Working Credit Card Disputes
Once you receive the email from Forte about a dispute, you will have 10 days to complete the following steps. The disputes you work in Dex can be for the full amount or a partial amount of the original transaction.
Before You Begin
Before you start working a dispute, contact the customer directly to see if you can resolve the issue. Sometimes customers don't remember transactions, or they don't recognize the merchant name that displays on their bank statements. If that's the case, the customer can cancel or withdraw the dispute by contacting their card issuer. If the chargeback is a result of fraud or billing/quality discrepancies, then you will need to submit documents proving the customer authorized the transaction.
All dispute documentation is transmitted digitally. Depending on your integration and business practices, you may need a scanner or an online fax service that can create digital copies of documents like signed receipts, acknowledged Terms of Service, refund policies, etc. The type of document(s) you will need depend on the reason codes, which vary between card networks. But don't worry—Dex will provide you with both the reason and the documentation you'll need to support your side.
Step 1: Find the Dispute
The notification email you receive when a customer submits a dispute will include all the information you'll need to find the dispute record in Dex.
To view a specific dispute without having to filter through a long list, enter one of the following values in the search bar:
- Customer Name
- Dispute Number
Dex auto-populates the list of results. If you do not have these specific values or you want to view disputes with specific attributes, apply the following filters:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Received Date |
The Received Date of the dispute. Use the date picker in both the Start Date and End Date fields to customize the date range of your listed disputes. If a date range is not provided, the End Date defaults to today's date and the Start Date defaults to yesterday. You can also choose one of the following pre-defined dates/date ranges:
This field saves the last date filter option so that you don't have to put the same option in every time you search for disputes. |
| Status |
The current status of the dispute. Supported options include the following:
|
| Location ID | The ID of the merchant location that processed the transaction. |
| Amount | The amount of the dispute. This field can be a specific value (e.g., 9.76) or a range of values separated by a hyphen (e.g., 5-10). |
If these filters are insufficient, you can also click the More Filters dropdown field to select and apply the following filters:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Action Code |
A code that indicates what actions to take in resolving the dispute. For a list of supported options, see the Disputes FAQ. |
| Adjusted |
Indicates whether or not the dispute includes a funding adjustment. Supported values include the following:
|
| Adjustment Type |
A code indicating the type of debit funding adjustment made for the provided action code. Inquiries do not initiate funding adjustments. Supported values include the following:
|
| Amount Type | Filters whether the disputed amount is the Full amount of the dispute or a Partial amount. |
| Last 4 of Card | The last four digits of the card number associated with this dispute. |
| Payment Method |
The card brand of the credit card payment method associated with the dispute. Supported options include the following:
|
| Record Type |
Indicates the type of dispute that the cardholder's bank initiated. The following values are supported:
|
| BIN | The six-digit credit card BIN Bank Identification Number - The issuer identification number of the credit card (i.e., the first six digits of the credit card's number) that uniquely identifies the insitution issuing the card. number associated with the dispute. This filter field only accepts digits and must be an exact match. |
Step 2: Gather Evidence
Once you find the dispute and access its Details Screen, you can view the dispute's Due Date, Original Transaction, and the Items Needed for evidence to support your side in the dispute.
To view the original disputed transaction, click the View link under the Original Transaction field of the General Information card. Dex takes you to the Transaction's Detail Screen, where you can view the Authorization and Settlement data associated with the transaction as well as a digital receipt of the transaction. Click the Dispute Status box on the Transaction's Details screen to return to the Dispute's Details Screen.
To view the documents requested by the card issuer, select the Items Needed tab and read the description of the required documentation. The type of supporting documentation will vary between payment channel and card brand, but Dex will display a specific list of evidence item(s) that will help you win your case. When preparing your documentation submission, consider the following best practices.
Get to the Point
Card issuers do not want to read long explanations about your business, the unfairness of the dispute, or gripes you may have with the customer or Forte. They want short, relevant descriptions of the original transaction in a neutral, professional tone. For example
On [date] at [time], Daenerys Targaryen purchased [product] from our site, [url of website], using her MasterCard. During checkout, Daenerys agreed to our Terms of Service before authorizing the transaction. We shipped the product on [date] to the customer-provided address,[customer address]. According to [tracking number], it was delivered on [date] and signed for by [authorized signer].
If you choose to include texts or email correspondence between you and the customer in your evidence, ensure you only include relevant information. While these documents can be helpful to your case, they are not sufficient evidence of identity verification.
Highlight Relevant Facts
If your evidence includes multi-page refund policies or Terms of Service, circle, underline, or highlight the portions of the policy relevant to your case. If your TOS or policies are online, take and include a clear screenshot of how those documents display on your site. Do not include hyperlinks; instead, take screenshots of online checkout forms or receipt pages. If your supporting evidence includes multiple documents, combine them into one document (e.g., PDF) and label each piece of evidence with a letter or number. This way, you can reference the label in your description. Additionally, you may want to include a Table of Contents for your document package to help the issuer navigate your evidence. Some disputes require lengthy documentation, but by highlighting and organizing the relevant data in your evidence, you make it easier for the issuer to find and evaluate your case.
Include Proof of Authorization
Most disputes arise from fraud, so anything you can provide that proves the legitimate cardholder authorized the transaction is vital to making a compelling case. This includes the following:
- Card Verification Code (CVV) matches
- Address Verification System (AVS) matches
- Signed receipts
- Signed contracts
- IP address that matches the customer's verified billing address
Depending on your payment channel, integration, and merchant setup, most of this data can be found by viewing the original Transaction's Details Screen.
Include Proof of Service and Delivery
Proof of service or delivery can help protect you against complaints that an item never arrived. This type of evidence can include tracking numbers to verified billing addresses, signed services receipts, and/or the signature of the person who accepted the delivery. For digital goods, you can provide the IP address or a system log that proves the customer downloaded or used the product.
Include Your Refund Policy or Terms of Service
Proving that the customer acknowledged/signed your Terms of Service (TOS) agreement or refund/shop policies is critical when fighting a card-not-present dispute. You'll want to show and highlight the relevant text of your TOS/policies as well as show how it displays on your site. Forte recommends including a clear, full-screen screenshot that shows both the text and how it displays to customers from your checkout page. If the text is unreadable within the screenshot, then you can also include a print-out of your TOS or Refund Policies and underline/circle/highlight the portions relevant for this dispute.
Step 3: Upload Your Evidence to Dex
Once you've collected all your evidence, you'll need to upload it into Dex from either the Disputes Datagrid or the Dispute's Details Screen. You will need to create digital copies of paper documents such as signed receipts or contracts. Dispute documents must be 8MB or smaller and can be in one of the following formats:
- jpeg
- png
- tiff
- txt
- bmp
If you have multiple pieces of evidence you can upload them as separate files or combine them into a larger, composite document—as long as that document is under 8MB. NOTE: Before submitting documentation, redact any credit card account numbers to the first six or last 4 digits; do not submit documentation with full credit card PANs.
Uploading Documents
To upload your documentation from the Disputes Datagrid, complete the following steps:
- Search for the dispute by Customer Name or Dispute Number and/or use the available filters to narrow down the displayed list of disputes.
- When you find the dispute, click
> Upload Attachment next to the dispute's listing. The Upload Dispute Attachments Modal displays. - Drag and drop the file(s) into the "Uploads" box or click the Browse button to open a File Explorer Window from your computer. Select the item(s) you want to upload and click the Open button.
- After adding the desired file(s) to the Upload Dispute Attachment Modal, use the dropdown menu to select the privacy setting for each document. Supported options include the following:
- Visible to Forte Only
- Visible to Merchant and Forte
- Visible to All
- Click the Upload button on the Upload Dispute Attachments Modal. Dex displays a message indicating whether or not the upload was successful.
To upload your documentation from the Dispute's Details Screen, complete the following steps:
- Search for the dispute by Customer Name or Dispute Number and/or use the available filters to narrow down the displayed list of disputes.
- When you find the dispute, click the row on which it's listed. The Dispute's Details Screen displays.
- If not already selected, click the Items Needed tab.
- Drag and drop the file(s) into the "Uploads" box under the Items Needed tab or click the Browse button to open a File Explorer Window from your computer. Select the item(s) you want to upload and click the Open button. The Upload Files Modal displays.
- Use the dropdown menu that displays next to the file name on the Upload Files Modal and select the privacy settings for this document. Supported options include the following:
- Visible to Forte Only
- Visible to Merchant and Forte (default)
- Visible to All
- Your file(s) begins uploading into Dex beneath the "Total Uploads" section of the Items Needed tab. To view a thumbnail image of the file, click the Refresh button.
Working with Uploaded Documents
After uploading a document, you can view, download, and delete it from the Dispute's Details Screen if the dispute is still in Documents Needed status. To perform these actions, complete the following steps:
- If not already selected, click the Items Needed tab.
- Find the desired file by searching for it by file name or filter the displayed list of items by its Privacy setting. Supported privacy filter options include the following:
- Visible to Partner and Forte
- Visible to Enterprise and Forte
- Visible to Merchant and Forte
- Visible to All
- Complete the following steps to view, download, or delete the attachment:
- To view the file in a web browser window, click
. NOTE: Pop-ups must be enabled for Dex sites in your browser to view an attachment. - To delete the file from the Items Needed tab, click
. NOTE: The dispute must still be in Documents Needed status. A Delete Attachment modal displays asking you to confirm the deletion. Click the Delete button to return to the Dispute's Details Screen. - To download a local version of the file to your computer, click
and save the attachment to a local folder on your computer.
- To view the file in a web browser window, click
Step 4: Submit Your Documents for Review
After uploading the required supporting documentation for a dispute, you can submit comments and the evidence back to Forte for review and approval.
- To find the desired file, search for it by file name or filter the displayed list of items by its Privacy setting. Supported privacy filter options include the following:
- All
- Visible to Partner and Forte
- Visible to Enterprise and Forte
- Visible to Merchant and Forte
- Visible to All
- To view, download, edit, or delete a document, find the file name and use the following buttons to perform actions on the document:
Commenting on a Dispute
Merchants, Partners, and Forte employees can all add comments to a dispute record. These comments can be classified in one of three different categories/view levels:
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
|
Public comments are visible to every user who has access to this dispute record. Merchants can only post Public comments. |
|
Partners comments are visible to partner and Forte corporate users who have access to this dispute record. Merchants cannot see or respond to Partner comments. |
|
Forte comments are only visible to members of Forte's Risk Team. Neither merchant nor partner users can see or respond to Forte comments. |
Adding a Comment to a Dispute Record
To add a comment to a dispute record, complete the following steps:
- Access the Dispute's Detail Screen and click the Comments tab.
- Enter your 500-character or less comment in the free-text field.
- Use the View Level dropdown to select the comment category. Merchants can only make Public comments and partners can make either Public or Partner comments.
- Click the Post button. Dex displays the comment along with your name, date and time when you added the comment, and the view level of the comment.
Replying to a Comment in a Dispute Record
The view level of all comment replies must match the original comment view level (i.e., users can only make Public replies to Public comments). To reply to a comment in a dispute record, complete the following steps:
- Access the Dispute's Detail Screen and click the Comments tab.
- Find the comment you want to reply to and click the Reply button. A free-text field displays.
- Enter your 500-character or less reply comment in the free-text field.
- Click the Add button. Dex adds the reply to the comment. Click the Show link to view the reply nested beneath the original comments.
Submitting Documents
Your supporting documentation must be submitted on or prior to the dispute due date. Forte will review and transmit the documentation to the processor; however, we cannot guarantee the processor will accept documentation submissions after the dispute due date has passed.
To submit a dispute for review, complete the following steps:
- Search for the dispute by Customer Name or Dispute Number and/or use the available filters to narrow down the displayed list of disputes.
- Access the Submit for Review Modal using one of two methods:
- From the Disputes Datagrid, click > Submit for Review next to the dispute's listing.
- Access the Dispute's Details Screen and click Actions > Submit for Review.
- From the Disputes Datagrid, click
- To confirm your submission, click the Submit button on the Submit for Review Modal. Dex returns you to the previous screen and changes the status of the dispute to Reviewing.
After Submission
After submitting your documents, Forte will review them to make sure they're relevant, concise, and present a compelling case. If we think you need more evidence, we'll contact you and place your dispute back into the Documents Needed status. You will need to repeat the steps listed above to submit additional documents.
If approved, your documents will be transmitted to the card issuer for review and your dispute will go into Pending status. The amount of time before a decision is rendered depends on the issuer and the reason code. You can track the progress of your dispute on the History tab of Dispute's Details Screen. This tab provides a dated and timestamped record of dispute events such as funding entries, action and record code changes, and status changes. If the issuer sides with you, the dispute will go into the Won status and we'll send you an email notification that contains final funding details. If the issuer decides in the cardholder's favor, the dispute will go into Lost status and we'll send you an email notification that contains final funding details.
If you win a dispute, the cardholder or the issuer can dispute the charge again with a second chargeback or pre-arbitration. If this happens, we'll notify you and you'll have to start the process all over again. Second chargebacks are expensive to fight, but we'll have your back if you decide to go forward.