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Guide · Stripe disputes and chargebacks

Got a Stripe dispute? Answer it properly.

A dispute (chargeback) means the customer's bank has already pulled the money back from your Stripe balance, and Stripe has added a dispute fee. You get one chance to answer, before a deadline. Here is what to do first, and the evidence that matters for each reason Stripe shows.

Start with the deadline Or get the dispute kit, $29 →
01Do this now

Find the date first.

Open the dispute in the Stripe Dashboard (Payments → Disputes) and write down three things.

  1. The reason, e.g. fraudulent or product_not_received.
  2. The amount being disputed.
  3. The "Respond by" date. It varies by card network, so use the date the Dashboard shows.

Miss the date and you lose automatically. Put it in your calendar a day early.

Deadline
02Fight or accept

Not every dispute is worth fighting.

Fight when

  • You can show the customer authorised the payment.
  • You can show they received what they paid for.

Accept when

  • You really made a mistake: a double charge, an order that never shipped, a missed cancellation.
  • The amount is smaller than the time the response will take.
  • You'd have refunded the customer anyway.

You can't refund a payment that's already disputed; accepting the dispute does the same job.

03Ask once

Contact the customer, once.

Many disputes are confusion: a bank-statement name they don't recognise, a family member's purchase, a forgotten free trial. Ask politely. If they agree it was a mistake, ask them to withdraw the dispute with their bank, and keep their reply: it's evidence. Never pressure them.

04Evidence

Evidence that answers the reason.

The bank reviewer checks your evidence against the reason code. Evidence about something else gets ignored.

Stripe reasonWhat to send
fraudulent"I didn't make this payment"
  • AVS (address) and CVC check results, from the payment's page in Stripe.
  • Whether 3D Secure was completed. If it was, say so first.
  • IP address, device and billing details that match the cardholder.
  • Proof they used what they bought: logins, downloads, usage with dates.
  • Earlier undisputed payments from the same customer.
product_not_received"It never arrived"
  • Tracking with a delivery confirmation to the address they gave.
  • For digital goods: the download or login log, with dates and the buyer's email.
subscription_canceled"I cancelled"
  • The cancellation policy as shown at checkout, and how the customer agreed to it.
  • Proof they didn't cancel before the charge, or that they kept using the service after.
product_unacceptable"Not as described"
  • The product description they saw when they bought.
  • Your refund or return policy, and any messages showing you offered help.
duplicate"Charged twice"
  • Show the two charges are for two different orders (two receipts, two deliveries).
credit_not_processed"I was promised a refund"
  • Show the refund already happened, or why the policy doesn't allow one.
unrecognized · general
  • The receipt, what your business name looks like on bank statements, and proof of delivery or use.
05Write it

Write it so a reviewer reads it.

  1. A three-line summary first.What was bought, when, and why the reason doesn't apply.
  2. Label every attachment.Exhibit A, B, C… and refer to the labels in your letter.
  3. Facts, dates and numbers only.No complaints about the customer.
  4. One page.The attachments do the work.
  5. Submit once.On Stripe you normally get a single submission, so save a draft and check it first.

The bank decides, usually after several weeks. Stripe shows the result on the dispute, and if you win, the amount comes back to you. Check Stripe's pricing page for how dispute fees work in your country.

06Dispute kit

The Stripe Dispute Evidence Kit

Everything above, ready to use.

A download on Whop, yours right after paying. No subscription, no account with us.

Stripe Dispute Evidence KitDownload
  • A ready-to-edit rebuttal letter for each Stripe dispute reason
  • An evidence checklist per reason
  • The first-30-minutes process
  • A prevention checklist to get fewer disputes
Total, one-time$29.00
Get the dispute kit · $29

Secure checkout by Whop · not legal advice

One-time

How many disputes are you getting? Run the free check on your Stripe export (it runs in your browser).
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