How to Dispute a Chargeback in Relay

When a customer files a chargeback against a card payment you accepted through Relay, submit defense documents through the disputes page before the deadline in your notification email.

What you need before you start

The chargeback notification email from Relay with the transaction details and deadline
Your original transaction record (invoice, order ID, cardholder name, date, amount)
Evidence documents relevant to the reason code on the chargeback (proof of delivery, refund receipts, customer communications, terms acceptance)
Full-page screenshots showing visible timestamps and customer contact details
The deadline in the notification email (chargebacks are time-sensitive and you typically have one opportunity to submit evidence)

How does the chargeback dispute process work?

The dispute process runs in five steps from notification to submission:

You receive a chargeback notification email from Relay with the transaction details and the submission deadline.
Click the link in the email to open the disputes page and review the dispute details.
Upload your defense documents in the dispute modal.
The Relay Risk team reviews your submission and may request additional documents.
Once your package is complete, Relay Risk submits the dispute to the cardholder's bank for a final decision.

The bank makes the final decision. Meeting the requirements strengthens your case but does not guarantee a favorable outcome.

Why do chargebacks happen?

Chargebacks fall into eight primary categories set by card networks:

Fraud or unauthorized payment. The cardholder claims they did not authorize the purchase.
Goods or services not received. The item or service never arrived, or did not meet expectations.
Recurring payment canceled. The subscription was canceled, but billing continued.
Not as described or defective. The product did not match your advertising, or arrived damaged.
Credit not processed. A refund or credit was not issued, or was delayed past your policy.
Duplicate or paid by other means. The customer was charged twice, or used a different payment method.
Incorrect amount or currency. The amount or currency charged differed from what the customer agreed to.
No authorization or invalid authorization. The transaction lacked proper authorization, or the capture was incorrect.

Knowing the reason code on your notification determines which documents you need to submit.

What documents do you need to submit?

Every dispute needs one or more defense documents, with the specific set depending on the reason code. Submit everything relevant in a single upload since you typically have one opportunity to present evidence to the cardholder's bank.

Best practices for every submission:

Provide clear, complete, readable documents
Upload full-page screenshots rather than cropped sections
Confirm every document displays the date, amount, and transaction details
Use readable PDFs when possible

Screenshot requirements

Screenshots submitted as evidence must be complete and clearly legible. Every screenshot must show:

A visible timestamp
Customer contact information (full name, email, phone, or another identifiable detail)
A clear connection between the contact information and the disputed transaction

The card network matches your evidence to the chargeback record directly, so cropped screenshots without customer identifiers get rejected.

What documents are required by chargeback reason code?

Match the reason code on your notification to the required document set below. These lists cover roughly 80% of dispute cases.

Common documents (most reason codes)

Invoice or transaction details
Confirmation email sent to the cardholder
Screenshot of the checkout page showing acceptance of your terms and conditions
Refund proof (if you issued one)
Customer communication history
Record of prior non-disputed payments from the same customer

For eCommerce transactions, also include:

AVS (Address Verification Service) result
CVV or CVC verification result
IP address
Device ID or verification logs

Fraud, card not present (Visa 10.4 / Mastercard 4837)

IP geo-location match with the cardholder's billing address
Device fingerprint
Usage logs from the customer's account
Signed proof of delivery matching the billing address
Courier GPS confirmation

Goods or services not received (Visa 13.1)

Signed proof of delivery
Courier tracking with the delivery date
AVS match
Confirmation the customer did not cancel per your policy

Canceled recurring payment (Visa 13.2)

Proof of 10-day advance billing notice
Cancellation request date
Proof the customer used the service after the billing date
Proof the cancellation did not comply with your policy

Not as described or defective (Visa 13.3)

Website screenshots taken at the time of purchase
Product or service description
Photos of the merchandise (if applicable)
Your replacement or repair policy
Proof the item matched the description at the time of purchase

Credit not processed (Visa 13.6)

Timestamped refund receipt
Proof the refund was processed within your policy timeframe
Proof the return was not completed (if applicable)

Duplicate or paid by other means

Two distinct transaction IDs showing the charges are separate
Proof of separate authorizations
Proof no alternative payment method was used
Refund proof (if applicable)

Incorrect amount or currency

Proof the customer agreed to the full amount
Authorization approval for the full amount
Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) acceptance proof, for currency disputes

No authorization or invalid authorization

Authorization approval code
Terminal log
Proof the transaction was captured within the allowed timeframe

Are there file size or page limits?

Some card networks cap the size or format of your evidence uploads:

Diners and Discover: 3 MB maximum
Mastercard: 19 pages maximum
Klarna: PDF format only
Mexico domestic: 800 KB maximum
STAR: 5 MB maximum, JPG or TIFF only
RFI (Request for Information): 4 pages maximum
BillDesk: 1 document only, 500 KB maximum

When you are up against a limit, lead with your most persuasive evidence such as signed proof of delivery or a timestamped refund receipt.

How do you write a strong merchant statement?

A merchant statement is a short summary that walks the reviewer through what happened and points to your supporting evidence. Include five elements:

Transaction summary. Date, amount, cardholder name, order or booking ID.
What was provided. Goods or services delivered, fulfillment method, delivery timeline.
Timeline of events. From the initial purchase through your resolution attempts.
Policies. Your cancellation, refund, or return policy, with proof the customer accepted them.
Request. State that you are disputing the chargeback and briefly explain how the evidence supports your case.

How can you improve your chances of winning?

Five practices raise the probability of a favorable decision:

Match the reason code with reason-specific documents from the list above
Show acceptance of your policies with dated checkout screenshots
Prioritize signed proof of delivery or a timestamped refund receipt over softer evidence
Keep every document readable and show dates, amounts, and order IDs clearly
Include the customer's prior successful transactions with you, if any exist

Common issues

Chargeback notification email missed. Check your spam folder and add the Relay Risk sender to your safe list.
Cropped screenshots rejected. Re-upload full-page screenshots with timestamps and customer contact details visible.
Deadline approaching with missing documents. Upload what you have and add a merchant statement explaining what is missing and why. The Relay Risk team may request additional documents after review.
Upload exceeds the card network's limit. Compress the PDF or replace secondary evidence with your strongest single document.
Reason code unclear. Contact the Relay Risk team through the dispute modal for clarification before submitting.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to upload documents even if the chargeback seems obviously wrong?

Yes. The cardholder's bank makes its decision based on the evidence you submit. Upload the common documents plus the reason-specific documents for the strongest position.

How many documents do you need to upload?

One or more, depending on the reason code. Most disputes need the common document set plus reason-code-specific documents.

Does uploading every required document guarantee winning the dispute?

No. Meeting the requirements strengthens your dispute package, but the cardholder's bank makes the final decision.

What if a required document is not available?

Upload the documents you have and include a brief merchant statement explaining what is missing and why. The Relay Risk team may request additional documents after review.

Talk to our Customer Experience team

If this article did not fully answer your question, our Customer Experience team is here to help.