When you receive a credit card dispute you are provided with two options: accepting the dispute or countering the dispute. Accepting a dispute means you agree that the client is owed the money and countering a dispute is a process of submitting evidence to the banks — signaling to them that you don't accept the dispute and want to have the funds returned to you.
Accepting Disputes
You can accept a dispute, effectively agreeing with the cardholder that the dispute was valid for the reason given. Accepting a dispute isn’t considered an admission of wrongdoing and is sometimes the most appropriate response. The customer has already received their refund through the dispute process—if you agree with the refund, it’s best to accept the dispute. This is the action you should take if you don’t intend to respond and submit evidence. Although accepting disputes doesn’t negatively affect your business any further, it’s not a viable alternative to an effective refund or returns policy.
To accept a dispute:
Locate the dispute record under the "Disputes" section of the project's billing tab where the original charge occurred. You can find a link in the email notifications you receive, from your dashboard under the "Due Balances" widget, or by running a payment journal.
Expand the dispute detail panel by clicking the "+" on the left.
Click the "Accept Dispute" button.
Click the "I Accept" button in the confirmation dialog.
Countering Disputes
Even in cases where your customer claims to have withdrawn the dispute, you must respond with evidence for the dispute to be closed in your favor. Submitting evidence is what signals to the banks that you don’t accept the dispute and want to have the funds returned to you.
To counter a dispute:
Locate the dispute record under the "Disputes" section of the project's billing tab where the original charge occurred. You can find a link in the email notifications you receive, from your dashboard under the "Due Balances" widget, or by running a payment journal.
Expand the dispute detail panel by clicking the "+" on the left.
Click the "Counter Dispute" button.
On the evidence submission page, complete the form fields available and attach all necessary documents to make the best case for why you should win.
Please review the help articles specific to your dispute reason which can be found in the emails you receive or on the left hand side of the evidence submission page.
Misunderstandings
For disputes that are the result of a misunderstanding, your customer can tell their card issuer that they no longer dispute the transaction. It’s still important that you submit evidence to show that the payment was valid, however, and to ensure that the card issuer knows you’re not accepting the dispute.
In cases where you agree that the customer should keep the disputed funds, accept the dispute rather than ask the cardholder to withdraw the dispute for a regular refund. Remember, the card networks don’t consider how many disputes you win or lose, only how many you receive—a withdrawn dispute still counts as a dispute.