How to respond to a chargeback
- Check the reason. Evidence that wins a "not received" dispute (tracking and delivery confirmation) does nothing for a "not as described" one.
- Respond before the deadline in your processor's dashboard. Missing it usually means an automatic loss.
- Keep it short and factual: a one-paragraph summary, then labelled evidence that matches the reason.
- Accept disputes you can't win and fix the cause: clearer descriptors, better product pages, easier refunds, or 3-D Secure on risky orders.
Watch your dispute rate
Dispute rate = disputes ÷ transactions in the same period. Card networks run monitoring programs for merchants with high dispute rates, and processors watch this number closely, so keep it as low as you can. Many processors start to worry well before it reaches 1%.
Questions
What evidence wins a chargeback?
Evidence that answers the specific reason: proof of delivery for not-received disputes, the matching billing and shipping details, AVS and CVC results and past orders for fraud claims, and your refund or cancellation policy that the customer accepted for refund and subscription disputes.
Should I fight every chargeback?
No. If the amount is small and your evidence is weak, the time costs more than you'd recover. Accept it, refund if appropriate, and fix the cause.
How is dispute rate calculated?
Disputes in a period divided by transactions in the same period. Ask your processor which method it uses.
Is my data uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026.