Responding to Disputes | Kustom Knowledge Base

Review the dispute category

Each dispute category specifies different response requirements and recommendations to appropriately respond to the root claim of the cardholder. Your first step is to review our response guidelines for the dispute category. This helps you collect the best evidence to counter the dispute claim.

To review to a dispute, open its details page by selecting the applicable dispute in the list.

Best Practices for Responding to Disputes

When an account owner disputes a payment with their bank, they must provide evidence to support their claim. In many cases, the bank’s goal is to protect their customer from having to pay for something they didn’t authorize or feel was misrepresented or damaged.

As the seller, you have the right to counter the account owner’s claim and provide evidence that supports your case. While Kustom does not influence the ultimate outcome of the bank’s decision, our goal is to help you defend the dispute.

Organise the evidence

Before you submit evidence to counter a dispute, abide by the following guidelines:

Present chronologically: Organise evidence in the order events occurred to create a clear timeline of the transaction and subsequent communications.
Group by type: Separate receipts, communications, policies, and system logs into distinct sections for easier reference.
Include summaries: Provide brief explanations of what each piece of evidence demonstrates to guide the reviewer.
Maintain clarity: Ensure all of the text is readable and that images are clear, with sufficient contrast and resolution.

Keep your evidence relevant to the dispute reason and to the point

Card issuers review thousands of dispute responses every day. Writing a long explanation to them isn’t going to make your responses more convincing.

Similarly, providing evidence about your clearly stated return policy isn’t relevant for a dispute claiming that the customer never received the product. Instead, describe clearly and concisely why the claim is unreasonable and how your evidence proves that, using a neutral and professional tone.

Here's an example.

Jenny Rosen purchased [product] from our company on [date] using a Visa credit card. We shipped the product on [date] to the address provided by the customer, and it was delivered on [date], as shown in the tracking file provided, so the claim that the product was not received isn’t true.

You can investigate the dispute while collecting evidence. For example, you can review Google Maps and Street View to see where your delivery took place, or check social media to help establish the customer as the legitimate cardholder.

Many businesses also include email correspondence or texts with their customer, but be aware that these exchanges don’t verify identity. If you include them, only include the relevant excerpts. For example, if you include a long email thread, redact any duplicated copy in the chain.

Keep your evidence factual, professional, and concise. Providing too little evidence is a problem, but overwhelming the card issuer with unnecessary content can obscure your argument.

Limit evidence file length

Card issuers manually review thousands of dispute responses daily and won’t comb through lengthy files to find the relevant argument for the network reason code.

For example, if the dispute network reason code indicates “Credit Not Processed”, but the customer didn’t comply with your cancellation policy, don’t submit your entire Terms and Conditions agreement. Upload only the relevant cancellation policy section and use a callout or arrow to emphasise the details your customer violated.

Include proof of service or delivery

After fraudulent disputes, other high frequency dispute reasons include claims from cardholders that products or services:

Weren’t delivered
Were defective or unsatisfactory
Weren’t as described

Provide proof of service or delivery to refute such claims.

For a merchandise purchase, provide proof of shipment and delivery that includes the full delivery address, not just the city and postal code verification.

If your customer provides a “Ship to” name that differs from their own (for example, a gift purchase), be prepared to provide documentation explaining why they’re different. While it’s common practice to purchase and ship to an address that doesn’t match the verified billing address for the card, this is an additional dispute risk.

If your business provides digital goods, include evidence such as an IP address or system log proving the customer downloaded the content or used your software or service.

Include a copy of your terms of service and refund policy

When it comes to disputes, fine print matters. For returns or refunds, it’s critical to provide proof that your customer agreed to and understood your terms of service at checkout, or didn’t follow your policies. Include a clean screenshot of how you present your terms of service during checkout, with the relevant policy clearly emphasised.

Don’t, however, include the text of your entire policy, because card issuers won’t read through it all to find the relevant copy.

Combine files of the same evidence type

You must specify an evidence type for each file you upload, and you can only submit one piece of evidence per type. For example, you can combine several items representing communication with your customer (email messages, text screenshots, phone transcripts, and so on into a single file for the customer communication evidence. This also decreases your overall file length.

Formatting documents and images to upload

Include large, clear images for review. Whether you upload files through the Dashboard or the API, both have limitations on the acceptable file types and the combined file size.

Only PDF, JPEG, or PNG file types are accepted
The combined file size can’t be more than 4.5MB
The combined page count must be less than 50 pages
You can compress your files with tools such as Smallpdf

Dispute Categories and Suggested Evidence

See below for dispute categories and suggested evidence.

Credit not processed

The customer claims they’re entitled to a full or partial refund because they returned the purchased product or didn’t fully use it, or the transaction was otherwise canceled or not fully fulfilled, but you haven’t yet provided a refund or credit.

How to prevent it

Have a clear return or cancellation policy that’s easy to find or explicitly disclosed to the customer prior to purchase.
Honor your written policies promptly when a customer requests and is entitled to a full or partial refund.

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

You already issued the refund your customer is entitled to
The customer isn’t entitled to a refund
The customer withdrew the dispute

Product Types

Physical products are tangible goods that were either purchased in a store or shipped to the recipient, so evidence often proves the customer is in possession of the item.
Digital products or services are often virtual in nature and don’t have trackable shipping data, so focus on evidence of usage, login, or download.
Offline services include purchases that are made in advance, such as event tickets and reservations, where evidence of a cancellation policy can be material.

Physical products

The language of your refund policy, as provided to the customer. This might be:

The text copied from your policy page
A screenshot of the policy on a receipt
A PDF of only the applicable part of your business’s terms and conditions

An explanation of how and where the applicable policy was provided to your customer prior to purchase.

Your explanation for why the customer isn’t entitled to a refund, or no further refund, if you already issued a partial refund.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute.

If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.

If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether or not the customer returned the merchandise in whole or in part.
If they partially used the merchandise or returned it, or whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Digital products and services

The language of the applicable cancellation or refund policy, as provided to the customer.

This might be:

The text copied from your policy page

A screenshot of the policy on a receipt

A PDF of only the applicable part of your business’s terms and conditions

An explanation of how and where you provided the applicable policy to your customer prior to purchase.

Your explanation for why the customer isn’t entitled to a cancellation or refund.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.

If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether or not the customer used the digital product or service in whole or in part. If they partially used it, or whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Offline services

The language of your refund policy, as provided to the customer. This might be:

The text copied from your policy page

A screenshot of the policy on a receipt

A PDF of the applicable part of your business’s terms and conditions

An explanation of how and where you provided the applicable policy to your customer prior to purchase.

Your explanation for why the customer isn’t entitled to a cancellation or refund.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.

If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to Whether or not the customer used the digital product or service in whole or in part. If they partially used it, or whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Duplicate

The customer claims they were charged multiple times for the same product or service.

How to prevent it

If a customer’s card is accidentally charged more than once for a single payment, correct the duplicates immediately and get in touch with the customer to let them know you’ve handled the issue.
Send detailed receipts that explain every payment and make it easy to distinguish the unique reason for each.
If you built your own Stripe integration, ensure it can handle errors without double-charging.
Honor your written policies promptly when a customer requests and is entitled to a refund for a duplicate payment.

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

Each payment was for a separate product or service
You already issued a refund to your customer
The customer withdrew the dispute

Product Types

Choose the product type of the disputed transaction to see relevant evidence suggestions.

Physical products are tangible goods that were either purchased in a store or shipped to the recipient, so evidence often proves the customer is in possession of the item.
Digital products or services are often virtual in nature and don’t have trackable shipping data, so focus on evidence of usage, login, or download.
Offline services include purchases that are made in advance, such as event tickets and reservations, where evidence of a cancellation policy can be material.

Physical products

In such cases, you can select All Fields from the gear menu and provide alternate evidence that is applicable to the dispute in question.

An explanation of the difference between the disputed payment and the one the customer believes it’s a duplicate of.

Documentation for the prior payment that can uniquely identify it, such as a separate receipt. This document should be paired with a similar document from the disputed payment that proves the two are separate. This should also include a separate shipping label or receipt for the other payment. If multiple products were shipped together, provide a packing list that shows each purchase.

A shipping label or receipt for the product the disputed payment is for.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly. If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Any and all information documenting that each payment was made separately, such as copies of receipts. If the receipts don’t include the items purchased, be sure to include an itemized list. Each receipt should clearly indicate that the payments are for separate purchases of items or services.
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Digital products and services

An explanation of the difference between the disputed payment and the one the customer believes it’s a duplicate of.

Documentation for the prior payment that can uniquely identify it, such as a separate receipt. Pair this document with a similar document from the disputed payment that proves the two are separate. Also include a separate shipping label or receipt for the other payment. If multiple products shipped together, provide a packing list that shows each purchase.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.

If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to Whether or not the customer used the digital product or service in whole or in part. If they partially used it, or whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute)

Offline services

The charge ID for the previous payment that appears to be a duplicate of the disputed one. If no duplicate charge exists, you can’t provide a duplicate charge ID when prompted to supply evidence in the Portal In such cases, you can select All Fields from the gear menu and provide alternate evidence that is applicable to the dispute in question.

An explanation of the difference between the disputed payment and the one the customer believes it’s a duplicate of.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.

If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to Whether or not the customer used the digital product or service in whole or in part. If they partially used it, or whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute)

Fraudulent

Fraudulent disputes are the most common type and occur when cardholders claim they didn't authorize a payment. This can happen when cardholders don't recognize a legitimate charge on their statement, or when someone has actually used their card fraudulently. These disputes are particularly challenging to win since the dispute reason is often valid. If you believe the charge was truly fraudulent, you should either accept the dispute or choose not to challenge it.

How to prevent it

Because fraud disputes are so difficult to win, prevention is key. Good strategies include:

Make sure your statement descriptor clearly shows your business name or URL that customers will recognize from their purchase
Send receipts immediately after payment to help customers track their purchases
Familiarize yourself with the best practices for preventing fraud

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

That the legitimate cardholder or an authorized representative (such as an employee or family member) made the payment
You already issued a refund to the cardholder
The customer withdrew the dispute or acknowledged they recognize the charge and filed the fraud dispute in error

Product Types

Choose the product type of the disputed transaction to see relevant evidence suggestions.

Physical products are tangible goods that were either purchased in a store or shipped to the recipient, so evidence often proves the customer is in possession of the item.
Digital products or services are often virtual in nature and don’t have trackable shipping data, so focus on evidence of usage, login, or download.
Offline services include purchases that are made in advance, such as event tickets and reservations, where evidence of a cancellation policy can be material.

Physical products

Evidence (for example, photographs or emails) to prove a link between the person receiving products and the cardholder, or proving that the cardholder disputing the transaction is in possession of the products.

Evidence that the person who signed for the products was authorized to sign for or is known by the cardholder. If the products were collected from a physical location, you should provide:

Cardholder signature on the pickup form
A copy of identification presented by the cardholder
Details of identification presented by the cardholder

The address you shipped a physical product to. The shipping address must match a verified billing address or be the address of a business that’s connected to the legitimate cardholder in some way

Documentation showing the product was shipped to the cardholder at the same address the cardholder provided to you. This should ideally include a copy of the shipment receipt or label, and show the full shipping address of the cardholder.

The date that a physical product began its route to the shipping address in a clear, human-readable format. This date is prior to the date of the dispute.

The delivery service that shipped a physical product, such as Fedex, UPS, USPS, and so on. If multiple carriers were used for this purchase, separate them with commas

The tracking number for a physical product, obtained from the delivery service. If multiple tracking numbers were generated for this purchase, separate them with commas. When the payment method compiles your evidence into a single document, these tracking numbers are expanded to include detailed delivery information from the carrier.

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

A signed order form for products purchased by mail or phone order Evidence that the transaction was completed by a member of the cardholder’s family or household
Evidence of one or more non-disputed payments on the same card
Evidence that payments on the same card had been disputed as fraud prior to the issuer authorizing this transaction
Evidence that the card’s CVC value was presented at purchase, but the issuer either authorized the charge despite the check failing
For recurring payments, evidence of a legally binding contract held between your business and the cardholder, that the cardholder is using the products, and of any previous payments not disputed
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Digital products and services

Customer’s IP address at the time of purchase

Name of customer

Email address of customer

Server or activity logs showing proof that the customer accessed or downloaded the purchased digital product after they made the payment. This should ideally include IP addresses, corresponding timestamps, and any detailed recorded activity.

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Device geographical location at the date and time of transaction
Device ID, number, and name (if applicable)
Evidence that the transaction was completed by a member of the cardholder’s family or household
Evidence of one or more non-disputed payments on the same card
Evidence that payments on the same card had been disputed as fraud prior to the issuer authorizing this transaction
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Offline Services

Evidence Type

Evidence (for example, photographs or emails) to prove a link between the person receiving the service and the cardholder, or proving that the cardholder disputing the transaction has used or is still using the service.

Documentation showing that the service was provided to the cardholder, including the date that the cardholder received or began receiving the purchased service in a clear, human-readable format. This could include a copy of a signed contract, work order, or other form of written agreement.

For passenger transportation or services or travel and expense transactions, evidence that the service was provided and any of the following:

Proof that the ticket was received at the cardholder’s billing address
Evidence of payments related to the disputed payment, such as seat upgrades, extra baggage, and purchases made on board the passenger transport

Details of loyalty program rewards earned or redeemed, including address and phone number, that establish a link to the cardholder

Evidence that other payments related to the original payment, like upgrades, were not disputed

Evidence that the person who signed for the service was authorized to sign for or is known by the cardholder.

Provide any of the following, if you have them:

Cardholder signature on the pickup form
A copy of identification presented by the cardholder
Details of identification presented by the cardholder

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

A signed order form for products purchased by mail or phone order
Evidence that the transaction was completed by a member of the cardholder’s family or household
Evidence of one or more non-disputed payments on the same card
For recurring payments, evidence of a legally binding contract held between your business and the cardholder, that the cardholder is using the products, and of any previous payments not disputed
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

General

This is an uncategorized dispute, so contact the customer for additional details to find out why they disputed the payment.

Product not received

The customer claims they did not receive the products or services purchased.

How to prevent it

For physical products, promptly ship them after payment is made
Estimate shipping and delivery dates as accurately as you can, and communicate clearly with your customer. If shipping delays arise unexpectedly, keep your customer informed.
Save shipping labels, and for high-value products consider requiring a signature upon receipt.
Make it easy for your customers to contact you when they have issues receiving their products (for example: send receipts upon payment so your customers can easily reply to get in touch).
For digital goods or services, maintain access logs or documentation that tie usage back to the customer.
Honor your written policies promptly when a customer requests a full or partial refund they’re entitled to for products or services they didn’t receive.

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

The product was in fact delivered or isn’t expected to have been delivered yet (for example, the agreed-upon delivery date is still in the future)
You already issued a refund to the cardholder
The customer withdrew the dispute

Product Types

Choose the product type of the disputed transaction to see relevant evidence suggestions.

Physical products are tangible goods that were either purchased in a store or shipped to the recipient, so evidence often proves the customer is in possession of the item.
Digital products or services are often virtual in nature and don’t have trackable shipping data, so focus on evidence of usage, login, or download.
Offline services include purchases that are made in advance, such as event tickets and reservations, where evidence of a cancellation policy can be material.

Physical products

Evidence proving that the cardholder disputing the transaction is in possession of the products.

This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Evidence that someone signed for the products when they were picked up or delivered. If they collected the products from a physical location, make sure you provide:

Cardholder signature on the pickup form
A copy of identification presented by the cardholder
Details of identification presented by the cardholder

The address you shipped a physical product to. The shipping address needs to match a billing address verified with Kustom or be the address of a business that’s connected to the cardholder in some way.

Documentation showing you shipped the product to the cardholder at the same address the cardholder provided to you. Ideally include a copy of the shipment receipt or label, and show the full shipping address of the cardholder.

The date that a physical product began its route to the shipping address in a clear, human-readable format.

The delivery service that shipped a physical product, such as Fedex, UPS, USPS, and so on. If multiple carriers were used for this purchase, separate them with commas.

The tracking number for a physical product, obtained from the delivery service. If multiple tracking numbers were generated for this purchase, separate them with commas. When Stripe compiles your evidence into a single document, these tracking numbers are expanded to include detailed delivery information from the carrier.

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Evidence that the agreed-upon delivery date hasn’t arrived yet
If the purchase was made up of multiple different shipments and some of them were delivered successfully, evidence that the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unreceived shipments
Evidence that delivery is being held by customs in the cardholder’s country
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Digital products and services

Customer’s IP address at the time of purchase

Name of customer

Email address of customer

Server or activity logs showing proof that the customer accessed or downloaded the purchased digital product after the payment was made. Ideally include IP addresses, corresponding timestamps, and any detailed recorded activity.

This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Device geographical location at the date and time of transaction
Device ID, number, and name (if applicable)
Evidence that the agreed-upon delivery date hasn’t arrived yet
If the purchase was made up of multiple different electronic deliveries and some of them were delivered successfully, evidence that the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unreceived items
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Offline services

Evidence Type

Evidence proving that the cardholder disputing the transaction received the service.

This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Evidence that the service was signed for. If possible, you should provide:

Cardholder signature
A copy of identification presented by the cardholder
Details of identification presented by the cardholder

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Evidence that the agreed-upon service date hasn’t arrived yet
If the purchase was made up of multiple different shipments and some of them were delivered successfully, evidence that the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unreceived shipments
Evidence that delivery is being held by customs in the cardholder’s country
Whether you have already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Product not acceptable

The customer received the product but claims it was defective or damaged in some way, or was not described or represented in an accurate manner prior to purchase.

How to prevent it

Ensure that the description of products or services shown in advertisements, online, and transaction receipts, or used in telephone order-taking scripts are accurate, complete, and not misleading.
Never refer cardholders to the manufacturer in lieu of attempting to resolve the issue directly—the business selling the product or service is liable and must be the point of contact for resolution.

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

That the product or service was accurately represented prior to purchase
That the product wasn’t damaged or defective
You already issued a refund to your customer
The customer withdrew the dispute

Product Types

Choose the product type of the disputed transaction to see relevant evidence suggestions.

Physical products are tangible goods that were either purchased in a store or shipped to the recipient, so evidence often proves the customer is in possession of the item.
Digital products or services are often virtual in nature and don’t have trackable shipping data, so focus on evidence of usage, login, or download.
Offline services include purchases that are made in advance, such as event tickets and reservations, where evidence of a cancellation policy can be material.

Physical products

A description of the product as you represented it to the customer, or images that display how you showed the product to the customer prior to purchase.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.

If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

The language of your refund policy and how you disclosed it to the customer prior to purchase.

Depending on network and context, the issuer might or might not take this into consideration, but it can’t hurt your case and is generally worth including.

This might be:

The text copied from your policy page
A screenshot of the policy on a receipt
A PDF of the applicable part of your business’s terms and conditions

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

Whether or not the customer returned the product to you. If the product was partially used or consumed, whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether you have already provided a replacement product
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Digital products and services

A description of the digital product or service as it was represented to the customer, or images that display how the customer was shown the product prior to purchase.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly.If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

Any server or activity logs showing proof that the cardholder accessed or downloaded the purchased digital product. This information should include IP addresses, corresponding timestamps, and any detailed recorded activity.

The language of your refund policy and how you disclosed it to the customer prior to purchase. Depending on network and context, the issuer might or might not take this into consideration, but it can’t hurt your case and is generally worth including.

This might be:

The text copied from your policy page
A screenshot of the policy on a receipt
A PDF of the applicable part of your business’s terms and conditions

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

If the product was partially used or consumed, whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether you already provided a replacement service
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Offline services

A description of the service as you represented it to the customer, or images that display how you advertised the service to the customer prior to purchase.

Whether or not the customer attempted to resolve the issue with you prior to filing a dispute. If they didn’t reach out to you before the dispute, state that clearly .If you did communicate with them prior to the dispute, or if later conversations shed light on the facts of the case, submit this with your evidence. This could look like:

A screenshot of a text conversation
A PDF of an email exchange
A PDF of your written account of a phone conversation, including dates of contact

The language of your refund policy and how it was disclosed to the customer prior to purchase. Depending on network and context, the issuer might or might not take this into consideration, but it can’t hurt your case and is generally worth including.

This might be:

The text copied from your policy page
A screenshot of the policy on a receipt
A screenshot of the policy on a receipt

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

If the service was only partially used, whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether you already provided a replacement service
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Subscription cancelled

The customer claims that you continued to charge them after a subscription was canceled.

How to prevent it

Promptly cancel subscriptions upon request, making sure to pass the cancellation along to Kustom if you use our recurring functionality and provide your customer with a confirmation of the cancellation.
Make it clear on your signup page that your customers are agreeing to a recurring payment and include information about whether or not you plan to notify the customer before each payment.
Make sure cancellation procedures and policies are clearly communicated to your customers.

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

The subscription was still active and that the customer was aware of, and did not follow, your cancellation procedure.
You already issued a refund to your customer
The customer withdrew the dispute

Product Types

Choose the product type of the disputed transaction to see relevant evidence suggestions.

Physical products are tangible goods that were either purchased in a store or shipped to the recipient, so evidence often proves the customer is in possession of the item.
Digital products or services are often virtual in nature and don’t have trackable shipping data, so focus on evidence of usage, login, or download.
Offline services include purchases that are made in advance, such as event tickets and reservations, where evidence of a cancellation policy can be material.

Physical products

Your subscription cancellation policy, as shown to the customer.

An explanation of how and when the customer was shown your cancellation policy prior to purchase.

A justification for why the customer’s subscription was not canceled, or if it was canceled, why this particular payment is still valid.

A notification sent to the customer of a renewal or continuation of the subscription, or an acknowledgement from the customer of their continued use of the product or service after the date they claim they canceled the subscription (if available).

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

If the product was consumed prior to the billing (in cases where billing occurs regularly, but consumption of whatever is being billed for happens prior to the billing)
If the product was partially used, whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
If customer is mistaken about what the actual cancellation date was (for example, in cases where the cancellation was set for a future date)
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether you already provided a replacement service
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Digital products and services

Your subscription cancellation policy, as shown to the customer.

An explanation of how and when the customer was shown your cancellation policy prior to purchase.

A justification for why the customer’s subscription was not cancelled, or if it was cancelled, why this particular payment is still valid.

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

If the product was consumed prior to the billing (in cases where billing occurs regularly, but consumption of whatever is being billed for happens prior to the billing)
If the product was partially used, whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
If customer is mistaken about what the actual cancellation date was (for example, in cases where the cancellation was set for a future date)
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether you already provided a replacement service
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Offline services

Your subscription cancellation policy, as shown to the customer.

An explanation of how and when the customer was shown your cancellation policy prior to purchase.

A justification for why the customer’s subscription was not canceled, or if it was canceled, why this particular payment is still valid.

Any argument invalidating the dispute reason, such as a PDF or screenshot showing:

If the product was consumed prior to the billing (in cases where billing occurs regularly, but consumption of whatever is being billed for happens prior to the billing)
If the product was partially used, whether the dispute amount exceeds the value of the unused portion
If customer is mistaken about what the actual cancellation date was (for example, in cases where the cancellation was set for a future date)
Whether you already issued the refund the cardholder is entitled to
Whether you already provided a replacement service
Whether the cardholder withdrew the dispute

Unrecognized

The customer doesn’t recognize the payment appearing on their card statement. This is effectively indistinguishable from the Fraudulent reason.

How to prevent it

Make sure your statement descriptor is easily recognisable to your customers and reflects the URL or business name they would associate with their purchase
Send receipts upon payment so your customers can recall what they paid for

How to overturn it

Explain and demonstrate one or more of the following:

That the legitimate cardholder or an authorized representative (such as an employee or family member) did in fact make the payment
You already issued a refund to the cardholder
The customer withdrew or otherwise acknowledged they recognise the charge and filed the fraud dispute in error

Key reminders

⚠️ You only have one chance to respond. ⚠️ Missing the deadline results in an automatic loss. ⚠️ There is no appeals process—outcomes are final.