Who uses this: Users with FieldPulse Payments access — the user roles you choose when your merchant application is approved, adjusted per user under Company Settings › User Accounts. Availability: Requires FieldPulse Payments, which is available to businesses located in the United States.A chargeback happens when a customer disputes a payment with their bank and asks for their money back. On FieldPulse Payments, chargebacks are managed in the payment portal alongside your payments and deposits. This page explains what a chargeback is, the phases the case moves through, what evidence wins each reason code, and how to keep chargebacks from happening in the first place.
Overview
A chargeback is a customer’s request to their bank to reverse a payment they already made, and the customer’s issuing bank decides the outcome. Your job is to give that bank the documentation that proves the payment was valid. A chargeback can be filed up to 180 days after the payment, so keep your job records for at least that long. Four evidence types do most of the work in a chargeback case, and they are worth capturing on every job whether or not you expect a dispute:- A signed work order
- Before and after photos
- Dispatch and GPS records
- Customer texts and emails
How it works
A chargeback moves through four phases, and the earlier you respond, the better your odds. The inquiry phase is your best window, because the funds have not been pulled yet.How to respond
Respond to every chargeback, starting at the inquiry, and tie your evidence to what the customer is claiming. These four rules are critical:- Always respond to an inquiry. The funds have not moved yet, so this is your best chance to close the case before money is pulled.
- Write a rebuttal letter for every dispute. The reviewer does not know your business. A short cover letter tying your evidence to the reason code dramatically increases your win rate.
- Treat the first round as your only round. You rarely get a meaningful second chance, so make the initial submission airtight.
- Never miss the dispute deadline. A missed deadline is an automatic loss — the funds stay with the customer and cannot be recovered.
Fees and how the funds move
FieldPulse Payments charges a $25 chargeback fee per chargeback to cover processing and investigation. The fee is billed when the chargeback is created and applies whether or not you win. When a chargeback enters the dispute phase, your next-business-day deposit is adjusted down by the chargeback amount plus any fee. If you later win the dispute, the recovered funds appear in a future deposit. See FieldPulse Deposit and Payment Status Details for how deposits and payment statuses work.Evidence by reason code
The evidence that wins a chargeback depends on what the customer claims. Match your submission to the reason code below.Preventing chargebacks
The biggest levers are clear documentation, a billing descriptor customers recognize, and being easy to reach so issues come to you before they go to the bank. Work through this checklist on every job:- Get a signature on every job. A signed estimate before the work, plus a signed invoice or completion form after.
- Photograph everything. Before and after photos, ideally timestamped and geo-tagged.
- Use a clear billing descriptor. Show your DBA — the name homeowners recognize, not a parent company.
- Document change orders. Get written or texted approval whenever scope or price changes.
- Collect deposits on large jobs. A signed deposit agreement sets expectations and creates a paper trail. See How to Take Partial and Progress Payments.
- Spell out your policies. Cancellation, trip-charge, and refund terms in writing, acknowledged by customers.
- Be easy to reach. A responsive phone line or text thread means customers call you before they call their bank.
- Keep dispatch records. Scheduling and GPS logs prove your tech was on-site when it counts.