Dispute reasons and recommended evidence
Last updated: April 2, 2025
A customer may raise a dispute against a payment you've performed if they claim that:
- The transaction was fraudulent.
- The transaction was not recognized.
- The recurring payment was canceled.
- The product or service was not received.
- The product or service was not as described.
- The product was returned or service canceled but a refund was not issued.
- They were charged the incorrect amount.
- They were charged multiple times for the same purchase.
If you believe a dispute has been raised incorrectly, you can challenge it by submitting evidence. The type of evidence you should provide varies depending on the reason for the dispute.
To improve your chances of winning the dispute, we recommend that you:
- Only upload and submit evidence that addresses the specific reason for the dispute.
- Provide concise evidence to make it easier for the issuer or card scheme to assess your case.
- Submit evidence in English.
- Adhere to the card schemes' file requirements for submitted evidence.
The card issuer will not accept the following as evidence:
- Audio or video files
- Links to third-party websites
- Links to file downloads
- A request to contact you for more information
The transaction was processed without proper authorization, and violated the scheme's authorization rules.
- Proof that a valid authorization was obtained before processing the transaction
- System logs or authorization reports showing approval codes and timestamps
- Records proving that a valid authorization was obtained and included in transaction details
- Merchant system logs confirming the timing of the transaction in relation to the authorization validity period
The customer claims that you’ve continued to charge them for a canceled subscription or other recurring payment.
You need to submit evidence that shows that their subscription was still active, and that they knew about your cancelation procedure but did not follow it.
Your cancelation policy is probably the most useful piece of evidence to provide here. But it’s also helpful to submit evidence that shows the policy was displayed in an obvious way to the customer. For example, a screenshot to show the policy was linked to or referred to during the checkout process.
In the API, this displays as "category": "canceled_recurring".
- Recurring transaction agreement
- Evidence that the customer was informed of the recurring billing – For example, an email notification or receipt
- If the transaction was for a service or subscription, proof that it was delivered to or accessed by the customer
- Evidence that you did not receive a cancelation request before the disputed charge
- If the customer requested cancelation after the billing date, proof of when the cancelation request was made
- cancelation policy, and evidence to show it was visible to the customer
- Customer communication
The customer claims they canceled the service or returned the products.
- Proof of a processed credit, refund, or reversal that was not acknowledged in the dispute
- A copy of the transaction receipt showing that your cancelation or refund policy was disclosed and agreed to at the time of purchase
- Evidence that the customer did not cancel within the allowed timeframe, or did not follow the cancelation policy
- A detailed description of the purchased item and expected delivery date
- Proof that the service was provided before cancelation, or that cancelation was attempted after the allowed time frame
The customer claims that they returned or canceled the product or service, but you failed to issue a refund or credit.
If you did refund your customer, provide evidence for this. If the customer was not eligible for a refund/credit, submit your refund policy and any evidence (such as a screenshot) that shows it was legible and obvious to the customer.
In the API, this displays as "category": "credit_not_issued".
- Refund or cancelation policy
- Invoice or receipt
- Customer communication
The customer claims they did not authorize the payment, or the issuer flagged the transaction in their fraud reporting.
This may be true fraud, where a third party has stolen the customer’s card or details, or so-called "friendly fraud", where the customer knows the transaction is legitimate but claims it's fraudulent to get a refund. Customers may also simply forget about purchases they've made. For this reason, contact them early in the dispute process.
The following evidence is only helpful if it demonstrates a link between the person who received the product/service and the real customer, or that the customer did make the payment and received the product or service.
Information
If the transaction was authenticated with 3D Secure, the issuer is liable for the fraudulent chargeback.
In the API, this displays as "category": "fraudulent".
- Proof of delivery or service
- Invoice or receipt
- Customer communication
If Checkout.com cannot map the dispute to any of the reasons listed on this page, we consider it to be a general dispute.
Contact the customer to find out why they're disputing the transaction, and then submit evidence that addresses their reasons.
In the API, this displays as "category": "general".
- Proof of delivery or service
- Invoice or receipt
- Invoice showing two distinct transactions
- Customer communication
- Refund or cancelation policy
- Recurring transaction agreement
The customer claims that they were charged the wrong amount.
A receipt or invoice that shows you charged the correct amount is the most useful evidence, but any relevant communication with customer might also be helpful.
In the API, this displays as "category": "incorrect_amount".
- Invoice or receipt
- Customer communication
- Refund or cancelation policy
The customer claims they have been charged more than once for the same purchase.
You need to submit evidence that demonstrates that each payment was for a separate product or service.
In the API, this will be displayed as "category": "duplicate".
- Proof of delivery or service for two separate products/services
- Invoice showing two distinct transactions
The customer claims that the product or service they ordered is defective, damaged, or not as described.
You need to provide evidence that proves that the product or service you provided was as described, or was not damaged or defective.
If relevant, it may be useful to submit the terms and conditions of any marketing material relating to the product or service, and evidence (such as a screenshot) that they were clearly displayed to the customer.
In the API, this displays as "category": "not_as_described".
- Terms and conditions
- Invoice or receipt
- Customer communication
- Refund or cancelation policy
The customer claims that the transaction was processed incorrectly.
- Proof that the transaction was processed correctly and does not contain an error
- Proof of customer consent – For example, a signed agreement, invoice, or transaction receipt
- A copy of the original receipt or invoice that shows the correct amount was charged
- System logs showing the transaction details and that the amount was not modified
- Evidence of the correct exchange rate applied at the time of the transaction
- Proof that the transaction was processed within the allowable time frame
- Screenshots or internal processing records demonstrating the correct submission of the transaction
The customer claims they never received the products or services they paid for.
You need to provide evidence that proves the customer received the physical product or service, or accessed a digital one.
In the API, this displays as "category": "product_service_not_received".
- Proof of delivery or service
- Invoice or receipt
- Customer communication