Overview
Kount Advanced Fraud Prevention includes a powerful feature called Threshold Management, which lets you customize how transactions are screened for fraud. This tool allows you to set specific risk rules, manage review settings, and fine-tune filters—all from within your Merchant Portal.
Threshold Management helps ensure your fraud prevention strategy fits your business model while giving you insights into which rules are being triggered most often.
What Is Threshold Management?
Threshold Management allows you to:
- Customize default Kount settings.
- Add or modify thresholds (numeric values).
- Enable or disable filters (on/off switches).
- Choose whether risky transactions should be Reviewed or Declined.
- Apply rules across all processors or tailor them per processor.
You can access this tool directly from your Merchant Portal. No technical skills are required.
Accessing the Threshold Management Tool
- Log into your Merchant Portal
- Navigate to Marketplace Apps
- Select Kount Advanced Fraud Prevention
- Under the Utilities section, click Threshold Management
Using the Account Health Check Dashboard
The Account Health Check provides a real-time snapshot of your fraud trends:
-
Top 5 Triggered Thresholds
Shows which rules are being hit most often. -
Weekly Transaction Trends
View how often specific risks are appearing. -
Average Kount Score Changes
Monitor risk levels over time.
These insights help you decide whether to tighten or loosen your fraud settings.
How to Add or Adjust Thresholds and Filters
Thresholds are numeric values (like purchase amount) that can trigger a Review or Decline. Filters are on/off toggles for predefined fraud indicators.
To Add a Threshold:
- Go to Threshold Management
- Click Add Threshold
- Enter a value (e.g., "500" for a high-risk amount)
- Choose an action: Review or Decline
- Click Save
To Add a Filter:
- Toggle Filter On
- Choose Review or Decline
- Click Save
If you switch your default currency, all existing thresholds reset to zero. You must re-enter values based on the new currency.
Threshold Categories
Threshold Management in Kount Advanced Fraud Prevention is organized into four tabs, each targeting a different type of fraud signal:
Transaction Basics: Focuses on core transaction characteristics, including order amount, fraud risk scores, and IP mismatches.
Shipping/Deliverables: Monitors address distance, match quality, and deliverability between billing, shipping, and device data.
Customer Confidence: Evaluates customer behavior patterns such as repeated email, card, or device use in a short timeframe.
Deny Lists: Lets you preemptively block or flag transactions from high-risk countries, networks, or data points based on your preferences.
More detailed thresholds for each tab can be found below:
Transaction Basics Thresholds
| Threshold Option | Description | Action Types |
|---|---|---|
| Order Total Amount | Triggers if the total order exceeds a specified amount. Converts all currencies to your default (USD). | Review / Decline |
| Kount Omniscore | Triggers if the Omniscore is below your defined threshold. | Review / Decline |
| Transaction 24-Hour Count | Triggers if the number of transactions in the last 24 hours exceeds your limit. | Review / Decline |
| Payment Country ≠ IP Country | Flags when billing country doesn’t match device IP country. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
| Payment Country ≠ Device Country | Flags mismatch between billing country and device country. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
| Medium Fraud Risk Filter | Flags transactions marked “Medium Risk.” | Filter On / Filter Off |
| High Fraud Risk Filter | Flags transactions marked “High Risk.” | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
| Suspect IP Address Filter | Flags IP addresses known to be associated with fraud. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
Shipping/Deliverables Thresholds
| Threshold Option | Description | Action Types |
|---|---|---|
| Device IP → Billing Distance | Triggers if the distance between device IP and billing address exceeds your threshold. | Review / Decline |
| Device IP → Shipping Distance | Triggers if the distance between device IP and shipping address exceeds your threshold. | Review / Decline |
| Billing → Shipping Distance | Triggers if billing and shipping addresses are far apart. | Review / Decline |
| Billing ≠ Shipping Address | Flags mismatches between billing and shipping addresses. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
| Billing Address Undeliverable | Flags billing addresses that can’t be verified as deliverable. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
| Shipping Address Undeliverable | Flags shipping addresses that can’t be verified. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
Customer Confidence Thresholds
| Threshold Option | Description | Action Types |
|---|---|---|
| Email Address 24-Hour Count | Triggers if the same email is used in too many transactions within 24 hours. | Review / Decline |
| Email Address Daily Count | Flags if the same email is used too often within a calendar day. | Review / Decline |
| Credit Card 1-Hour Count | Flags high usage of the same card within an hour. | Review / Decline |
| Credit Card (Bank Auth = Approve) | Flags if the same card is used and approved frequently in 1 hour. | Review / Decline |
| Credit Card (Bank Auth = Decline) | Flags if the same card is repeatedly declined within 1 hour. | Review / Decline |
| Device Fingerprint 1-Hour Count | Flags repeat usage of the same device fingerprint. | Review / Decline |
| Device Fingerprint (Auth = Approve) | Flags repeat usage with frequent approvals. | Review / Decline |
| Device Fingerprint (Auth = Decline) | Flags repeat usage with frequent declines. | Review / Decline |
| Device IP 1-Hour Count | Triggers if many transactions come from the same IP address. | Review / Decline |
| Invalid Billing Phone | Flags non-verifiable billing phone numbers. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
| Universal Chargeback Card Filter | Flags cards that appear on a universal chargeback watchlist. | Review / Decline / Filter On / Filter Off |
Deny List Thresholds
| Threshold Option | Description | Action Types |
|---|---|---|
| Network Type List | Triggers when a transaction uses specific flagged network types. | Review / Decline |
| Payment Country List | Triggers if the BIN country on a credit card matches listed countries. | Review / Decline |
| Device IP Country List | Flags transactions from certain IP countries. | Review / Decline |
| Shipping Address Country List | Flags specific shipping destination countries. | Review / Decline |
Working with Multiple Processors
If your account uses more than one processor:
- Use the Processor Configuration dropdown to apply rules to a specific processor.
- Leave it on Default Settings to apply thresholds globally.
Managing Active Thresholds
Your current rules are listed in the Active Thresholds window (top right of the page):
- Click the trash icon to delete a rule.
- Click a threshold to update its value—no need to recreate it.
If nothing appears here, you're using the base default configuration.
Common Questions
Can I undo a Declined transaction?
No. If a transaction meets a Decline threshold or filter, it will not process.
What happens if I don’t set any custom thresholds?
Your account will use the base default fraud settings, which are suitable for most merchants.
How often should I review my settings?
Check your Account Health dashboard weekly to track performance and adjust thresholds accordingly.
Need Help?
If you have questions or need assistance activating or configuring Automatic Card Updater, please contact your Merchant Service Provider.