Dispute a Chargeback and Submit Chargeback Evidence

Dispute a Chargeback

You just got that dreaded notification that you received a chargeback. Now what? If you aren’t familiar with chargebacks, first brush up on your chargeback knowledge by visiting our Chargebacks Overview article. Once you’re ready, you will want to start gathering your evidence to dispute your chargeback.

Gathering Evidence by Reason Code

Successfully disputing a chargeback hinges on the ability to present compelling evidence. Below, we've listed the different types of chargeback reasons and the related compelling evidence that gives you the best chance of winning your chargeback.

	Duplicate Transaction	Product or Service Not Received	Fraud	Canceled or Returned	Defective or Not as Described	Refund Not Processed	General	Incorrect Amount	Canceled Recurring
Rebuttal Letter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Proof of 3DS (3 Domains Secure)	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Proof of Credit/Refund	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Transaction History	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Invoice/Order Form	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Proof of Delivery	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
Recurring Billing Agreement	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Photographic Evidence	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Communication History	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
AVS (Address Verification Service) Verification	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Proof of Authorization	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No

Compelling Evidence Defined

Rebuttal Letter: A rebuttal letter is an overview of what your evidence submission includes and an explanation of why the chargeback is not legitimate. In addition to your explanation of the evidence, you will want to include any information about your company, the information you’ve gathered about your customer, and any relevant details to this case that may not fit in another evidence category.
3DS (3 Domains Secure) Proof: Evidence that the transaction in question went through the process of 3D Secure authentication, including the ECI (Electronic Commerce Indicator) code returned with the authentication.
Proof of Credit: Screenshots showing that a refund was issued for this customer related to the transaction they disputed. Include timestamps and the Acquirer Reference Number (ARN).
Transaction History: Provide history showing that this customer has had multiple non-disputed transactions with you in the past.
Invoice/Order Form: Copies of any invoices related to that transaction, bonus if this invoice includes a wet signature or electronic signature from the customer agreeing to the amount/charge.
Proof of Delivery: Tracking details with delivery pictures showing that the cardholder received their product. For digital purchases, email delivery or login history will also work.
Recurring Billing Agreement: Screenshots highlighting that the cardholder agreed to enter a recurring agreement. This could be on your checkout page, terms of service, or email notifications.
Photographic Evidence: Screenshots showing the cardholder is in possession of the product or was present during the time of service.
Communication History: Any records you have of communication with the cardholder can be beneficial to disprove fraud or that you were unwilling to resolve the issue. Equally as important, you can explain that the cardholder never contacted you, disproving a credit being owed or a cancellation not taking place.
AVS (Address Verification Service) Verification: Proof that address verification was completed during that transaction, but also matches the address provided for delivery of a product.
Proof of Authorization: Proof that the customer agreed to what they were being billed for and the amount before the transaction took place.

Evidence Best Practices

Keep in mind that there is a human being reviewing your evidence on the other end. It’s best to only include evidence that is relevant to the chargeback reason. If you overwhelm the reviewer with evidence, there's a chance they will miss the important points and deny your rebuttal.
Don’t forget to provide an explanation for any screenshots included. We are familiar with our own internal tools and day-to-day processes, but that does not mean someone from the outside looking in will understand what you provided.
Include large and clear screenshots in your response. When your evidence is submitted, those images can be resized or formatted, distorting your image. Make sure you don’t lose vital evidence by having a grainy picture or too small of text.

Note: The individuals reviewing compelling evidence are not familiar with your internal systems, so including an explanation of the evidence provided will increase your chances of winning.

Submit Your Chargeback Evidence

Log in to the Payments Portal
Select the Gateway Configurations tab
Click the Actions menu (three vertical dots icon) and select the Reports option next to the applicable gateway
Select the Chargebacks tab
Click on the applicable chargeback entry
Review the information and click Respond
Click Dispute
Select an option from the Add evidence drop-down
On the pop-up window, describe the evidence and choose a file to upload to support your evidence
Click Save
Review and click Submit Dispute

Dispute a Chargeback and Submit Chargeback Evidence