The Process
| Phase | Status | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Inquiry | Action required · funds not pulled | The bank asks for evidence the payment was valid. You’ll be notified. Respond here — funds haven’t moved yet, and this is your best window. |
| Dispute | Action required · funds pulled | Becomes a formal dispute if the inquiry is unresolved or skipped. Funds are debited; you submit evidence or accept the loss. |
| Processing | Awaiting decision | You’ve responded. The issuing bank is reviewing the evidence. |
| Decision | Won, partial, or lost | The bank rules: you win (funds returned), partially win, or lose (funds stay with the customer). A “provisional win” can still be overturned. |
Critical Rules
- ⏰ Keep records for at least 180 days — a chargeback can be filed up to 180 days after payment.
- ❗ Always respond to an inquiry. Funds haven’t moved yet — this is your best chance to close the case before money is pulled.
- ➡️ Write a rebuttal letter for every dispute. The reviewer doesn’t know your business. A short cover letter tying your evidence to the reason code dramatically increases your win rate.
- ❌ Missing the dispute deadline = automatic loss. The funds stay with the customer and cannot be recovered.
- 💲 $25 chargeback fee per dispute, billed when the dispute is created — whether you win or lose.
- ⭐ Your four strongest evidence types (capture these on every job): signed work order · before/after photos · dispatch/GPS records · customer texts & emails.
- ➡️ First-round evidence is everything. You rarely get a meaningful second chance, so make your initial submission airtight.
Reason Codes & What to Submit to Win
| Reason code | What the customer claims | What to submit to win |
|---|---|---|
| Credit not processed | Owed a refund or partial credit and hasn’t seen it. | Proof of refund/credit issued; refund/cancellation policy; signed work order showing the job was completed (if no refund is due); customer comms about resolution. |
| Duplicate transaction | Charged multiple times for the same product or service. | Two distinct invoices/work orders for different jobs; itemized breakdown showing different parts/labor; proof they didn’t pay another way (cash, check, ACH); dispatch records for separate visits. |
| Fraud | Didn’t authorize or recognize the payment. | Signed work order/service authorization; tech on-property photos plus before/after job photos; dispatch & GPS records; customer texts/emails confirming the appointment or gate code; prior non-disputed jobs for the same customer. |
| General / Uncategorized | Doesn’t fit a specific category. | Rebuttal letter covering the job start to finish; signed work order, invoice, and completion photos; dispatch/authorization records; customer comms. |
| Incorrect amount | Agrees they paid but says the amount was wrong. | Signed estimate plus final invoice; change-order documentation; customer approval texts/emails for added work; published rates for diagnostics/trip charges. |
| Not received | Paid but says the service was never delivered. | Signed job-completion form; before/after photos (timestamped); dispatch & GPS logs; appointment confirmation plus “job complete” notifications; itemized invoice. |
| Not acceptable | Service was defective, damaged, or not as described. | Signed estimate/scope of work; before/after plus close-up photos; completion checklist or commissioning report; warranty/permit sign-off; records of any callback or warranty offer made; customer satisfaction texts/emails. |
| Subscription canceled | Billed after canceling a recurring plan. | Signed maintenance-plan or membership agreement with billing terms; cancellation policy; records showing the cancellation came after the renewal billed (or never came); service logs showing delivery during the billed period; enrollment email. |
| Unrecognized | Doesn’t recognize the merchant name on their statement. | What your billing descriptor looks like vs. your DBA; signed work order and invoice for that service address; before/after photos plus dispatch records; appointment confirmations and texts; prior jobs for the same customer/property. |
| Uncategorized | Doesn’t fit a specific category — same as General. | Full evidence package (signed work order, invoice, completion photos, dispatch records, customer comms) plus a rebuttal letter. |
Chargeback Prevention Checklist
- ✅ Get a signature on every job. A signed estimate before the work, plus a signed invoice or completion form after.
- ✅ Photograph everything. Before/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.
- ✅ 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.
Chargeback FAQs
How do I prevent chargebacks? Use the prevention checklist above. The biggest levers are clear documentation (signatures, photos, written policies), a billing descriptor customers recognize, and being easy to reach so issues come to you before they go to the bank. What are the fees? FieldPulse Payments charges a $25 chargeback fee per chargeback to cover processing and investigation. It’s billed when the chargeback is created and applies whether or not you win. How are chargeback funds pulled from my account? 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 recovered funds appear in a future deposit. What happens if I don’t respond? If you don’t respond to an inquiry, the customer can escalate it to a dispute and the funds are pulled. If you don’t respond to a dispute, you forfeit it. Always respond — even a simple, well-documented package can win. Can I just accept a chargeback? Yes. If the customer is right, or it’s not worth contesting, you can accept the chargeback. That returns the funds to the customer and closes the case. The $25 chargeback fee still applies.Have additional questions? Contact us at support@fieldpulse.com or use the chat feature in the bottom right corner of your screen.