How Stripe disputes work
Stripe disputes are initiated when a cardholder contacts their bank to reverse a charge. Stripe notifies you by email and in the Stripe Dashboard. You have a set window to submit your evidence, typically 7 to 21 days depending on the card network. Once the window closes, Stripe forwards your submission to the bank for review.
Stripe does not decide the outcome. The issuing bank does. Stripe provides the channel for submission and communicates the bank's decision back to you. A well-organised evidence pack with relevant, clearly labelled documents gives the reviewer the best chance of ruling in your favour.
Response deadline is firm
Stripe shows the evidence due date in the Dashboard. Missing it means automatic loss. Treat the notification as urgent and begin collecting evidence the same day.
Core evidence for every Stripe dispute
These documents are relevant regardless of the dispute category. Collect all of them before writing your response.
- Order confirmation: customer name, email, billing address, shipping address, items ordered, order date, and total amount.
- Payment record: confirmation that the charge matched the order. Stripe provides this in the Dashboard.
- Shipping confirmation: dispatch date, carrier name, and tracking number.
- Carrier tracking history: a screenshot or PDF of every tracking event from dispatch to the final scan.
- Customer communication history: all emails, support tickets, and chat logs related to this order.
- Your shipping policy: full text, including estimated delivery windows and any relevant terms.
- Your return and refund policy: full text.
Evidence by dispute category
Product not received
The cardholder claims the item never arrived. Your evidence needs to establish that the item was dispatched and delivered to the address the customer provided.
- Carrier tracking record showing a delivery scan with date, time, and delivery address
- Confirmation that the delivery address on the carrier record matches the address on the Stripe charge
- Proof of delivery: delivery photo, GPS record, or signature confirmation if your service captures one
- Shipping notification email sent to the customer
Product unacceptable
The cardholder claims the product was significantly different from what was advertised. Your evidence should show the product matched its listing.
- Screenshots of your product listing and description at the time of sale
- Product photos showing the item as listed
- Any customer correspondence before the dispute was filed
- Return policy showing the customer had a route to resolution
Fraudulent (card not present)
The cardholder denies making the purchase. Your evidence should show the transaction was legitimate.
- IP address of the order, if captured at checkout
- Stripe Radar fraud analysis result, available in the charge details
- AVS and CVC match results shown in the Stripe charge record
- Billing address match confirmation
- Previous order history from the same customer email or card if any exists
- Delivery confirmation to the billing address on the charge
Subscription cancelled
- Your subscription terms and cancellation policy
- Account records showing subscription status and billing history
- Communication records showing whether a cancellation request was received
- If no cancellation was requested, your communication history showing no contact before the charge
Credit not processed
- If a refund was issued: the Stripe refund confirmation with amount and date
- If no refund was issued: your return policy explaining why the refund was not due
- Any customer communication about the refund request
General or unrecognised
These categories often overlap with fraudulent disputes. Include the fraud evidence set above along with the order confirmation, tracking record, and customer communication history.
Submitting through the Stripe Dashboard
Stripe provides a structured dispute response form in the Dashboard. You can enter a written explanation and attach supporting documents. The form includes prompts for the most common evidence types relevant to your dispute category.
File format guidance from Stripe: PDF, JPG, and PNG files are accepted. Each file should be under 5 MB. Combine multi-page documents into a single PDF where possible. Name each file clearly so the reviewer can navigate the pack without reading every document first.
- Open the Stripe Dashboard and navigate to Payments > Disputes.
- Select the active dispute and review the deadline shown.
- Prepare your evidence files in advance, named and numbered clearly.
- Fill in the written explanation in the response form, addressing the specific dispute category.
- Upload all evidence files.
- Submit before the deadline shown in the Dashboard.
One submission only
Stripe allows one evidence submission per dispute. Review everything carefully before submitting. You cannot add documents after submission.
Full evidence checklist
Core evidence (all disputes)
- Order confirmation with customer details, items, addresses, and total
- Payment record showing charge amount and date
- Shipping confirmation with carrier and tracking number
- Full carrier tracking history screenshot or PDF
- Customer email and support communication history
- Shipping policy in full
- Return and refund policy in full
Additional evidence by category
- Product not received: delivery scan confirmation with address match
- Product not received: delivery photo or signature if available
- Product unacceptable: product listing screenshot at time of sale
- Product unacceptable: product photos as listed
- Fraudulent: Stripe Radar result and AVS/CVC match data
- Fraudulent: IP address of order
- Subscription cancelled: cancellation policy and account records
- Credit not processed: Stripe refund confirmation or policy explanation
Submission checklist
- Deadline confirmed and logged
- Evidence files named clearly (e.g. 01_order_confirmation.pdf)
- Written explanation addresses the specific dispute category
- All files reviewed before submission
- Submitted before the Stripe deadline
DisputeDesk organises this for you
DisputeDesk pulls your order data, structures your evidence pack, and generates a formatted response draft. You export a submission-ready PDF and upload it to Stripe manually. No automatic submission on your behalf.
Build your evidence pack with DisputeDesk
DisputeDesk helps ecommerce merchants organise chargeback evidence and draft customer responses in minutes.
Disclaimer
DisputeDesk is not a law firm. Outputs and templates from DisputeDesk should be reviewed before use. Merchants are responsible for their own customer communications and dispute submissions. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to respond to a Stripe dispute?
The response window varies by card network, typically between 7 and 21 days. Stripe shows the exact deadline in the Dashboard for each dispute. Check it immediately when you receive the notification and treat it as a firm deadline.
What is Stripe Radar and how does it help with disputes?
Stripe Radar is Stripe's fraud detection system. It assigns a risk score to each charge and records signals like AVS match, CVC match, and IP location. For fraudulent dispute categories, the Radar evaluation shown in the charge details is useful evidence that the transaction passed automated fraud checks at the time of purchase.
Can I win a Stripe dispute if I have no delivery proof?
It is harder but not impossible. If tracking shows the item was dispatched and the customer received shipping notifications, those records are still relevant. For economy or standard postal services without delivery scans, include everything available: dispatch confirmation, tracking to the nearest event, and customer correspondence. State clearly in your response that your shipping service does not include delivery confirmation.
Does Stripe decide who wins a dispute?
No. Stripe forwards your evidence to the issuing bank, which makes the decision. Stripe communicates the outcome to you. Your evidence submission is what the bank reviewer evaluates.
Should I accept a dispute rather than fight it?
Accepting is sometimes the right call, particularly for low-value orders where the dispute fee plus the time cost outweighs the sale amount. If the claim is legitimate or your evidence is thin, accepting and issuing a refund closes the dispute. If your evidence is strong, submitting a response is worth doing. DisputeDesk does not make that decision for you.