A payment descriptor, also called a billing descriptor or a payment statement descriptor, is a piece of information on a customer's statement. It helps the customer identify the transaction and the merchant associated with it. In most cases, payment descriptors include the merchant's name or a recognizable abbreviation, along with additional information such as a customer service phone number or a unique reference number.

Merchants can usually find their statement descriptor in their merchant account dashboard provided by their payment processor or gateway, by accessing the Transaction or Payment Settings and from there to the statement descriptor settings.

The payment descriptor is crucial in chargeback alert systems as it enhances transaction recognition before it escalates into a chargeback. This accuracy ensures that alerts are linked correctly to the relevant merchant.