Dispute Evidence

Dispute evidence is the information a merchant provides to contest a chargeback or other card dispute. Submitted through the merchant's acquirer to the card issuer, it aims to prove that the cardholder authorised the transaction, received what they paid for, or agreed to the terms that the merchant applied. If the evidence is convincing and arrives on time, the issuer can reverse the chargeback and return the funds to the merchant. The process of challenging a chargeback with evidence is called chargeback representment or second presentment.

What counts as good evidence depends on the dispute's chargeback reason code. A claim that goods never arrived needs different proof from a claim that a card was used fraudulently. Card scheme rules list the evidence that can remedy each type of dispute, and some evidence, known as compelling evidence, is specifically recognised as able to defeat fraud claims.

• Fraud or no authorisation. Proof that the genuine cardholder made the purchase, such as successful 3-D Secure authentication, matching billing address and card security code checks, IP address and device data, account login history, and evidence of previous undisputed purchases from the same customer.
• Goods or services not received. Tracking records showing delivery to the cardholder's address, signed delivery confirmations, download or usage logs for digital goods, or check-in records for travel and events.
• Not as described or defective. Product descriptions and images as shown at the time of sale, communications with the customer, quality inspection records and evidence that a return was not received.
• Cancelled recurring transactions. The terms the customer accepted, records showing no cancellation request was made before billing, or proof that the customer continued to use the service.
• Credit not processed. Proof that a refund was issued, or that the returned item did not meet the refund policy.
• Processing errors. Records showing the amount was correct, the transaction was not duplicated or the currency was agreed.

For card-absent fraud disputes under Visa reason code 10.4, Visa introduced Compelling Evidence 3.0 in 2023. A merchant can defeat such a dispute by showing at least two earlier transactions on the same card that were not reported as fraud, made between 120 and 365 days before the disputed one, sharing key data elements with it, such as IP address, device identifier, shipping address or customer account login. If the evidence meets the requirements, liability shifts back to the issuer. The programme encourages merchants to capture and keep consistent customer data.

Issuers review large numbers of cases quickly, so clear presentation matters. Good practice includes a short cover letter explaining the transaction and responding directly to the cardholder's claim, followed by organised supporting documents with relevant details highlighted. Evidence should match the transaction exactly, including dates, amounts and the card's last digits. Irrelevant material, such as generic policies or long email chains, can weaken a response. Many merchants use dispute management software to assemble evidence automatically from order, shipping and customer service systems.

Evidence must reach the acquirer in time to meet the scheme's dispute deadline, which is why acquirers set internal cut-offs. Acquirers and schemes set file size and format limits, and documents in languages other than the issuer's may need translation. Once a response is submitted, the merchant usually cannot add more information at the same stage, so the first submission must be complete. If the issuer rejects the evidence, the case may move to pre-arbitration and arbitration, where the scheme decides and fees are higher.

Common reasons include missing the deadline, submitting evidence that does not address the reason code, weak proof of delivery, such as tracking that does not show the cardholder's address, and descriptors or receipts that do not match the transaction. In some dispute types, such as card-present fraud where the merchant did not follow chip procedures, liability rules mean the merchant cannot win regardless of evidence. Tracking the representment win rate by reason code helps merchants decide which disputes are worth fighting.

The data that wins disputes also helps prevent them. Clear merchant descriptors, prompt delivery updates, easy cancellation and refund processes and accessible customer service reduce the number of cardholders who go to their bank. Collecting device, login and delivery data consistently at checkout means evidence is ready if a dispute arises.