When a cardholder disputes a payment you will need to carefully review the dispute and respond promptly. You have only one opportunity to respond so it is important that all your evidence is uploaded prior to submission. Once you submit, Paid immediately forwards your response and all supporting files to the issuing bank.  


Click Submit Evidence to open Paid's dispute response form.


  • First, fill out all the details of the product or service sold.  Some fields may be pre-populated such as the product and shipping details.  Check for accuracy and include any details not already provided.
  • Carefully review the reason for the dispute so that you can gather the appropriate evidence to support your submission
  • In the Supporting Evidence section use the file upload option to attach evidence that matches the checklist for your dispute type.  For each uploaded file, specify the type of evidence. If you have more than one file for the type of evidence combine them into one file before uploading as only one piece of evidence per type is permitted.
  • Note that the combined maximum for evidence files is 4.5MB 
  • Do not include any video or audio files as banks will not review them or any external content.
  • Likewise, banks will not respond to requests to call or email for more information nor will they click links for further information (such as tracking links)
  • Have you communicated with the account holder to try to resolve the issue?  Remember to include copies of communications with them as part of your evidence.


Guidelines by Dispute reason

The dispute reason will help you determine the best approach to the current dispute and also to bring attention to best practices moving forward


  • Credit not processed - This may occur when your customer claims they are entitled to a refund (full or partial) which is not yet processed.   To prevent this type of dispute ensure you have clearly disclosed policies and respond promptly to customer requests.  If a dispute is presented you will need to provide evidence that any appropriate refund has been processed or show that no refund is due.
  • Duplicate - This may occur when a customer's card is charged more than once for a single payment.  You should always correct duplicates immediately and advise your customer right away.  If you get a dispute you can state if you have already refunded. There may also be a scenario where multiple similar charges apply to different products or services, in this case, provide details.
  • Fraudulent - This is the most common type of dispute and occurs when a customer claims a charge was not authorized by them.  This can be genuine and your customer may be a victim.  Alternatively, they may just not recognize a charge on their account. To prevent these types of disputes make sure that your product or service description for the sale is clear and always promptly send receipts. If a dispute occurs provide evidence of the sale or you believe the payment was fraudulent then accept the dispute.
  • General - This dispute reason is fairly rare and you will need to contact your customer for more details.
  • Product not received - These disputes are often tied to Shipping and so make sure you provide clear communications to your customers regarding shipping and delivery estimates. PaidShipping gives you options to inform your customer about shipment pick-ups and delivery and options such as Signature Required help to confirm that a product arrived as expected. In this case, when a dispute is submitted you can provide evidence of receipts and shipment details.  
  • Product unacceptable - This type of dispute occurs when either the product as described at sale does not match what was presented or if it is damaged or defective.  To prevent these types of disputes ensure all product descriptions are clear and accurate. Provide proof that the product met the description and is not damaged. If the product is damaged and you have already processed a refund include this information.
  • Subscription cancelled - This is the dispute reason when a customer claims they were still charged after a subscription was cancelled.  Prompt updates to customer requests and clear policy communication can help avoid these kinds of disputes.  If a dispute is presented, show evidence of a refund or evidence that the subscription is still active and that a cancellation procedure was not followed.
  • Unrecognized - This is similar to the Fraudulent reason.  If the customer sees a charge on their card they don't recognize they may submit a dispute.   Like fraudulent disputes, it is important that your customers have clear statement descriptors in their credit card charges and that receipts are provided promptly.  If the dispute is submitted you will need to provide evidence that the legitimate cardholder or authorized representative made the purchase or show that it was already refunded or other action taken. 


Product Types

Products take different forms and so also take this into account when providing evidence.   For physical products, evidence will relate to the actual item picked up in a store or shipped.  For Digital products where no shipping data may be applicable, show other evidence such as user login or download.  And for offline services such as concerts or reservations evidence may mostly relate to cancellation policies.