Review the dispute category

The reason for the dispute will be provided in the email. This information is important to know what further steps need to be taken, the most common reasons are:

• Not Authorized or Not Recognized 
• Unsatisfactory Products or Services
• Refund Not Issued
• Subscription cancelation

Story Construction

The story construction is dependent on the reason for the dispute being opened. The information that needs to be provided is based on what the customer is claiming. 

Not Authorized or Not Recognized

These disputes occur when a cardholder does not recognize the transaction on their bank statement. These disputes can be easily resolved by contacting the customer. If the customer is unresponsive or not willing to close the dispute from their side, further information will need to be provided to Payyo:

• Customer information such as full name, email, phone and address if applicable
• All customer correspondence such as email, whatsapp, social media, sms, etc
• Service or product details and description

Additional information can include:

• If you provided a service, create a photo dump for customers to upload photos of themselves partaking in the service. This can help prove they attended the service
• Tag customers on social media
• A link to the bookable product
• Ticket communication correspondence
• A link to the Terms of Service and Cancellation policy on your webpage
• Proof of product or service received by the customer such as scans, sign-in, signatures, etc.
• Evidence of service usage such as issue communication, scan logs, etc.
• Customer identification (if applicable)

 Unsatisfactory Products or Services

These disputes occur when a customer does not receive the service or product which was advertised on the website when booking. These disputes can be easily resolved by contacting the customer. If the customer is unresponsive or not willing to close the dispute from their side, further information will need to be provided to Payyo:

• Customer information such as full name, email, phone and address if applicable
• All customer correspondence such as email, whatsapp, social media, sms, etc
• Service or product details and description
• A link to the bookable product
• Ticket communication correspondence

Additional information can include:

• If you provided a service, create a photo dump for customers to upload photos of themselves partaking in the service. This can help prove they attended the service
• Tag customers on social media
• A link to the Terms of Service and Cancellation policy on your webpage
• Proof of product or service received by the customer such as scans, sign-in, signatures etc.
• Evidence of service usage such as issue communication, scan logs, etc.
• Customer identification (if applicable)

Product/Service not received or Refund Not Issued

These disputes occur when a customer does not receive a refund which was either agreed upon with the merchant or stated in the cancellation policy.  These disputes can be easily resolved by contacting the customer. If the customer is unresponsive or not willing to close the dispute from their side, further information will need to be provided to Payyo:

• Customer information such as full name, email, phone and address if applicable
• All customer correspondence such as email, WhatsApp, social media, sms, etc
• A link to the Terms of Service and Cancellation policy on your webpage
• Service or product details and description
• A link to the bookable product
• Ticket communication correspondence

Additional information can include:

• If you provide a service, create a photo dump for customers to upload photos of themselves partaking in the service. This can help prove they attended the service
• Tag customers on social media
• Proof of product or service received by the customer such as scans, sign-in, signatures, etc.
• Evidence of service usage such as issue communication, scan logs, etc.
• Customer identification (if applicable)

Subscription cancelation

These disputes occur when a customer cancels their subscription or recurring payment. This could be a misunderstanding or they have not followed the cancellation policy set out when signing up. These disputes can be easily resolved by contacting the customer. If the customer is unresponsive or not willing to close the dispute from their side, further information will need to be provided to Payyo:

• Customer information such as full name, email, phone and address if applicable
• All customer correspondence such as email, whatsapp, social media, sms, etc
• A link to the Terms of service and Cancellation policy on your webpage
• Service or product details and description

Additional information can include:

• Proof of product or service received by the customer such as scans, sign-in, signatures  etc.
• Evidence of service usage such as issue communication, scan logs etc.
• Customer identification (if applicable)
• A link to the bookable product
• Ticket communication correspondence

Payyo and the card issuer need to understand the series of events that led to this dispute being received. It is crucial we receive any evidence and supporting documents which match the services of events laid out in your email. The merchant should always outline key information in their response email, such as:

• Customer information such as full name, email, phone and address if applicable
• Customer correspondence such as email, whatsapp, social media, sms, etc
• Customer identification (if applicable)
• Service or product details and description
• A link to the bookable product
• Ticket communication correspondence
• A link to the Terms of service and Cancellation policy on your webpage
• Proof of product or service received by the customer such as scans, sign-in, signatures  etc.
• Evidence of service usage such as issue communication, scan logs etc.

It is important to remember, the more information provided will increase your chances of winning the dispute

Coupons and Vouchers instead of a refund

If pre agreements were made instead of a refund such as vouchers, changing dates of service, free booking on next visit or coupons for your website/partnering websites etc., the merchant needs to provide:

• All correspondence with the customer
• A copy of coupons or vouchers issued to the customer
• The cancellation policy specifications
• Any correspondence where the customer accepted the alternative option to a refund. 

Please remember, credit card issuers will protect their cardholders first. If they believe the customer is entitled to their money back, regardless if a voucher has been accepted, they will close the dispute in the cardholder’s favor and the money will be returned to their account. 

How to be more efficient in your dispute replies

• Provide all customer information 

This shows the transaction was not fraudulent and the customer provided their own details

• All customer correspondence

This shows an open dialogue with the customer and they were aware of the booking of the product/ service

• A copy of the sales receipt or invoice

Providing a follow-up email after the booking is confirmed, including the date and amount of the transaction, can help customers identify the product/service and close the case from their side 

• Proof of authorization

 Any signatures, sign-in sheets, consent forms, etc., matching the customer details provided during the transaction.

• Terms and Conditions and Cancellation Policy

A link to the T&Cs displayed on your website as well as any documentation also outlining the T&Cs are important to prove what was agreed upon prior to the booking taking place. The T&Cs will normally include the cancellation policy. 

• Logs of the Terms and Conditions

These can be very important to prove the T&Cs and also the cancellation policy was agreed to prior to the payment being made.

• Proof of delivery

Information such as tracking numbers or delivery confirmations and signatures.

• Any other documentation that supports the legitimize the transaction

When accepting a dispute claim

To know if the claim should be accepted and closed in the cardholder’s favor or not, there are some questions to be considered.

• After contacting the customer, did the reasoning for opening the claim become clear?
• Does the customer have valid reasoning for opening this dispute?
• Is the cardholder willing to close this dispute from their side
  • If not, do you have valid evidence and information to confront this dispute claim?

Remember that when a dispute is opened the transaction can no longer be refunded as the value has already been deducted from your balance. The amount is held until a conclusion has been made. 

To accept the dispute, please respond advising the claim is valid and the money should be returned to the cardholder’s account. To confront the dispute, please forward all correspondence and evidence to Payyo.

Accepting a dispute is an easy way to avoid any further issues which could damage your business image. However, this is not the most efficient way for the customer to receive their money back. There is a fee involved for all disputes and it also counts toward your merchant dispute rate which could affect future payments being processed through Payyo’s platform

Formats 

File formats accepted:

• PDF, JPEG, or PNG
• Files can not exceed 10MB in size
• Maximum of 20 pages in portrait orientation (screenshots can be in landscape)
• Files can not be compressed in any form 
• If possible add a description to each document

The organization is important to construct the story for the card issuer to understand your side of the story. Put information of the same type in groups and work them into a flow to outline a timeline of events from when the booking happened.

No other format is accepted by the bank or card issuer.

Videos in any format are not accepted by banks and card issuers. Links are preferred to recreate the booking process.