A billing descriptor, also called a statement descriptor, is the merchant identification text that appears on a cardholder’s bank statement. It helps customers recognize the merchant and the purpose of the payment. Clear descriptors reduce friendly fraud disputes and chargebacks caused by unrecognized transactions.
By default, the acquiring bank creates a billing descriptor when a merchant account is opened, and it stays the same for every transaction. For merchants with multiple products, subscription tiers, or markets, a single descriptor may not be enough to identify each charge. To address this, Solidgate supports dynamic descriptors. They let merchants override the default descriptor, so each charge reflects the specific product or service provided.
Connector accounts that support this capability are marked with descriptor type Dynamic
If a connector account does not allow the descriptor value to be overridden, it is marked with descriptor type Static
The merchant name is assigned when the
Guide
Configure connector accounts with payment capabilities, currencies, and authentication options for each processing route.
connector account
is opened and cannot be changed.
Solidgate lets you use routing configuration to control which payments reach a connector account with a given descriptor.
A dynamic descriptor overrides the default value assigned at account creation. The descriptor can be changed in two ways.
- Through routing configuration. Select a connector account and choose a dynamic descriptor from the list of available values. To add a new dynamic descriptor, contact the Solidgate team.
- Through the API. Override only the dynamic part of the descriptor with
dynamic_descriptor.suffixper transaction.
Pass a dynamic suffix
Use the optional dynamic_descriptor object in your payment request. You pass only the dynamic part. Solidgate owns prefix assembly and length validation.
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Assembles the descriptor
- Check the connector account descriptor type
If the account is configured as static, the default descriptor is used, and merchant input is ignored. - Check dynamic suffix support for the connector
If dynamic suffix support is disabled for the connector, the suffix in the request is ignored and the dynamic descriptor selected in the step settings is used instead.Currently supported connectors include TSYS, Stripe, Checkout, and Solidgate Acquiring. - Assemble the descriptor
If the dynamic descriptor is enabled anddynamic_descriptor.suffixis passed, the result is the step descriptor plus the suffix. If the object is omitted, the step descriptor is used. - Apply the card brand prefix
When enabled on the connector account, a brand specific prefix such as V* for Visa is prepended to the card used for the payment. - Apply the provider level prefix
Some PayFac setups add a fixed platform prefix at the provider level such as PF* or ST* . It applies automatically. - Validate the total length
The final descriptor must fit the card scheme and connector limits, typically 22 characters. If the assembled value exceeds the allowed length, it is truncated from the end. Prefixes and the step descriptor are preserved. The suffix may be partially or fully cut.
The final descriptor is available in the order.descriptor field of the
Solidgate
API
payment response, or in the order details in the
Solidgate
Hub
.
Recommendations
Follow these general limits when forming a descriptor. Actual requirements can differ by provider and card brand, so treat these as a safe baseline.
- Keep the total descriptor length within 22 characters.
- Use only Latin letters in uppercase and lowercase, digits, and spaces.
- Avoid special characters in the suffix. The asterisk that separates prefixes from the suffix is added automatically by Solidgate.
- Check which descriptors are configured for your connector account, and whether each one is static or dynamic.
- Set up routing so the descriptor matches the traffic segment that reaches the channel and route.
Help cardholders recognize the charge and reduce unrecognized transaction disputes.
- Display the expected statement descriptor on your payment page when your Doing Business As name differs from your brand.
- Include customer support contact details on receipts and at checkout.
- Avoid generic suffixes that do not identify the product or service.
- Test with different card brands to confirm how prefixes affect the final statement line.
Use suffixes that identify the specific charge.
- Product or plan name such as Premium or PlanA
- Market or brand variant such as EU Store
- Order or subscription reference when space allows
Keep suffixes short and consistent with your checkout and email receipts, so customers see the same naming across every channel.