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As online retail continues to surge, so does e-commerce fraud. Each dollar lost to fraud now costs U.S. merchants $4.61, including fees, labor, and customer churn — a 37% increase since 2020. For high-volume retailers, even a slight uptick in fraudulent orders can erode profit margins and trust.
E-commerce fraud isn’t just about stolen cards. It’s a complex mix of automation, social engineering, and policy abuse, often hidden behind legitimate-looking transactions. Without the proper safeguards, fraudsters can slip through checkout, exploit promotions, or hijack customer accounts before teams even notice.
That’s why risk leaders are relying on specialized platforms that combine device intelligence, behavioral analysis, and real-time machine learning to spot risky activity in milliseconds, protecting revenue without disrupting genuine customers.
This guide covers the challenges faced in e-commerce and the 10 best e-commerce fraud prevention tools for 2026, outlining what they offer, who they serve best, and how to evaluate solutions for your business.
Ready to turn fraud prevention into a growth advantage? Start a free trial of Fingerprint or talk to our team to see how persistent device intelligence stops fraud without adding checkout friction.
The challenges faced by e-commerce fraud teams
Fraud tactics evolve as quickly as the e-commerce platforms they target. Fraud teams now face a constant race against automation, changing tactics, and customer expectations for instant, frictionless checkout. Here are some of the biggest challenges shaping the fight against fraud in 2025.
Card-not-present (CNP) fraud remains the biggest threat
With global e-commerce transactions projected at $6.4 trillion just this year, card-not-present fraud remains the most common and costly type of online fraud. Criminals use stolen or synthetic card data to make purchases that appear legitimate, often slipping through basic rule-based systems. For merchants, every fraudulent transaction triggers costly chargebacks, lost goods, and reputational damage that can take months to recover.
Friendly fraud and chargeback abuse are rising
Not all fraud comes from bad actors. Studies estimate that 62% of chargebacks stem from friendly fraud, where customers dispute valid purchases, intentionally or by mistake. Industry forecasts show global chargeback losses will exceed $33 billion in 2025 and reach nearly $42 billion by 2028.
As a result, e-commerce teams spend countless hours managing dispute resolution, while rising chargeback ratios can threaten merchant accounts, increase processing fees, and strain customer relationships.
Account takeover (ATO) attacks put loyalty and trust at risk
Account takeover attacks target stored payment credentials and loyalty programs because they deliver immediate payouts. Once they gain access, they can drain balances, redeem points, or make unauthorized purchases using the hacked accounts. For brands, every compromised account is not only a transaction loss but a blow to long-term customer trust.
Promotion, refund, and return abuse eat into margins
Fraudsters committing promo abuse exploit referral codes, new-customer discounts, and return policies at scale. Some even automate the process, creating fake accounts to take advantage of promotional offers. These behaviors rarely trigger fraud alerts, but they quietly erode profit margins and distort marketing return on investment (ROI).
Balancing fraud prevention with customer experience
Consumers expect instant, one-click purchases. Any added friction risks abandoned carts and lost sales. Implementing overly strict rules can block legitimate buyers, while lenient policies invite abuse. Effective e-commerce fraud prevention requires dynamic controls that adapt in real time, tightening only when the risk is high.
Fragmented data and siloed tools
Fraud signals often live in separate systems, payment gateways, customer databases, and analytics tools, making it difficult to connect the dots. Without unified, persistent identification, fraud teams lack complete visibility into customer behavior across sessions.
Scaling protection under peak demand
Promotions, holidays, and flash sales drive spikes in legitimate orders, but also attract higher volumes of fraudulent activity. Fraud platforms must process millions of transactions per minute without slowing checkout or compromising detection accuracy.
Other common types of e-commerce fraud
Beyond these operational challenges, several fraud patterns continue to evolve. Understanding these tactics helps teams pinpoint where to strengthen defenses:
- Refund and return fraud: Exploiting refund or return policies to claim money or goods illegitimately.
- Interception fraud: Changing delivery details mid-shipment to divert packages.
- Bot and automation attacks: Using scripts to test stolen cards, create fake accounts, or overwhelm checkout systems.
Best e-commerce fraud prevention tools
The most effective e-commerce fraud prevention platforms combine machine learning, device intelligence, and behavioral analytics to immediately distinguish legitimate shoppers from fraudsters. They help merchants approve more good orders, reduce chargebacks, and preserve a seamless checkout experience.
Below are the leading tools in 2025, what they offer, and how they help online retailers protect revenue from evolving fraud threats.
1. Fingerprint
Fingerprint helps e-commerce merchants defend against fraud while preserving checkout flow. Built on over 100 browser, network, and device signals, its advanced device intelligence generates a persistent VisitorID that reliably recognizes returning visitors on the same device or browser, even if they clear cookies, switch networks, or use incognito mode.
With industry-leading accuracy and Smart Signals powered by machine learning, Fingerprint gives risk teams the visibility to spot suspicious behavior, like tampered browsers, proxy use, or bot activity, to stop account takeover attacks and prevent chargebacks in real time, all without slowing down legitimate buyers.
What it offers:
- Customizable risk scoring that lets teams manage risk tolerance and detect fraud in real time
- Persistent identifiers that last months to years for long-term fraud pattern analysis
- SDKs and APIs for seamless integration and analytics support that enhance existing e-commerce fraud workflows
Pricing: Free up to 1,000 API calls/month. Paid plans start at $99/month (20,000 calls + 500,000 Android). Custom pricing available for Enterprise.
Best for: High-volume e-commerce merchants and marketplaces that need precise visitor recognition and minimal checkout friction.
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2. Kount
Kount uses its Identity Trust Global Network, powered by billions of transactions, to assess risk instantly during checkout. The platform combines machine learning with customizable business rules, helping merchants reduce chargebacks and false declines while maintaining high approval rates.
What it offers:
- Global data network for cross-merchant risk insights
- AI-powered scoring and dynamic decisioning
- Pre-built integrations with leading payment processors
Pricing: Their Essentials plan starts at $0.07 per transaction through select partners; advanced and enterprise pricing are available upon request.
Best for: Enterprise and mid-market retailers that need scalable fraud detection and rich analytics.
3. Signifyd
Signifyd provides chargeback guarantee fraud protection by reimbursing losses on approved orders that turn out to be fraudulent. It uses machine learning to analyze order data and buyer behavior in real time, enabling merchants to approve more orders confidently without increasing fraud risk.
What it offers:
- Chargeback guarantee coverage
- Automated order review and scoring
- Plug-and-play integrations with major e-commerce platforms
Pricing: Custom, typically based on transaction volume and order size; chargeback coverage optional.
Best for: Retailers seeking reduced manual reviews and financial protection from chargebacks.
4. Riskified
Riskified specializes in chargeback-backed guarantees for large e-commerce merchants. Its AI engine learns from historical order patterns to increase approval rates and block fraudulent transactions.
What it offers:
- Machine learning trained on large retail datasets
- Chargeback protection for approved orders
- Designed for enterprise-scale e-commerce
Pricing: Custom, often based on revenue-share or transaction volume.
Best for: Global retailers and marketplaces focused on optimizing approval rates while minimizing fraud.
5. ClearSale
ClearSale combines automated decisioning with expert manual review for a hybrid fraud management approach. This human-plus-machine model is especially valuable for merchants in emerging markets or industries with limited data histories.
What it offers:
- Hybrid AI + analyst review model
- Chargeback protection program
- Global reach with multilingual support
Pricing: Two key pricing paths: KPI-based (you pay only if performance targets are met) or fixed-percentage per transaction; custom quotes available based on volume and risk profile.
Best for: Mid-sized e-commerce businesses looking for hands-on fraud support.
6. Sift
Sift’s Digital Trust & Safety platform combines identity-level decisioning with real-time machine learning. It helps merchants stop fraudulent orders, prevent account takeovers, and reduce manual reviews while maintaining seamless checkout experiences.
What it offers:
- Global network intelligence powering real-time fraud detection
- Automated dispute management and chargeback reduction
- Unified protection across payments, accounts, and digital interactions
Pricing: Custom, based on transaction volume and company size.
Best for: E-commerce brands seeking end-to-end protection for payments and accounts.
7. SEON
SEON provides modular, API-driven tools for fraud prevention that combine digital footprint analysis with device fingerprinting and email/phone intelligence. It’s flexible for merchants that want to integrate only the components they need.
What it offers:
- Multi-signal identity verification
- Lightweight and flexible API integration
- Real-time device intelligence
Pricing: Usage-based plans starting around $599/month, with enterprise options available.
Best for: Online retailers and marketplaces needing fast, developer-friendly fraud prevention.
8. NoFraud
NoFraud delivers real-time fraud screening for e-commerce merchants of all sizes. Its platform blends AI decisioning with human analyst review, enabling faster approvals of good orders and fewer chargebacks.
What it offers:
- AI-powered pass/fail decisions in milliseconds with an optional chargeback guarantee
- Advanced rules and analyst review for policy abuse, subscription fraud, and return/chargeback control
- Easy integration with Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce
Pricing: Tiered by transaction volume; available upon request.
Best for: Small to mid-sized e-commerce stores seeking automated, low-maintenance fraud prevention.
9. Forter
Forter offers identity-based decisioning that evaluates each customer interaction instantly, helping merchants approve legitimate shoppers faster. Its network of global merchants helps identify risky patterns early.
What it offers:
- Identity-driven risk modeling
- Immediate, identity-based decisions that accelerate trusted transactions
- Global merchant network enabling faster, more precise fraud detection
Pricing: Custom, tailored to transaction volume and risk profile.
Best for: Large online retailers and travel brands needing high-speed decisioning.
10. Arkose Labs
Arkose Labs focuses on stopping automated and human-driven fraud through adaptive step-up challenges and device intelligence. It’s particularly effective at blocking bot attacks, fake account creation, and credential stuffing.
What it offers:
- Advanced bot and abuse detection
- Real-time adaptive challenges that increase attacker friction
- Visual authentication flows that deter fraudsters while keeping UX smooth
Pricing: Custom, based on monthly traffic and risk thresholds.
Best for: E-commerce platforms combating large-scale automation or fake account activity.
How to choose an e-commerce fraud prevention solution
Selecting the right fraud prevention tool starts with understanding your risk profile and business goals. The ideal solution should scale with your transaction volume, support your existing tech stack, and balance protection with customer experience.
Here’s what to evaluate when comparing platforms:
Depth and accuracy of detection
Look for platforms that analyze multiple layers of data (e.g., device, network, behavioral, and contextual) to identify returning users and spot transaction anomalies in real time. Accuracy involves not only blocking fraud but also minimizing false declines, which can be more costly than chargebacks.
Persistence and identity resolution
Advanced tools provide persistent identification that recognizes legitimate users across sessions, browsers, and devices. This helps e-commerce sites distinguish trusted shoppers from suspicious bad actors, maintain shopping continuity, and detect when a device starts exhibiting risky behavior.
Integration and flexibility
Fraud prevention should enhance, not disrupt, existing workflows. Prioritize platforms that offer robust APIs, SDKs, and plug-ins for major e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify or BigCommerce. Flexible deployment options make it easier for engineering teams to implement and maintain.
Read more: How E-Commerce Platforms Can Build Stronger Fraud Prevention
Scalability and performance under load
Your solution must handle sudden spikes during flash sales, holidays, or global campaigns without sacrificing speed. Latency should be measured in milliseconds, not seconds, especially for merchants processing thousands of transactions per minute.
Transparency and control
Senior risk leaders need visibility into why a transaction was approved or declined. Solutions that provide explainable decisions, adjustable rules, and clear audit trails make it easier to fine-tune models and maintain compliance.
Compliance and data privacy
Ensure the vendor is certified for SOC 2 Type II and compliant with privacy regulations like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Being certified and compliant demonstrates mature data-handling practices and helps build customer confidence.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) and ROI
Compare pricing models (per-transaction, revenue share, or subscription) to your transaction mix and margins. The right tool should reduce chargebacks and manual reviews enough to pay for itself through recovered revenue and operational savings.
Turning fraud prevention into a growth advantage
E-commerce fraud may be inevitable, but major losses don’t have to be. Ultimately, fraud prevention in e-commerce is foundational to sustainable growth. The right platform doesn’t just block bad actors; it improves customer experience, preserves brand reputation, and turns security into a competitive advantage.
Fingerprint gives online retailers a smarter, quieter layer of defense. By combining advanced device intelligence with persistent visitor identification, it empowers fraud and risk teams to instantly recognize returning shoppers, reduce false declines, and detect suspicious behavior before it turns into loss, all without disrupting checkout.
Fingerprint turns fraud prevention into a growth advantage, protecting revenue while creating trust at every interaction.
Ready to solve your biggest e-commerce fraud challenges?
Install our JS agent on your website to uniquely identify the browsers that visit it.



