Chargebacks

Manage chargebacks effectively to minimize losses and protect your business

A chargeback occurs when a customer files a complaint with their card-issuing bank, claiming that a transaction made with their card was unauthorized or there was an issue with the product or service they received.

Common reasons for chargebacks include fraudulent transactions, duplicate charges, or unsatisfactory goods or services.

Customers submit chargeback requests to their card-issuing banks.
If the issuing bank recognizes the request as valid, it cancels the transaction and temporarily credits the funds to the customer's account.
The acquiring bank (the bank representing the merchant) receives notification of the chargeback and debits the merchant's account for the transaction amount and any associated fees.
Solidgate informs the merchant of the chargeback and provides an opportunity to dispute it by submitting evidence.
If the merchant’s evidence is sufficient, the chargeback may be reversed, and the funds returned to the merchant’s account. If not, the chargeback remains, and the customer retains the refund.

The chargeback amount may exceed the original payment due to currency exchange rate fluctuations. This occurs when the exchange rate changes between the original transaction and the chargeback, potentially confusing merchants unaware of these variations.

Download the checklist to protect your revenue and keep your business thriving by avoiding costly fraud and chargeback.

Chargeback defense checklist & Subscription fraud

Chargeback structure

Received dispute Webhook entity signifies the start of the dispute process, containing the chargeback type and chargeback flow. The chargeback flow outlines the various stages of the dispute process, including the first chargeback, pre-arbitration, and arbitration.

Each stage appears as a separate entity, similar to how individual transactions are displayed within an order.

Chargebacks sample

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"chargeback": {
"id": 148812,
"dispute_date": "2024-07-12",
"settlement_date": "2024-07-10",
"amount": 100,
"currency": "USD",
"reason_code": 10.4,
"status": "reversed",
"reason_group": "Fraud",
"reason_description": "Fraud – Card-Absent Environment",
"type": "2nd_chb",
}
"chargeback_flow": {
"id": 12345,
"amount": 100,
"dispute_amount": 0,
"currency": "USD",
"type": "2nd_chb",
"status": "reversed",
"date": "2024-07-10",
"settlement_date": "2024-07-10",
"updated_date": "2024-07-11",
"deadline_date": "2024-07-12",
"arn_code": "127011XXXXXX140503"
}
}

Types

Value	Description
`1st_chb`	The customer initiates a transaction dispute with their card issuer.
`2nd_chb`	The issuer rejects your defense and initiates pre-arbitration.
`arbitration`	The issuer or cardholder disputes the merchant’s second presentment, moving the case to issuer network arbitration.

1st_chb

A chargeback occurs when a customer disputes a transaction with their card issuer. The merchant has the opportunity to challenge the chargeback request. The challenge involves providing evidence that the transaction is valid and not fraudulent, that the customer is verified, and that the service was provided.

A fee applies for each chargeback processing. Merchants should contact their account manager for information regarding the fee. It is essential to monitor and respond to these disputes as quickly as possible, as prompt action can help reduce costs and increase the chances of winning unjustified chargebacks.

If the merchant cannot provide proof before the chargeback deadline, compelling evidence should be sent to the Solidgate support team.

2nd_chb

If the card issuer declines the merchant’s defense to the cardholder’s inquiry based on the evidence provided, the merchant has two options:

Accept the chargeback request.
Challenge the chargeback request a second time and enter pre-arbitration.

This is known as the second chargeback or pre-arbitration. If the merchant or cardholder disputes the transaction again based on new evidence, the issuing bank can pursue this as a second chargeback, entering pre-arbitration.

arbitration

At this stage, the involved parties - the bank, cardholder, and merchant - cannot resolve the dispute independently. A representative from the card network, such as VISA, Mastercard, or Discover, is asked to step in and make a final decision.

Fees will apply for the arbitration process. For example, in the case of a Mastercard chargeback arbitration, merchants will be required to pay a filing fee of $150, an admin fee of $250, a withdrawal fee of $150, and $100 in technical fees. Due to the high costs associated with these fees, merchants can benefit from disputing only very high-cost chargebacks. Consequently, in most cases, the arbitration process results in a net loss for the merchant, even if they win.

Statuses

Chargeback statuses indicate the different stages of the chargeback process, including investigation and resolution.

Value	Description
`in_progress`	This status indicates that Solidgate has received the chargeback. The merchant can provide compelling evidence or accept the dispute before the specified deadline.
`document_sent`	This status indicates that Solidgate has forwarded all supporting documents to the card scheme. These documents are final. Revisions are not permitted.
`reversed`	This status indicates that the merchant has successfully challenged the chargeback and had the disputed amount credited back. The issuer’s final review is pending.
`accepted`	This status indicates that the merchant agreed to the dispute or did not submit defense documents. It may appear after the initial documents are uploaded. If it remains for two or three months, it means that the dispute is lost.
`resolved`	This status indicates that the dispute is concluded through Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR). It does not affect the dispute ratio. Similar to the Mastercom Collaboration program, merchants, issuers, and acquirers communicate early, enabling refunds to prevent chargebacks and resolve disputes efficiently.
`resolved_reversal`	This status indicates that the chargeback is cancelled because a refund and RDR occurred simultaneously, which prevents double credit to the cardholder.

Receive chargebacks

Via API

Chargebacks API report is a vital tool for merchants, offering detailed insights into chargeback cases. It provides comprehensive information about each chargeback, including unique identifiers, creation and settlement dates, types, amounts, and the specific reasons and descriptions for chargebacks.

Received dispute Webhook enables real-time alerting of chargeback events, aiding immediate action or system updates. Log event IDs to ensure each is processed only once.

Via HUB

To view the chargeback details

Go to Cards or APMs > Disputes.
Find the needed dispute to analyze.

For APM disputes, have their own specifics.

Additionally, each chargeback gets a Guide
Gain a better understanding of chargebacks nature and manage them effectively. reason code and a detailed description from the card network. These codes are useful for analysis and segmentation.

Respond to chargebacks

Dispute handling is often overwhelming and time-consuming, requiring merchants to manually collect, prepare, and submit evidence for each case. To address these, auto representment submits documentation automatically to support dispute resolution.

If you have extensive evidence or the disputed amount is significant, manual representment lets you defend disputes by submitting detailed evidence yourself, either via API or through the HUB.

Dispute response is available for chargeback disputes:

type: 1st_chb , 2nd_chb , arbitration
status: in_progress

Auto representment

Full automation representment submitting dispute evidence, reducing manual intervention. Evidence is generated using improved logic that enhances structure, formatting, and data enrichment to increase effectiveness in dispute resolution.

The system collects comprehensive merchant information, including business details, business description, and a summary of terms and conditions. It also gathers dispute information, transaction data, anti-fraud checks, and fraud signals.

An internal framework enables fine-tuned optimizations based on factors like issuer or dispute reason code. This framework supports ongoing improvements to increase representment success rates.

To enable functional, contact your account manager or Solidgate Support team.

Manual representment

Manual representment offers more control but requires careful preparation and timely submission.

Via API

Use the file upload API request to load the evidence according to requirements for dispute documents.

Response will include a file_id and upload_url pre-signed URL.

Use the create dispute representment API request to initiate the dispute representment process, reference evidences_file_id (it is the file_id received from the file upload response).

Via HUB

To make a representment

Go to Cards > Disputes.
Select the needed dispute to go to the dispute details page.
In the top-right corner, click on Provide evidence button.
- In the appeared form, drag file or click to upload.
Click on Send to confirm.

Please ensure that all necessary evidence is included before submission to avoid delays in processing the representment.

The representment request will be sent for review, and the status status will update to document_sent within approximately 10 minutes.

Requirements for dispute document preparation	Example
The total quantity of pages within one case is no more than 19 pages. All pages must be either portrait format only or landscape format only. All pages should be A4 size. Other sizes are not acceptable. Acceptable file format: PDF. The file size should not exceed 2 MB, with exceptions for certain banks that may allow larger or smaller sizes. Deadlines vary: 11 days for most cases of chargeback or pre-arbitration decisions, and 7 days for high-risk cases. After the deadline, chargebacks and pre-arbitration are automatically accepted.	Compelling evidence: Provide as much information as possible about the customer, including screenshots of agreements, customer documents, and proofs of product use. DOTX Template for compelling evidence Before submitting the file, ensure it is converted into PDF* format to maintain document integrity and compatibility. You can use various tools such as Microsoft Word’s Save As PDF feature or online converters for this purpose.

Requirements for dispute document preparation

Example

The total quantity of pages within one case is no more than 19 pages.
All pages must be either portrait format only or landscape format only.
All pages should be A4 size. Other sizes are not acceptable.
Acceptable file format: PDF.
The file size should not exceed 2 MB, with exceptions for certain banks that may allow larger or smaller sizes.
Deadlines vary: 11 days for most cases of chargeback or pre-arbitration decisions, and 7 days for high-risk cases. After the deadline, chargebacks and pre-arbitration are automatically accepted.

Compelling evidence: *Provide as much information as possible about the customer, including screenshots of agreements, customer documents, and proofs of product use.

DOTX Template for compelling evidence

Before submitting the file, ensure it is converted into PDF format to maintain document integrity and compatibility. You can use various tools such as Microsoft Word’s Save As PDF feature or online converters for this purpose.

Reason code	Digital product or service	Physical products
Fraud - card-absent environment Visa: 10.4 Mastercard: 4837 Amex: F29 Discover: UA02	Description, date, and time of the products or services successfully downloaded. The evidence must also contain at least two of the following: Customer's IP address and their device's geographical location at the time of purchase Device ID and name of the device Customer name and email address linked to their customer profile Evidence that the customer logged into their account for your business before the transaction date Evidence that your website or app was accessed by the cardholder for purchase or services on or after the transaction date Evidence that the same device and card used in the disputed payment was used in a previous payment that was not disputed Description of the digital goods and the date and time they were purchased and downloaded Record of previous non-disputed payments	Evidence such as photographs or emails to prove a link between the person receiving products and the cardholder If the products are collected from a physical location, provide: Cardholder signature on the pickup form A copy of identification presented by the cardholder Details of identification presented by the cardholder The address to which a physical product was shipped, matching the billing address verified with AVS The date on which a physical product began its route to the shipping address Courier's GPS location proving the product was delivered
Consumer dispute - merchandise/service not provided Visa: 13.1 Mastercard: 4855 Amex: F29 Discover: UA02
Processing error - duplicate processing/paid by other means Visa: 12.6 Mastercard: 4834 Amex: P08 Discover: DP	The charge ID for the previous payment that appears to be a duplicate of the one that is disputed An explanation of the difference between the disputed payment and the prior one that appears to be a duplicate Documentation for the prior payment that can uniquely identify it, such as a separate receipt Copy of invoices for two separate orders	The charge ID for the previous payment that appears to be a duplicate of the one that is disputed An explanation of the difference between the disputed payment and the prior one that appears to be a duplicate Documentation for the prior payment that can uniquely identify it, such as a separate receipt Copy of invoices for two separate orders A shipping label or receipt for the disputed payment
Consumer dispute - cancelled recurring transaction Visa: 13.2 Mastercard: 4841 Amex: C28 Discover: AP	Any server or activity logs showing proof that the cardholder accessed or downloaded the purchased digital product Your subscription cancellation policy, as shown to the customer An explanation of how and when the customer was shown your cancellation policy prior to purchase A notification sent to the customer of renewal or continuation of the subscription Proof that notice of upcoming billing was sent to cardholder 10 days before the transaction Proof that the services were used between the billing date and the cancellation date The cardholder requested a cancellation for a different date, and services were provided until that date	Your subscription cancellation policy, as shown to the customer An explanation of how and when the customer was shown your cancellation policy prior to purchase A notification sent to the customer of renewal or continuation of the subscription Proof that notice of upcoming billing was sent to cardholder 10 days before the transaction Proof that the cardholder did not return the merchandise

Consider accepting the dispute in the following scenarios:

You lack the necessary information to address the chargeback Guide
Gain a better understanding of chargebacks nature and manage them effectively. reason code .
The transaction:
- cost does not outweigh the potential loss incurred from a second chargeback fee.
- amount is too low to justify the effort in gathering compelling evidence.
- has been identified as fraudulent.
The customer has returned the goods or there was a failure in delivering the goods.

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