Handling Customer Disputes in Stripe Express

Overview

Payment disputes (chargebacks) are never fun, but they are an unavoidable part of running a business. In this article, we will break down the steps for handling a dispute opened by a customer via Stripe Express.

Why was my order refunded?

A Stripe Express dispute is opened when your customer files a chargeback with their financial institution. Stripe will immediately reverse the payment in question while waiting for you to submit further information to support your side of the claim. Please be aware that this process is automatically managed by Stripe, and unfortunately, GotPhoto is unable to stop chargebacks from happening. However, we will submit all relevant information you provide as your counter-claim. Keep reading to learn more about this process.

Viewing a Dispute

When a customer submits a dispute via Stripe, you will receive an email and see a notification in your GotPhoto dashboard:

To view the dispute, click on the name of your customer. This will open their order page.

Managing the Dispute

If you would like to accept the dispute, simply click the Abandon button on the top right of the page.

Otherwise, your first step should always be to settle a dispute directly with your customer.

If you have evidence (e.g., an email or text) proving that the customer wants to withdraw the dispute, or if you cannot resolve the dispute, our Customer Care team will handle the dispute management for you. Please reach out to our Customer Care team via email (supportus@gotphoto.com / service@gotphoto.co.uk).

To allow for a seamless and fast process, please provide the team with the following information:

1. Let us know what applies to the payment in question:
   • The cardholder withdrew the dispute.
   • The cardholder was refunded.
   • The rightful cardholder made the purchase.
     
     If none of these options apply, please give more information as to why you should win the dispute.
2. Provide evidence:
   Evidence can be a screenshot of the customer communication or any document that will help you win the dispute. All common file types are accepted. Stripe will update you via email on the final dispute resolution.
   
   
   ⚠ Important: Having clear Terms and Conditions provides you with evidence to submit to Stripe in cases of payment disputes submitted by your customers. Your customers should contact you first through the order request form if they aren't satisfied with their order. With a written policy on dispute resolutions, before refunds are issued, you may prevent a Stripe dispute or settle it in your favor. This article explains how to update your Terms and Conditions for future cases.

When the dispute is closed, Stripe will distribute the funds based on the decision. Please note that a $15 dispute fee will be deducted by Stripe. For more information on disputes, check out this article from Stripe: How Disputes Work

The Takeaway

To prevent disputes, keep your Terms & Conditions section in GotPhoto current. When dealing with a customer payment dispute, start by trying to resolve it directly with the customer. If this isn't possible, or you have evidence supporting your case, contact our Customer Care team. Provide details about the dispute's nature and any relevant evidence to facilitate a speedy resolution.