You’ve put down your deposit in good faith: a dream wedding venue, a custom sofa, a family photography session. But before the company can make good on its promise to deliver, it goes belly-up. Now what? The first step is for a customer to initiate a merchant dispute. On your end, you’ll need to provide documentation linked to the sale as well as any evidence that indicates that you never received what you paid for. If the details suggest the complaint is legitimate and the merchant didn’t deliver, the acquirer — the financial institution that contracts with merchants to accept a given card — deducts that amount from the merchant’s account. “The cardholder should notify their issuer as soon as possible once the merchant has gone out of business,” Visa spokeswoman Sarah Pew says.
A wedding insurance policy could be bought as soon as the bridal party starts placing deposits. You can purchase a Wedding Protector Plan policy as close as 14 days before the event.