acquirer Reference Number) is a unique identifier assigned to each card transaction. It helps track payments from the point of sale all the way to settlement, making it an important reference for resolving issues and managing disputes.
To complete your Visa Alerts enrollment with Chargeflow, we’ll need three (3) Visa ARN numbers from transactions within the last 120 days. These ARNs allow us to validate your account and ensure that alerts are properly connected to your merchant profile.
How the process works
Validation step: Our team uses the ARNs to obtain the BIN‑CAID combination required by Visa.
Timeline: Validation may take up to 10 business days, and enrollment is typically finalized within another 10 business days.
Result: Once enrolled, you’ll start receiving timely notifications that help prevent chargebacks and protect your revenue.
Faster alternative
If you prefer to skip ARN validation, you can provide your MCC, CAID, and BIN details directly. These can be obtained by contacting your payment processor’s support team. Supplying this information allows us to move straight to enrollment, which is usually completed within 10 business days.
Finding ARNs in Stripe
One option to find your Visa ARN numbers on Stripe is to open your Stripe portal, navigate to the Transactions tab, and click on the Refunds tab.
Now, filter the transactions by:
Select transactions refunded at least 3 days ago, as the ARN usually appears after this time.
+ More filters → “Card brand” → "Visa"
+ “Date and time” → “is in the last” → 120 days
Once you find a Visa transaction from the past 120 days, click on a transaction to view its details. The ARN will appear under the Payment breakdown section:
Note: Visa's ARNs are 23 digits long and always start with either a 2 or a 7.
If you cannot locate Visa ARN Numbers, contact Stripe’s Customer Support. Provide details of three Visa transactions and request their ARNs.
Once you’ve located the ARN, simply copy and paste it into your message to our Alerts team at alerts@chargeflow.io.
Finding ARNs in Shopify
To locate Visa ARN Numbers on Shopify, follow these steps:
Log in to your Shopify account and navigate to the Orders section:
In the search bar, type VISA to filter relevant transactions.
Apply a filter based on the Payment Status:
Select Refunded as the filter option.
Choose a refunded order that is at least 3 days old but no older than 120 days.
Scroll down to the timeline of the refunded order to find the ARN.
Once you’ve located the ARN, simply copy and paste it into your message to our Alerts team at alerts@chargeflow.io.
Note: Visa's ARNs start with either a 2 or a 7 and are 23 digits long.
No Refunds or Visa Transactions Yet?
If you don’t have any refunds or Visa transactions processed yet, follow these steps:
Process a test transaction on your shop using your own Visa card.
Wait for at least 3 days and then issue a refund (refunds processed earlier than 3 days may not appear yet).
Check the refunded transaction 2-4 days after processing; the Visa ARN number will appear in your processor as explained above.
If the ARN still doesn’t appear, contact your processor and request the ARN for the refunded transaction.