Every card network has some provision in its dispute system for the cardholder to retract a dispute after filing it. If you can settle the matter amicably with your customer, and convince them to withdraw the dispute, that’s the most effective way to win it.

To learn more about how this works, you can read our documentation on Dispute Withdrawals.

Do I still need to submit evidence if my customer withdraws a dispute?

Yes. Some card issuers will treat failure to submit evidence as an acceptance of liability. To be safe, you should always submit evidence contesting the reason for the dispute.

Will I always win if my customer withdraws a dispute?

In most cases, yes. If you submitted evidence before the deadline, and the customer withdrew the dispute while it was still open, the card issuer should eventually return a win result on that dispute.

If you did not submit evidence, or if the customer attempted to withdraw the dispute after it was closed or otherwise outside the dispute lifecycle timeline, the dispute might not be reversed.

Can my customer withdraw a lost or old dispute?

As far as the card networks (like Mastercard or Visa) are concerned, it should be technically possible for a cardholder to withdraw a dispute at any time. However individual card issuers within that network may or may not support withdrawing disputes once they have been closed.

Can a fraud dispute be withdrawn?

Yes. As with any other kind of dispute, you can ask your customer to withdraw and they should be able to get their issuer to cancel the dispute. But be aware that in the case of a fraud dispute, there's an excellent chance the person you're dealing with as your customer is not the actual cardholder.

Do I need to request proof of withdrawal from my customer?

It is not required that you gather proof of withdrawal from your customer, or that you provide this proof in your evidence (although you should always submit some evidence contesting the reason for the dispute).

Gathering this proof might provide peace of mind that your customer actually did withdraw the dispute, and submitting it with your evidence may make it easier for the card issuer's evidence reviewer to track down and verify the dispute was actually withdrawn, but it is not an explicit part of the dispute process.

Do I need to include proof of withdrawal from the customer with my dispute evidence?

It doesn't hurt, but it is not required. The important thing is that you submit evidence.

Will I receive the disputed funds immediately after my customer withdraws the dispute?

No. In general, withdrawing a dispute does not speed up the dispute process.

How soon after my customer withdraws a dispute will I receive the disputed funds?

A withdrawn dispute is no different from any other dispute and in general card issuers will still follow the normal dispute timeline. You should expect a withdrawn dispute to turn into a win on the same timeline as a dispute that you win by arguing your case in evidence. The full lifecycle of a dispute, from initiation to the final decision from the issuer, can take as long as 2-3 months to complete.

Will I be able to issue a refund after my customer withdraws a dispute?

You cannot issue refunds on a charge on which there is a dispute pending decision from the issuer. Once the issuer returns a win decision (which happens along the normal dispute timeline), your ability to refund the charge returns.

Does a dispute still count against my dispute rate if the customer withdraws it?

Yes. From the card network perspective, a withdrawn dispute is just a won dispute, and won disputes still count against your dispute rate. The dispute is not erased or annulled in any way.