Stripe Disputes

Everything you need to know about disputes and how to respond to them.

What does it mean when a transaction has been disputed by my customer?

If you've been notified by Stan that your customer has disputed a charge with you, this means that they have reported the charge to their bank as fraudulent.  Disputes are something that none of us can have full control over, and unfortunately are a part of doing online business.

We understand how frustrating this situation can be, especially when you've delivered an awesome digital product/ service to your customer, but we’re here to do everything we can to help you win the dispute and prove that it was wrongfully made in the first place!

You may either provide evidence that counters this claim, or you can accept this dispute by not submitting evidence which will refund the cardholder and close the dispute.

What steps can I take to resolve the dispute?

1. First, we recommend reaching out to your customer directly to better understand why they disputed the charge in the first place
   1. Were they unhappy with the product?
   2. Did they not receive it?
   3. Did they not recognize the charge and accidentally filed the dispute?
2. If they respond, your best action is to try and remedy the situation and ask them to drop the dispute. if they choose to do so, you have a better chance of winning the dispute and can refund them after it has been reviewed by their bank.
3. Regardless if they are cooperative or not, be sure to gather ALL evidence of any communications via emails, DM's, text messages, phone transcription, etc. and consolidate into one single PDF file
4. Submit this evidence, along with a short explanation of why you think they disputed via your Stan Income transaction

What evidence will Stan submit for me?

• Customer Name, Email, and Billing Address
• Product description
• Transaction receipt
• Customer activity logs (showing access & delivery of product)
• Terms and conditions (if enabled in Stan)

Although this evidence is helpful, we recommend that you provide additional compelling evidence like customer communications and any other additional details.

What if I don't have any Customer Communications to submit?

You're not required to submit customer communications, however this for of evidence is highly recommended as it is considered compelling evidence.

If anything, we recommend submitting a screenshot of your attempt to resolve the dispute with the customer directly - it doesn't matter if they did not respond, as this shows that you made an effort.

What type of Customer Communication evidence does Stripe recommend?

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

Learn more about compelling evidence here.

How long does the dispute process take?

The dispute process from initiation to decision can take up to 2-3 months.

Once evidence has been submitted, the customers bank has 60-75 days to review and make a decision.

What can I do to protect myself from future disputes?

1. We do give you the option to turn enable a Terms & Conditions checkbox which requires someone to agree to it before completing a purchase.

   By enabling this feature, you're protecting yourself by providing more evidence to submit when a dispute has been made by a customer. It shows that they "agreed" to your terms & conditions, which may include a no refund policy. We will submit activity logs of this agreement via activity logs, showing that the customer agreed prior to the purchase.

2. If a customer asks for a refund and you do not provide it, you're at risk of them disputing this with their bank. In this situation, it's always best to try and remedy the situation before they dispute it. Be sure to send your terms & conditions via email, offer alternative solutions, and take lots of screenshots as evidence just in case!

🚨 Please note:

• You may have an inquiry that has not yet become a dispute! Check out this guide to learn more about inquiries vs disputes.
• The card issuers only accept one single evidence submission. Once evidence is submitted, it cannot be changed, edited, or otherwise replaced.