Associate, Cards Dispute Management

Role Overview

As a Card Disputes Analyst, you will manage the full lifecycle of card disputes arising from both cardholder transactions and merchant acquiring activities, ensuring every case is handled according to the dispute regulations set by Visa and Mastercard. You will work closely with internal teams, external banks, and merchants to investigate claims, gather evidence, and determine the correct outcome while protecting the bank from financial loss. Your daily focus is on timely, accurate resolution that keeps the bank compliant with scheme mandates and maintains trust across all parties involved.

Key Responsibilities

• Investigate and formally initiate card disputes submitted by bank customers and external financial institutions, applying the appropriate scheme rules to each case.
• Follow the dispute resolution procedures outlined in Visa and Mastercard operating manuals, managing cases through to a final decision without unnecessary financial exposure.
• Collect and evaluate supporting evidence, assess the validity of each claim, and make well-documented decisions while keeping merchants and bank clients informed of progress.
• Act as a key liaison for branches, the call centre, and the complaints handling unit, coaching these teams on correct dispute-raising practices and alignment with internal procedures.
• Monitor and track all card disputes coming in from other banks, maintaining clear records and ensuring no case is overlooked or delayed.
• Review outstanding card reconciliation exceptions and work to clear these items within agreed service-level agreements.
• Identify patterns and themes within disputes that may signal fraudulent activity, escalating findings to the fraud monitoring team for deeper investigation.
• Prepare and submit monthly reports for bank stakeholders and regulators, plus quarterly reports for card schemes, ensuring deadlines are always met.
• Process incoming and outgoing files through card scheme portals, transferring data between the bank’s card management system and external platforms within set turnaround times.
• Generate GL and loyalty files for integration into core banking systems, and verify that all card scheme settlement obligations are correctly posted while remittance payments are sent to Visa and Mastercard settlement banks.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, banking, finance, or a related field.
• At least one year of relevant experience in card operations, dispute management, or a similar banking role.
• Strong planning and organisational abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple dispute cases simultaneously.
• Excellent analytical skills and close attention to detail when reviewing transaction data and evidence.
• Clear oral and written communication skills for interacting with internal teams, external banks, and merchants.
• Interpersonal skills that support effective stakeholder engagement at all levels of the organisation.
• High ethical standards and unquestionable integrity, particularly when handling sensitive financial information.
• Sound commercial awareness, with the ability to connect dispute outcomes to broader business objectives.
• Familiarity with business continuity planning and disaster recovery processes.
• Strong risk management skills, including the ability to identify operational risks and act to minimise them.