A system of verifying a purported registrant's ownership or control of a payment instrument includes a communication device, a memory and a processor coupled to the communication device and to the memory. A payment instrument verification module stored in the memory and executable by the processor is adapted to receive information relating to the payment instrument from a registrant, initiate a financial transaction involving the payment instrument via the communication device, generate a dispute amount for the financial transaction, receive via the communication device a notification from a financial institution of the registrant that the financial transaction has been disputed by a comparison amount and compare the comparison amount with the dispute amount for purposes of verifying the payment instrument.