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title: US-FL — Merchant Acquiring & Risk (W8) | World Payments Monitor
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### W8 Merchant Acquiring & Risk Probable re-verified 2026-10-18 · changed 2026-07-05

Florida has no bespoke statutory chargeback-dispute regime; merchant-acquiring risk controls flow from card-network rules plus general consumer/telemarketing statutes, with a high-profile Florida-based chargeback-management firm the subject of federal/state enforcement over chargeback-manipulation tactics affecting high-risk-merchant risk management.

Standing sub-brief · as of 5 July 2026 107 words · last cycle 2026-07-05

#### Merchant Acquiring & Risk

Global E-Trading LLC, doing business as Chargebacks911 and based in Florida, is subject to a joint FTC/Florida Attorney General enforcement action, pending in federal court in Tampa, alleging use of prepaid-gift-card microtransactions to falsely reduce merchants' chargeback rates and evade bank and card-company scrutiny. Florida has no bespoke statutory chargeback-dispute regime distinct from card-network rules and federal Regulation E, leaving scheme rules and this kind of case-by-case enforcement as the operative merchant-acquiring-risk framework.

#### Outlook

The Chargebacks911 case remains the key merchant-acquiring-risk enforcement signal to track; its outcome may clarify regulatory tolerance for chargeback-rate-management practices that intersect with card-scheme compliance obligations tracked in W4.

no periodic updates on record for this sub-brief

** Sources and findings (3 unique sources · R-3/R-4)**

1.

[W8-E1] T1 Derived: Confirmed [in_force https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/04/411-about-ftc-florida-ag-action-against-chargebacks911](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/04/411-about-ftc-florida-ag-action-against-chargebacks911) re-verified 2026-07-05

<cite index="96-3,96-4">The lawsuit alleges the Florida-based defendants ran small-value 'microtransactions' through clients' merchant accounts using prepaid gift cards to falsely reduce merchants' chargeback rate and evade bank/card-company scrutiny</cite>.

2.

[W8-E2] T1 Derived: Confirmed [in_force https://pinellas.gov/recognize-and-avoid-telemarketing-fraud/](https://pinellas.gov/recognize-and-avoid-telemarketing-fraud/) re-verified 2026-07-05

<cite index="92-6">Non-exempt telemarketing companies, a common high-risk merchant category, must be licensed and post a $50,000 security bond before soliciting in Florida</cite>, a relevant onboarding-risk control for acquirers/ISOs.

3.

[W8-E3] T1 Derived: Confirmed [in_force https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/first_data_filed_complaint.pdf](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/first_data_filed_complaint.pdf) re-verified 2026-07-05

<cite index="89-14">Federal ISO/acquirer enforcement identifies nutraceuticals, investment programs, telemarketers, and multi-level marketers among high-risk merchant categories generating disproportionate chargeback and fraud exposure</cite>, a risk taxonomy applicable to Florida-based acquiring relationships.