Chargeback evidence preparation

This playbook defines the end-to-end evidence preparation and submission process for one payment dispute or chargeback. The run begins when a payment processor alerts the merchant to a contested transaction with an active deadline, and concludes when the merchant finance owner reviews the compiled evidence packet and either authorizes submission with verified delivery receipt, explicitly accepts dispute liability with verified processor concession, or transfers documented submission responsibility to a named operator who explicitly confirms receipt and filing responsibility. If direct API access to the processor dispute endpoint is unavailable or unconfigured, the agent compiles the complete evidence packet into the merchant document repository and routes the packet to the finance owner for manual portal submission with mandatory acknowledgement.

• Extract the available dispute parameters from the configured payment processor record: dispute identifier, original charge transaction identifier, dispute reason code, contested amount, currency, received date, and the evidence submission deadline. Calculate the remaining turnaround window and record the deadline in the merchant's operational timezone. Verify against available processor records that the dispute has not already been conceded, closed, or previously submitted.
• Retrieve corresponding customer order, billing, and fulfillment records from the connected commerce platform using the transaction reference, customer email, or checkout identifier. Where available in configured systems, extract the order placement timestamp, customer name, billing address, customer IP address, delivery address, purchased line items, item descriptions, and total amount. Check available gateway risk assessment and authentication records, noting whether Address Verification System postal and street checks matched and whether Card Verification Value checks passed, without treating missing gateway fields as conclusive fraud or validity.
• Gather physical or digital fulfillment evidence corresponding to the applicable dispute reason. For physical merchandise, retrieve available carrier tracking numbers, dispatch timestamps, carrier status updates, and specific delivery confirmation records showing recipient address match, delivery timestamp, or signature where recorded. If carrier tracking indicates the parcel was lost, returned to sender, or remains in transit past the expected delivery date, document this status explicitly rather than treating a label creation record as completed fulfillment. For digital products, software access, or subscriptions, extract available server access logs, download timestamps, account login history, license key activations, and IP addresses matching checkout records.
• Collect applicable terms of service, cancellation policies, and refund policies in effect at checkout. Confirm whether checkout records indicate active customer consent to these terms, recording the consent timestamp and checkout page version where tracked. Retrieve customer support tickets, email threads, live chat logs, or dispute notifications associated with the customer or order. Note whether the customer contacted support before initiating the dispute, whether a cancellation or return was requested, and whether any partial or full refund was previously issued or offered.
• Information request. If critical fulfillment confirmation, signed delivery receipts, warehouse dispatch logs, or support communication threads are missing from integrated systems, request the specific missing records from the warehouse operations lead or customer support supervisor. Present the dispute identifier, customer name, order date, and the specific document required to rebut the dispute reason code. Specify the merchant's configured operational deadline threshold after which the evidence packet must proceed without these records.
• Reconcile collected records against the dispute reason code according to the merchant's applicable card scheme guidelines. If the dispute claims fraud or unauthorized transaction, assemble available compelling evidence showing customer IP match, delivery to verified billing address, prior undisputed orders from the same customer profile, or device authentication data. If the dispute claims product not received, assemble carrier proof of delivery showing delivery to the designated shipping address prior to the dispute timestamp. If the dispute claims credit not processed or cancelled recurring transaction, verify whether cancellation complied with merchant policy terms, or locate the prior refund transaction identifier showing credit was already issued.
• Flag unresolvable contradictions, evidentiary deficiencies, or merchant fulfillment discrepancies. If records indicate that the merchant shipped to an address differing from the authorized checkout address, that goods arrived damaged without replacement, that the customer cancelled within policy terms before renewal, or that delivery tracking confirms non-delivery, document the deficiency as an unprovable claim. Compile the assembled exhibits into a unified dispute packet in the merchant document repository with numbered exhibits, an evidence index, and a factual cover summary detailing the transaction timeline and rebuttal basis.
• Approval. Present the complete compiled dispute packet, evidence index, factual cover summary, and submission deadline to the merchant finance or risk operations owner. Display the contested transaction amount, dispute fee, evidence strengths, and any remaining evidentiary gaps. The finance owner must select one of three actions: approve direct submission of the exact packet, request specific factual revisions or exhibit removals, or accept dispute liability without contesting. If the owner requests revisions, update the packet and resubmit for approval. If the owner chooses to accept liability, proceed to execute and verify the processor concession rather than treating internal intent as financial completion.
• Exception. If the payment processor upload fails, rejects the evidence payload, or yields an uncertain response, inspect actual processor submission status before retrying; if status inspection is unavailable, hold the run and escalate immediately to the merchant finance owner without executing blind retries. If the submission deadline reaches the merchant's configured urgent warning threshold with required evidence unapproved, notify the owner immediately. Provide the compiled evidence packet link in storage, the exact error or time constraint, and the direct portal link for manual submission, requiring the owner to confirm manual portal filing or designate an unsubmitted outcome.
• Submit the approved evidence packet to the payment processor dispute endpoint using authorized API access. Before marking the submission complete, verify that the processor returns an explicit acceptance status, updated dispute state, and system transaction receipt. If direct API submission succeeds, confirm the dispute status transitions to under review or pending scheme decision in the processor record, and archive the verified submission receipt in the dispute file.
• If submission is delegated to an external merchant team or processor portal, transfer the complete approved packet and explicit filing instructions to the named billing operator. Require the operator to provide an explicit written acknowledgement accepting receipt and confirming filing responsibility before the operational deadline. Log the operator's formal acceptance and timestamp; an unacknowledged transmission does not constitute a completed handoff.
• In a fictional illustrative case, payment processor Stripe alerts merchant operations to transaction ch_9281A for 420 USD with dispute code product_not_received and an evidence deadline of October 8 at 23:59 UTC. The agent retrieves Shopify order 4108 and carrier tracking showing delivery to the customer's front porch on October 3. However, customer support records contain an email from the buyer on October 4 stating the parcel was stolen from the porch, supported by an attached local police report. When the agent presents the assembled packet, the finance owner evaluates the case under the merchant's internal customer resolution policy, recognizes that disputing the claim against a documented police report conflicts with merchant policy, and decides to concede the dispute. The agent executes the dispute concession in Stripe, verifies the processor's confirmed concession status, and closes the run as an owner-conceded dispute without submitting contested evidence.
• The case is complete when payment processor receipt confirms the approved evidence packet was successfully submitted before the deadline, when the merchant finance owner approves conceding the dispute and processor concession is verified, or when an authorized billing operator formally accepts ownership and filing responsibility for manual portal submission. If the submission deadline passes without approved evidence or owner response, record the case as closed with unresolved evidence, assign follow-up to the named finance operations owner, and log the unsubmitted status, unfulfilled prerequisites, and financial impact.