Evidence guidelines for Disputes

Overview

When responding to a dispute in Chargebee Pay, you must provide evidence that demonstrates that the transaction was valid, authorized, and fulfilled according to your policies.

Handle customer disputes efficiently by reviewing dispute details, submitting evidence, and tracking outcomes directly from Chargebee Pay.

Card networks evaluate disputes based on the clarity, completeness, and relevance of the evidence submitted. Providing structured and consistent documentation improves the chances of a successful outcome.

Disputes list

Chargebee Pay provides a centralized view to track and manage disputes. You can review dispute details, monitor status changes, and respond with supporting evidence. The Disputes dashboard displays all disputes associated with your transactions.

From this view, you can:

• View dispute status (open, won, or lost), amount, and currency.
• Identify the dispute reason.
• Track creation and last updated timestamps.

This view helps you prioritize and act on disputes.

Dispute details

Select a dispute from the list to view detailed information or take action.

Use the dispute details page in Chargebee Pay as the primary source for preparing your response. The dispute details page includes:

• Overview: Displays the dispute reason, status, fees, customer details, and key timestamps.
• Transaction: Displays the transaction ID, amount, and date.
• Payment instrument: Displays details of the payment method used.
• Audit logs: Displays a timeline of events related to the dispute and transaction.

You can also choose to accept the dispute or respond with evidence from this page.

Accepting the dispute acknowledges it as valid, ending the dispute process immediately without submitting supporting evidence.

Evidence guidelines by dispute reason

Provide all relevant records to support your case. Include both structured data and supporting documents, wherever available.

Fraud (No cardholder authorization)

Customer claim: The cardholder states that they did not authorize the transaction.

What to prove: The transaction was initiated or authorized by the cardholder, or the cardholder was actively using the account or service.

Recommended evidence:

• Transaction details (ID, amount, date)
• AVS and CVV verification results
• Customer IP address at the time of the transaction
• Device or browser details
• 3D Secure authentication result (if available)
• Customer activity, such as login history or usage logs
• Order or payment confirmation sent to the customer

Supporting documents:

• Invoice or payment receipt (PDF or screenshot)
• Screenshot or export of login or activity logs
• Email confirmation sent to the customer
• Device or session data logs
• Proof of one or more previous non-disputed payments using the same card
• Proof that the transaction was completed by a member of the cardholder's family or household
• Proof of prior successful transactions (if available)
• Proof that a refund has already been issued (if applicable)
• Proof that the cardholder withdrew the dispute (if applicable)

Additional guidance:

Fraud disputes require you to link the cardholder to the transaction. Evidence such as login activity, matching IP addresses, or prior successful payments significantly improves your chances of a successful outcome. AVS and CVV checks alone are typically insufficient.

Subscription canceled

Customer claim: The customer states that the subscription was canceled but they were still charged.

What to prove: The subscription was active at the time of billing and the charge was consistent with your billing cycle and cancellation policy. The customer was aware of the charge and did not follow the required cancellation steps.

Recommended evidence:

• Cancellation policy
• How and when the cancellation policy was shown to the customer
• Subscription details and plan information
• Billing cycle, renewal date, and renewal notification sent to the customer
• Timestamp of the cancellation request
• Confirmation email sent to the customer
• Usage logs (if the service was accessed after renewal)

Supporting documents:

• Subscription agreement or plan description
• Screenshot of the cancellation policy
• Email confirming subscription renewal or cancellation
• System logs showing cancellation timing
• Invoice generated for the billing period

Additional guidance:

This is a timeline-driven dispute. Clearly demonstrate the relationship between:

• Cancellation request date
• Renewal date
• Billing date

If the cancellation occurred before renewal and billing still happened, you are unlikely to win the dispute.

Credit not processed (Refund disputes)

Customer claim: The customer claims they were entitled to a refund that was not received.

What to prove: The refund was either processed correctly or was not required according to your refund policy.

Recommended evidence:

• Refund transaction ID
• Refund timestamp
• Refund confirmation
• Refund or cancellation policy
• Customer communication regarding the refund

Supporting documents:

• Refund receipt or transaction record
• Screenshot of the refund policy
• Email confirming refund initiation
• Applicable business Terms & Conditions
• Support conversations with the customer
• Return or cancellation confirmation (if applicable)

Additional guidance:

These disputes are timeline-driven. Clearly show (if applicable):

• When the refund was requested
• When it was processed

Delays beyond your stated policy window reduce the likelihood of a successful outcome.

Product or service not received

Customer claim: The customer states they did not receive the product or could not access the service.

What to prove: The product was delivered or the service was successfully accessed by the customer.

Recommended evidence:

For physical goods:

• Carrier tracking details
• Delivery confirmation
• Signature confirmation (if available)
• Proof that the agreed-upon delivery date had not yet passed

For digital services (SaaS):

• Login timestamps
• Usage or access logs
• Customer's IP address at the time of purchase
• Account activity after purchase

Supporting documents:

• Documentation (screenshot or email) showing whether the customer attempted to resolve the issue before filing the dispute
• Shipping confirmation or tracking page screenshot
• Carrier delivery confirmation
• Signed proof of delivery (if available)
• Logs showing account access or feature usage
• Email confirming account activation

Additional guidance:

For SaaS businesses, usage evidence is critical. Demonstrating that the customer accessed or used the service strengthens your case significantly.

Duplicate or multiple charges

Customer claim: The customer believes they were charged more than once for the same transaction.

What to prove: Each transaction represents a separate purchase, or one of the charges was only a temporary authorization.

Recommended evidence:

• Transaction and authorization logs
• Evidence of separate purchases
• Clarification of authorization vs. capture
• Refund confirmation (if already processed)
• Explanation of the difference between the disputed charge and the charge that the customer believes is a duplicate

Supporting documents:

• Transaction history export
• Multiple invoices showing distinct purchases
• Payment gateway logs
• Refund receipt (if the duplicate charge has already been refunded)
• Customer communication confirming that the charges were clarified

Additional guidance:

Focus on demonstrating transaction uniqueness. If the duplicate charge has already been refunded, include proof of the refund.

Product unacceptable (Not as described)

Customer claim: The product or service did not match what was described at the time of purchase.

What to prove: The delivered product or service matches the description and expectations set during purchase.

Recommended evidence:

• Product or service description at the time of purchase
• Invoice or order confirmation
• Refund or return policy
• Customer communication

Supporting documents:

• Screenshot of the product or service page
• Order confirmation email
• Policy documentation
• Support interaction logs showing whether the customer attempted to resolve the issue before filing the dispute
• Proof that no return or complaint was raised before the dispute

Additional guidance:

Clearly demonstrate alignment between:

• What was advertised
• What was delivered

If the product was defective or materially different, winning the dispute is unlikely. In such cases, you can provide proof that a replacement or refund was offered or issued.

Before you start responding to a dispute

Make sure:

• The customer authorized the transaction
• The service was delivered or accessed
• Your policies were followed
• All evidence is complete and consistent

If you cannot provide sufficient supporting documentation, consider accepting the dispute rather than responding.

Best practices

• Provide clear and readable documents.
• Accepted file formats:
  • JPG: Up to 10 MB. Ensure the document uses A4 page dimensions.
  • TIFF: Up to 10 MB.
  • PDF: Up to 2 MB.
• Include timestamps wherever applicable.
• Ensure consistency across all records (amount, date, and customer details).
• Submit all relevant evidence together to avoid delays.
• For network-specific guidelines, see Chargeback guidelines.