Chargebacks: How to Prevent Them and How to Win Disputes

Why chargebacks happen

Roughly three causes dominate: genuine fraud, goods or services not as described, and 'friendly fraud' where a legitimate customer does not recognise the descriptor on their statement. The third is the easiest to fix and the most commonly ignored.

Prevention

Make your trading name the billing descriptor, take signed delivery confirmation, and keep clear refund terms visible at the point of sale.

• Use 3D Secure on all card-not-present transactions to shift liability
• Keep timestamped delivery or service-completion evidence for six months
• Respond to refund requests fast — a refund is cheaper than a chargeback

Fighting a dispute

You typically have 7-14 days to represent. Submit concise, dated evidence directly matching the reason code — the receipt, the delivery proof, the terms accepted at checkout. Vague narrative responses lose.