You got a Stripe dispute. Here is what to send, by reason

Stripe says you usually have 7 to 21 days to respond, depending on the card network. Miss it and you lose automatically. ^[1]

You get one submission. Stripe forwards your response and files to the bank straight away, and you cannot edit it or add files later. ^[1] Collect everything first, then submit.

Practical limits from the same page ^[1]:

• One file per evidence type. If you have five screenshots for one type, merge them into one multi-page file.
• 4.5 MB combined.
• 19 pages combined for Mastercard.
• No audio or video, no "call us for more", and no links. The bank does not follow external content, so paste or attach the logs instead of linking to them.

Open the dispute and read the category. Stripe sorts hundreds of network codes into eight categories, and each has different evidence. ^[2] For cards, these are the ones that matter to a software business. Each network code also has its own page in the reason code reference.

Mapping from Stripe's categories page. ^[2]

Stripe's evidence suggestions change with the product type you tell it (physical, digital or service, offline). For SaaS pick digital. Stripe's own advice for digital goods is to "focus on evidence of usage, login, or download." ^[2]

Fraudulent and Unrecognized

Stripe notes that fraudulent is the most common reason, that unrecognized is effectively indistinguishable from it, and that the cardholder is often right. If the payment really was fraud, accepting it is the honest move. ^[2]

If the real customer made it, send ^[2]:

• Purchase IP, customer name, customer email.
• An activity log showing the account was used after the payment, with IPs and timestamps. This is the item Stripe's digital-goods guidance centres on.
• Anything tying the device or household to the cardholder: device ID or location, earlier undisputed payments on the same card, a family member who uses the account.
• Proof you already refunded, or that the customer withdrew.

Two things to check first:

1. 3D Secure. If the payment was authenticated with 3D Secure, the liability-shift rule may apply, and Stripe can fill in the ECI data for you. ^[1][2]
2. Visa CE 3.0. For Visa 10.4, Stripe checks your history and tells you if the dispute is eligible. If it is, Stripe encourages responding and pre-fills most of the evidence. Do not overwrite pre-filled fields marked "Required for CE 3.0". ^[1] The rule behind it (Visa Core Rules, ID# 0030254, edition of 24 Oct 2026): the same card or a token tied to it must have been used in 2 earlier transactions that were not reported as fraud, more than 120 days before the dispute. For disputes processed on or after 24 Oct 2026, those earlier transactions can be at one or more merchants, not only yours. ^[4] Visa also requires matching data elements such as device ID or fingerprint, or IP address plus another element. ^[4] One caution: Stripe says it evaluates your transaction history, while Visa's rule counts transactions at any merchant, and Stripe has not said how its check treats that. ^[1][4]

Product not received (Visa 13.1)

Send purchase IP, name, email, the activity log, any customer correspondence, and your own account of whether they contacted you first. ^[2] If part of the order was delivered, argue that the disputed amount is more than the value of what was not. ^[2]

Two Visa points worth knowing, both checked against the 24 Oct 2026 edition ^[4]:

• Before disputing, the cardholder must attempt to resolve it with the merchant (ID# 0030314). If they never wrote to you, say so plainly in your response. From 23 Oct 2027 the issuer must also certify the date and contact details of that attempt (ID# 0030317). That is not in force before then.
• Visa's list of invalid 13.1 disputes includes complaints about quality of the merchandise or service, and transactions the cardholder says were fraudulent (ID# 0030315). A "your product is bad" claim filed as "not received" is a reason to say the dispute is invalid.

Product unacceptable (Visa 13.3, 13.4, 13.5)

Send what the product was said to be at the time of sale (page copy, screenshots), the activity log, your refund policy and how it was shown, and whether they contacted you. ^[2] If they used it, argue the unused portion is smaller than the amount. ^[2] Stripe adds that issuers may or may not weigh the refund policy. ^[2]

Subscription canceled (Visa 13.2)

Send the cancellation policy as shown at sign-up, how and when they saw it, why the subscription was still active, any renewal notice you sent, and any sign they kept using the product after the date they claim they cancelled. ^[2] Also check whether the cancel was scheduled for a future date, or whether the charge was an instalment of one purchase, since some networks only allow this code for true recurring billing. ^[2]

Visa's invalid-dispute list for 13.2 includes a cancellation that came after the transaction date (ID# 0030321). ^[4] Read the dates in your own records before writing anything.

Credit not processed

Prove one of three things: you already refunded, they were not entitled to one, or they withdrew. Attach the policy text, proof it was disclosed, your refusal reasoning, and the correspondence. ^[2]

Duplicate

Give the charge ID of the earlier payment they think this one duplicates, and an explanation of why the two differ, with a receipt for each. If there really was a double charge, refund it and say so. ^[2]

1. Say whether they contacted you. Stripe asks for this explicitly under product not received, product unacceptable, credit not processed and duplicate. If they did not, write that. ^[2]
2. Argue the claim they made. When Stripe has it, the dispute page shows you the bank's copy of the cardholder's claim. Answer that, not a generic template. ^[1]
3. One document per evidence type, plain headings. That also fits the one-file-per-type limit. ^[1]
4. Keep what your system logged before the dispute exists: login timestamps, IPs, receipts sent, terms accepted at checkout. These are the items the evidence lists above ask for.

• Do not send links, video or "call us". Stripe's guidance says banks ignore them. ^[1]
• Do not contest a charge that really was fraud. Accept it instead. ^[2]
• Remember that disputes count toward your dispute rate whether you win or lose. ^[3] That matters if you are close to a card network monitoring program. You can calculate your VAMP rate with the VAMP threshold checker.

The Dispute Audit reviews your past disputes, the VAMP threshold checker calculates your Visa monitoring rate, and the reason code reference lists the network codes and the evidence each one asks for.