Financials: Disbursements, Refunds, and Payment Disputes
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      3. Financials: Disbursements, Refunds, and Payment Disputes

      Responding to Disputes in StudioPay

      Submit a response in StudioPay when a client initiates a Retrieval or a First Chargeback.

      Overview

      When a dispute is initiated against you in StudioPay, you have the opportunity to respond to the issuing bank by providing compelling evidence in your favor (representment).

      For Retrievals and (most) First Chargebacks, you can submit dispute responses directly in the StudioPay dashboard. The Pre-Arbitration response process varies by Card Brand so they cannot be submitted in the StudioPay dashboard.

      To access Disputes in StudioPay:

      • Go to the Payments tab > Disputes on the left navigation bar.

      How long do I have to respond to a dispute?

      The timeframe for each dispute will vary, but the dashboard will display a Response Due Date indicating when you have to respond.

      SP_DisputesIf you do not respond by the due date, the dispute will automatically be considered lost and the held funds will be credited to the cardholder.

      Tip: Check the due date for each chargeback initiated against you as the timeframe can vary significantly depending on the circumstances. Some chargebacks will require your response within 7 days while others allow up to 30 days.

      What information should be included in a Representment?

      Valid representment evidence falls into two categories:

      • Formal Evidence
      • Informal Evidence

      Formal Evidence

      This includes official documentation directly related to the transaction. Formal evidence includes, but is not limited to:

      • Signed credit card receipt

      • Completed credit card authorization form

      • Corresponding Invoice with cardholder contact information

      • Signed proof of delivery or Satisfactory Services

      Informal Evidence

      Informal evidence is relevant documentation that is not directly related to the transaction. This includes, but is not limited to:

      • Logs of correspondence between the Merchant and cardholder

      • Screenshots of the Merchant’s website and/or published Terms of Service

      • Pictures of the merchandise

      • A summary of the incident written by the Merchant

      The representment should include all formal and informal evidence supporting the dispute. This should be presented clearly and concisely to the issuing bank. 

      Tip: Ensure the representment includes all the necessary compelling evidence for the issuing bank to review. Once the dispute response is submitted, the representment can no longer be added to or modified.