What happens when a buyer disputes a charge

Your buyer told their bank they don't accept the charge, and the bank reversed it. Also called a chargeback.

It's not a refund request. The money has already been pulled from your Stripe balance, and there's a formal process to contest it.

Disputes don't appear in Koarge. There's no dispute status on an order, no alert, and no notification — the order carries on showing as paid.

Stripe is the only place you'll find out. Make sure Stripe's email notifications are switched on for your account, and watch for them. A dispute you don't notice is a dispute you lose, because the deadlines run whether you've read the email or not.

You are the merchant of record. The sale is between you and your buyer, so the dispute is too.

Koarge isn't a party to it and can't respond on your behalf, submit evidence, or influence the outcome. Platforms that act as merchant of record absorb this for their sellers; Koarge doesn't work that way, and that's the trade-off for keeping your own Stripe account and paying no platform fee.

Respond in your Stripe dashboard. Stripe manages the process, shows you the reason given, sets the deadline, and takes your evidence. Deadlines are short, and missing one loses the dispute automatically.

Useful evidence for a digital sale, most of which you can get from the order in Koarge:

• The order record — what was bought, when, and for how much

• The buyer's email address as entered at checkout

• Download activity showing the file was collected, and when

• Any correspondence with the buyer

Beyond losing the sale amount, banks typically charge a dispute fee that isn't returned even if you win. A dispute costs more than a refund of the same order.

Which is why a buyer emailing you unhappy is worth answering quickly. A refund you issue yourself is cheaper than a dispute you win.

• Make your business name recognisable on card statements. Unrecognised descriptors cause a large share of disputes.

• Answer buyer emails promptly — check your reply-to address is one you actually read.

• Be clear on your product page about what's included and how long access lasts.

• Deliver reliably. Verify your sending domain so delivery emails arrive.

• You can't find the dispute in Stripe. Check the notifications and disputes section of your Stripe dashboard.

• You've been disputed on an order you already refunded. Raise it with Stripe and show the refund.

• You're getting repeated disputes. Stripe may restrict your account if the rate climbs. See Your Stripe account is restricted.

• Issue a refund

• Understanding your orders

• Your Stripe account is restricted