You shipped the product. You got the delivery confirmation. You uploaded screenshots, tracking numbers, even a customer signature. And then the chargeback came back: Denied in favor of the cardholder.
This scenario keeps showing up in merchant forums. The evidence looks solid, yet the dispute still goes to the customer. It’s frustrating. It’s confusing. And it’s more common than most businesses realize.
So why does it keep happening?
Issuers Don’t Always Play Fair
Let’s start with a hard truth: cardholder claims carry weight. Banks are more likely to side with their own customer than a merchant, especially in the early review stages.
Many chargebacks aren’t reviewed line by line. Some aren’t reviewed by a person at all. In certain cases, issuers auto-accept the cardholder’s explanation unless the merchant’s rebuttal is extremely clear and formatted a certain way. If it’s buried in a paragraph or missing key details in the first few lines, it may never get a fair review.
One merchant summed it up well: “They only look at the first page. If your tracking info is in the middle of your third PDF, forget it.”
Strong Evidence Can Still Be Weakly Presented
Let’s say you did have great proof. A signed delivery confirmation. Screenshots of the customer logging in. A recorded conversation where they acknowledged the purchase.
But if that evidence isn’t labeled properly, lacks context, or doesn’t match the chargeback reason code exactly, it can fall flat.
For example:
- If the dispute is coded as “merchandise not received,” and you only show an invoice or billing info, it’s not enough.
- If your tracking number shows delivery but doesn’t include a name or address, the issuer may say it’s inconclusive.
- If your evidence is in a ZIP file or multiple links, some reviewers won’t bother clicking through.
It’s not just about what you send. It’s about how and where you place it.
Bias Toward the Cardholder Is Real
Many issuers have internal policies that favor customers unless the merchant’s evidence is airtight. This isn’t some conspiracy theory. It’s rooted in customer retention, risk scoring, and internal metrics for fraud tolerance.
In fact, some chargebacks are pre-approved unless the merchant actively disputes them. If you miss the deadline or submit generic evidence that doesn’t address the reason code directly, the issuer may consider it unresolved.
This is especially true with “friendly fraud,” where a real customer claims they didn’t authorize a purchase. The burden is fully on the merchant to prove otherwise.
Format Mistakes That Cost Merchants
From case after case, merchants shared the kinds of evidence mistakes that led to unfair losses:
- Screenshots with no timestamps
- PDFs without annotations or explanations
- Tracking pages without recipient info
- Invoices that don’t show the actual item sent
- Chats or emails missing full headers or customer ID
Some issuers also reject submissions with too many files or unclear filenames. “proof1.png” and “img03.pdf” don’t help anyone.
Even if your facts are correct, formatting problems can make your evidence unusable.
What Actually Works
Merchants who win more chargebacks shared what finally tipped the scales in their favor:
- Start with a cover letter that explains the case in plain language and matches each document to the reason code
- Highlight critical info directly on screenshots or PDFs with arrows or text
- Submit in one clear, labeled PDF rather than multiple loose files
- Include timestamps, names, and matching transaction IDs across all documents
- Quote the cardholder’s own actions, if they confirmed receipt or use
The idea is to build a mini case file, not just upload random images and hope someone connects the dots.
Sometimes, You Just Don’t Get a Fair Shot
Even with perfect evidence, some disputes are lost because the reviewer rushed, missed a detail, or just didn’t understand the product or service. There are also chargeback systems that automate denial responses if certain criteria aren’t met.
This is why some merchants turn to automated dispute tools that match reason codes with response templates and auto-highlight evidence. Others invest in managed services just to avoid these kinds of no-win scenarios.
But even then, no one wins them all.
Real Talk From a Merchant Who’s Been There
Here’s how one merchant put it after losing a $1,200 dispute:
“I had tracking, a signature, screenshots of the customer using the app, and a signed waiver. I thought it was airtight. They still ruled against me. Turns out my files didn’t match the reason code format, and my screenshots were too hard to read. Now I submit everything in one labeled PDF with a summary page at the top. It’s extra work, but I’ve won four out of five since then.”
Conclusion: It’s Not Just What You Prove, It’s How You Prove It
Submitting evidence is critical, but it’s not a guarantee. To win chargebacks, you have to think like an auditor, not just a business owner. Every page you send should answer the specific reason for the dispute. Every document should be clear, labeled, and connected to the transaction.
The system isn’t always fair. But merchants who treat the process like a case review, not a file drop, have a better chance of winning.
Stop Losing Disputes Over Technicalities
If you’re tired of losing chargebacks with good evidence, Chargeblast can help you fix the gaps. From formatting to response strategy, we make sure your dispute tells a complete story clearly, quickly, and in the format issuers actually review.
Let’s make sure your next chargeback response doesn’t just look good.
