Disputes FAQ

Forte notifies merchants of disputes via email. Dex automatically subscribes you to the New Disputes notification, which will trigger every time your merchant organization receives a new dispute. See Subscribing to Notifications for more information.

For credit card disputes, you have 10 days to either accept the dispute or respond by providing documentation that supports your side. This 10-day limit applies even if the dispute record type changes to an Inquiry to a Chargeback or a Chargeback to a 2nd Chargeback. In fact, you should work those disputes first because some time has already passed and their due dates are fast approaching. The Disputes Datagrid highlights these higher priority disputes with the following color indicators:

- Indicates the issuer changed the Inquiry into a Chargeback.

- Indicates the cardholder is pursuing arbitration with the card networks and that this Chargeback was changed into a Second Chargeback.

For echeck disputes, you have 5 days to either accept the dispute or respond with evidence.

Forte charges merchants $25.00 for each credit card or echeck dispute we receive even if the merchant wins the dispute. For Second Chargebacks, we will also collect a processor fee, which is a minimum $500.00. On your invoice, the total dispute fee for the billing period will display under the CCPChgBk billing code. For echeck disputes, the total fee for the billing period will display under the ACHCH billing code.

With a Chargeback, the cardholder's bank takes the transaction amount from you immediately; however, with an Inquiry, the bank merely sends a request seeking a copy of the transaction documentation (i.e., retrieval request) without taking the transaction amount from you. Second Chargebacks occur when the first chargeback was reversed, but the cardholder does not agree with the original decision and files for arbitration via the card network. The card network reviews the documentation from both parties and makes the final decision. Second chargebacks are subject to higher fee amounts (i.e., minimum $500), so before fighting these record types, consider the original transaction amount.

You must respond to credit card disputes within a 10-day window from the time you are notified. Disputes that are Inquiry to Chargeback and Chargeback to 2nd Chargeback record types are on the clock and thus are marked with priority icons on the Disputes Datagrid. Work these disputes first, because time has already passed within the allotted response window.

A Proof of Authorization (POA) occurs when your customer disputes an echeck transaction with their bank and at least 60 days have elapsed since the transaction. Before initiating an ACH Return Entry, the customer's bank will request proof that the merchant properly authorized the transaction. You must respond to POA disputes within 5 days.

A code that indicates the most current action taken for a dispute. These can vary between card networks, but in Dex you'll see the following codes:

• CACP - Accept of Collection
• CBRV - Create Outgoing Representment
• CDNL - Denial of Collection
• CHGM - Charge Merchant
• COLL - Collection Letter Ordered
• CRMR - Credit Merchant
• IACF - Incoming Compliance
• IACP - Issuer Accept
• IARB - Incoming Arbitration
• IDCL - Issuer Declines
• IFAV - Case Decided in Issuer Favor (Merchant liable)
• IPAB - Incoming Pre-Arbitration
• IREP - Create Outgoing Representment
• MACP - Merchant Accept
• MDCL - Merchant Declines
• MDNL - Merchant Denial
• MFAV - Case Decided in Merchant's Favor (Merchant not liable)
• MREV - Merchant Reversal of Chargeback
• OARB - Outgoing Arbitration
• OPAR - Outgoing Pre-Arbitration
• OPARB - Outgoing Pre-Arbitration
• OREV - Operation Reversal of Chargeback
• PADM - Pre-Arbitration/Pre-Compliance Debit Merchant
• PARB - Incoming Visa Pre-Arbitration Request
• PARE - Pre-Arbitration/Pre-Compliance Debit Merchant
• PCCR - Arbitration
• PCHG - Pending Charge Off
• PCMP - Pre-Compliance Prenote
• PICR - Arbitration
• PIDB - Arbitration
• PMCR - Arbitration/Pre-Compliance Credit Merchant
• PMDB - Arbitration/Pre-Compliance Credit Merchant
• RREQ - Incoming Retrieval Request
• RRSP - Retrieval Request Response
• VDNL - Vantiv Denies (The documentation the merchant provided is not enough to use for rebuttal)

The status of a dispute indicates where it is in the dispute process. Dex supports the following dispute statuses:

• Accepted - The merchant accepts liability for the dispute, forfeiting his or her right to continue building a case against the cardholder. Once accepted, Dex returns the disputed amount to the cardholder and adds the dispute fee to the merchant's monthly invoice. NOTE: Disputes with the Record Type = Inquiry cannot be accepted.
• Documents Needed - The merchant needs to provide sufficient supporting evidence for his/her side of the dispute. Disputes return to this status when the card issuer updates the Record Type (i.e., changes an Inquiry to a Chargeback) or if Forte reviews the submitted evidence and determines that it is insufficient for the reason code.
• Expired - The processor submitted the dispute as an Inquiry, but the merchant never responded to the request by submitting his or her evidence.
• Fulfilled - The processor submitted the dispute as an Inquiry, the merchant submitted his or her evidence, and the card issuer did not change the Inquiry to a Chargeback within 31 days of the initial request.
• Lost - The card issuer decided the dispute in favor of the cardholder or the last funding adjustment was a debit and 61 days have passed after the last funding date. A debit funding adjustment applied to disputes in the Won status can also change a dispute to Lost.
• Pending - Forte submitted the merchant's evidence to the card issuer and is awaiting a final verdict.
• Recalled - The processor submitted a full amount dispute for a transaction that occurred prior to 2/4/2019 and then updated the disputed amount to a partial amount. This status can also occur if Forte did not perform the funding on the original transaction (and thus cannot adjust funding for a chargeback).
• Reviewing - The merchant has submitted his or her evidence and the Forte Risk Team is reviewing them.
• Won - The card issuer decided the dispute in favor of the merchant, a credit funding adjustment was applied to a dispute in Lost status, or the last funding adjustment was a credit and 61 days have passed after the last funding date.