A dispute (also known as a chargeback) occurs when a cardholder questions your payment with their card issuer. The card issuer creates a formal dispute which immediately reverses the payment. The payment amount, along with a separate dispute received fee levied by the card network, is deducted from your account balance.

There is a dispute resolution process through which you can respond and submit evidence to make your case that the payment was valid. If you choose to counter the dispute, a dispute countered fee applies (excluding businesses in Mexico and Japan) in addition to the dispute received fee. If the dispute is found in your favor, the disputed amount and the dispute countered fee is returned to you. If a dispute is upheld, the card issuer’s decision is final and you will not be refunded.

Please note that the full lifecycle of a dispute, from initiation to the final decision from the card issuer, can take as long as 2-3 months to complete.

You can learn more about Stripe's dispute process and disputes on the Connect platform.