Black Friday week changes what a normal order looks like. Volume jumps, new customers arrive in large numbers, and everyone is in a hurry, which makes risky orders harder to spot and easier to wave through. This guide covers what changes during the week, what to check on each flagged order, and how to keep reviewing when you are short on time.
What changes during sale week
Your usual instincts are tuned to a quiet week. During a sale, several signals that normally stand out become common among genuine customers, so no single signal is enough.
| Signal | Why it is harder to read in sale week |
|---|---|
| First-time customer | Promotions bring in many genuine new buyers |
| Large order value | Shoppers stock up while prices are low |
| Different shipping address | Gifts are often sent straight to the recipient |
| Express shipping | Shoppers pay more to meet a holiday deadline |
What to check in Shopify
Shopify's fraud analysis appears in the Order risk section of the order details page. It includes fraud indicators, such as address and payment checks, device or network activity, and whether the customer tried more than one credit card. Stores on eligible plans, or using Shopify Payments, also see a recommendation that rates chargeback risk as low, medium or high.
- Order list: Medium and high risk orders are flagged with a warning symbol next to the order number
- Indicators: Read them together, not one at a time
- Recommendation: Shopify advises reviewing it instead of deciding from one indicator
For the basics, see Shopify order risk levels.
Combinations worth a closer look
One odd detail is usually a gift. Several together deserve a pause before you ship.
- Several cards tried: Then a high-value order to a new address
- Many small orders: In quick succession, which can point to a card testing attack
- Easily resold items: In unusual quantities from a new customer
- A forwarding address: See orders to freight forwarder addresses
- Rushed contact: Messages pressing you to ship before you have checked
The full list is in fraudulent order red flags.
A review routine for a busy week
The risk during a sale is skipping review because the packing queue is long. A short, fixed routine keeps it going.
- ✅ Review flagged orders at set times each day, before labels are printed
- ✅ Agree in advance which orders you will always verify, for example above a set value
- ✅ Verify the customer when signals conflict
- ❌ Do not cancel purely because the billing and shipping addresses differ
- ❌ Do not ship a high risk order just to clear the queue
Keep records for later
Chargebacks from sale week arrive after the sale, sometimes weeks later. The decision to cancel or fulfill is yours, and Shopify notes that it does not cover charge reversals from banks. Save what you saw and why you decided, so you can respond to a chargeback with evidence.
- Save: The risk indicators, any verification messages and the tracking details
- Note: Who decided and when
Doing this at scale
RiskClarity reviews each paid order, explains the risk in plain English with the fraud signals behind it, and recommends allow, verify or hold. You decide with one click, and every decision is recorded in an audit log you can export for chargeback disputes. See RiskClarity.