When a customer's bank issues a chargeback, you can submit evidence to dispute it. This evidence is dependent on the reason for the chargeback.
In this guide, we'll explain the different reasons why payments are charged back and the recommended evidence to submit to give yourself the best chance of recovering the funds.
'Fraud' Chargebacks
'Fraud' disputes are the most common type of chargeback, and have a high rate of loss. They happen when the cardholder claims that they did not authorise the payment.
These are hard to win because often the dispute is legitimate - the person who came to your business may have paid using another person's card, so the cardholder did not authorise the payment and is genuinely a victim of fraud.
In your evidence, you need to prove that the cardholder authorised the payment. Cardholders are usually required to submit their own evidence when requesting a dispute, so this has already been accepted by the bank. You need to provide 'Compelling Evidence' to counter the chargeback.
Remember, if the person paying entered a false name in the 'Cardholder Name' field, you may not know the name of the cardholder.
Compelling Evidence includes:
Evidence that the transaction was completed by the cardholder
Evidence that the transaction was completed by a member of the cardholder’s family or household
Evidence that the cardholder knew what the charge was for (e.g. ID of the customer from check-in)
Any relevant communication with the cardholder
You should not try to submit evidence that you provided the service or evidence of your refund/cancellation policies - these are not relevant for a 'Fraud' dispute.
Remember that these are only compelling evidence if your guest was the legitimate cardholder. You will only know this if you verified their physical card on arrival.
Other Disputes
Chargebacks can be issued for several other reasons.
The compelling evidence you need to provide will depend on the specific reason, but unlike fraud disputes, these are generally easier to dispute because the evidence is more straightforward — you're proving what happened, rather than who authorised a payment.
Click the reason below that matches the one on your online dashboard to view the recommended evidence to provide.
Service not received
The customer's bank is claiming the service was never delivered. To dispute this, you should provide:
Proof that the service was delivered (e.g. check-in records, signed documentation, or booking confirmation with arrival confirmation)
Any communication with the customer confirming they received the service
Your terms and conditions, if relevant
Service not as described
The customer is claiming that what they received is different from what was promised. To dispute this, you should provide:
Evidence of what was advertised or promised (e.g. your listing, booking confirmation, or terms and conditions)
Evidence that the service matched the description (e.g. photos, records, or staff notes)
Any communication with the customer, particularly if they raised a concern and it was resolved
Duplicate payment
The customer's bank is claiming the same payment was charged more than once. If the duplicate charge was made in error, you should accept the chargeback rather than dispute it.
Should you wish to dispute it, you should provide:
Transaction records showing the payments were for separate, distinct charges
Booking or order records confirming each charge corresponds to a separate service
Incorrect amount
The customer's bank is claiming the amount charged did not match the agreed price. To dispute this, you should provide:
The original booking or order confirmation showing the agreed amount
Any signed authorisation or records showing the customer agreed to the final charge
An explanation of any additional charges, if applicable (e.g. extras added during a stay)
Credit not issued
The customer is claiming they were promised a refund that was never processed. To dispute this, you should provide:
Evidence that the refund was issued (Tab will provide the refund receipt)
If no refund was due, evidence of your cancellation or refund policy and confirmation that the customer was made aware of it
General
This reason may be used when the dispute doesn't fall into a specific category. The evidence you should provide will depend on the nature of the claim, but you should include:
A clear summary of the transaction and the service provided
Any relevant communication with the customer
Supporting documentation such as booking records, receipts, or signed agreements