# Dispute Evidence Submission Requirements ## Defense Requirements Learn which documents to provide to defend different types of disputes. The requirements for defending against disputes vary depending on the reason for the dispute. For all types of dispute, you must provide documents with details of transactions to help you build a strong case to challenge the dispute. > **Note:** Meeting the defense requirements does not guarantee that you will win. *** ### General Requirements When you defend a dispute, you have to upload one or more defense documents. The number of required defense documents differs per dispute type. Make sure that your defense documents do not contain sensitive data. The Merchant Acquirer will refuse defense material that contains data such as copies of passports, social security numbers, tax records, unrelated legal documents, Primary Account Numbers (PAN), and sensitive authentication data. **Accepted file formats:** | Format | Max File Size | | ------ | ------------- | | JPG | 10 MB | | TIFF | 10 MB | | PDF | 2 MB | **Additional restrictions:** * Diners and Discover: maximum file size is 3 MB * Mastercard: maximum 19 pages per chargeback defense document *** ### Fraud – Card Absent Transaction The cardholder claims that they did not authorize or participate in the transaction. You should demonstrate that the cardholder did legitimately purchase the service or merchandise. {% hint style="warning" %} Without 3D Secure liability shift, it is difficult to challenge the dispute. Defense documents should only be supplied if all requirements have been met. {% endhint %} #### Merchandise * Copy of invoice * Email conversation with cardholder * Carrier-signed proof of delivery, and AVS match * Record of previous non-disputed payments * Courier's GPS location proving delivery of the product #### Digital Goods * Confirmation email * Description of the digital goods and the date and time they were purchased and downloaded * Record of previous non-disputed payments * Evidence that the cardholder has accessed and successfully verified the profile or account before the transaction date * Cardholder's IP address and the geographical location of the device at the time of the transaction * Device ID and, if available, the name of the device * Cardholder's name and email address linked to customer profile or account #### Services * Documentation proving you provided the service to the cardholder (confirmation email, copy of invoice) * Date the cardholder began use of the service * Evidence that the cardholder used the service before * Record of previous non-disputed payments *** ### Fraud – Card Present Transaction The cardholder claims that they did not authorize or participate in the transaction in a card-present environment. #### Merchandise / Digital Goods / Services * Copy of a (signed) transaction receipt *** ### Duplicate Processing / Paid by Other Means The cardholder claims that a single transaction was processed more than once. #### Merchandise / Digital Goods / Services * Copy of invoice of two separate orders * Documentation to prove that no other form of payment was used *** ### Services Not Provided / Merchandise Not Received The cardholder claims that merchandise or services that they ordered were not received or not received on time. #### Merchandise * Description of the goods * Carrier-signed proof of delivery, and AVS match * Communication where the cardholder confirms possession of the goods * Explanation why shipment was delayed #### Digital Goods * Confirmation email * Description of the digital goods and the date and time they were purchased and downloaded * Record of previous non-disputed payments #### Services * Confirmation email * Proof that the cardholder received the service at the agreed date and time * Communication with the cardholder after the payment *** ### Canceled Merchandise / Services The cardholder's bank received a notice from the cardholder stating that they returned merchandise or canceled services, but the credit has not appeared on the cardholder's statement. #### Merchandise / Digital Goods * Copy of invoice / confirmation email * Proof that the cardholder received your cancellation or return policy and did not cancel according to the disclosed policy * Proof that the cardholder initially received the merchandise, and did not return the merchandise * Proof that the cardholder has not contacted you to solve the issue #### Services * Copy of invoice / confirmation email * Demonstrate that the cardholder received your cancellation or return policy and did not cancel according to the disclosed policy * Proof that the cardholder has not contacted you to cancel the service *** ### Canceled Recurring Transaction A recurring transaction was processed after it was canceled or after the cardholder's account was closed. #### Merchandise * Demonstrate that the cardholder received your cancellation or return policy and did not cancel according to the disclosed policy * Proof that the cardholder did not return the merchandise * Proof that notice of upcoming billing was sent to the cardholder 10 days before the transaction #### Digital Goods * Demonstrate that the cardholder received your cancellation or return policy and did not cancel according to the disclosed policy * Proof that notice of upcoming billing was sent to the cardholder 10 days before the transaction #### Services * Proof that the services were used between the billing date and the cancellation date * The cardholder requested cancellation for a different date and services were provided until this date * Proof that the cardholder is still interested in the service *** ### Goods Not as Described / Defective The cardholder claims the goods were not as described or disputes the quality of the merchandise or services. #### Merchandise * Proof that the cardholder has not contacted you to solve the issue or returned the merchandise * Evidence to prove that the merchandise was as described or was not damaged or defective * If the merchandise was replaced/repaired, provide a Carrier-signed proof of delivery * Email communication with the cardholder #### Digital Goods * Proof that the cardholder has not contacted you to solve the issue * Evidence to prove that the merchandise was as described or was not damaged or defective #### Services * Proof that the cardholder has not contacted you to solve the issue * Evidence to prove that the service was as described *** ### Counterfeit Merchandise The merchandise was identified as counterfeit by the customer or a third party, such as a customs agency. #### Merchandise / Digital Goods / Services * Copy of invoice * Neutral third-party opinion * Certificate of authenticity *** ### Misrepresentation of the Purchased Good and/or Service The cardholder claims that the terms of sale (Terms and Conditions) were misrepresented. #### Merchandise / Digital Goods / Services * Proof that your Terms and Conditions were clearly communicated before the transaction was processed * Proof that the cardholder acknowledged your Terms and Conditions (for example, a screenshot of the checkout page showing that the cardholder accepted the Terms and Conditions by selecting a checkbox before proceeding to payment) *** ### Credit Not Processed The cardholder claims that you agreed to issue a refund but it was not processed, or that you didn't process a credit when the cardholder canceled or returned merchandise, canceled services, or canceled a guaranteed reservation. #### Merchandise / Digital Goods / Services * Evidence that a credit or reversal that you issued was not addressed by the issuer * Evidence that the cardholder did not return nor attempted to return the merchandise * Evidence that the cardholder's return does not comply with your written policies *** ### Mastercard 4853 – Cardholder Dispute The Mastercard dispute reason code 4853 is raised when a cardholder contacts their issuer claiming one of the following reasons applies: * Services not provided / Merchandise not received * Canceled recurring transaction * Goods not as described / Defective * Counterfeit merchandise * Credit not processed * Addendum dispute or "no-show" hotel charge was billed * Purchase transaction did not complete * Credit posted as a purchase Because Mastercard aggregates these eight dispute reasons into a single reason code, no additional information about the underlying reason is available when a 4853 dispute is raised. We recommend identifying which dispute reason(s) might be applicable and providing as much proof as possible to ensure the defense is valid. For the first five reasons listed above, refer to the corresponding sections on this page. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.alternativepayments.io/payments-and-invoicing/payments-and-payouts/dispute-evidence-submission-requirements.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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