What Should I Do if the Cardholder Won't Withdraw the Dispute?

Owned by Suze Howe
Last updated: Apr 19, 2021
1 min read

If the cardholder won’t withdraw the dispute, you have two options:  Accept the dispute or Challenge the dispute.

A lot depends on the individual situation, if you can prove that the charge is valid, and how much time and effort you want to put into resolving the dispute.

Accepting the dispute permanently refunds the cardholder’s account and the dispute is immediately closed. You will not get your funds back, but sometimes this is the best decision - particularly if the cardholder should be refunded, if you can’t provide strong evidence to support your claim, or if you just want to wrap up the dispute as quickly as possible.

Challenging the dispute means that you have strong evidence to prove that the original charge should be processed. This may include:

  • A refund/cancellation policy supporting your claim AND a waiver from the cardholder that shows they agreed to the policy.

  • Proof that you refunded the student through other means (check, class credit, etc.)

  • Proof that the student attended the class/event

A more detailed list and best practices for submitting evidence can be found in this article: How do I Submit Evidence? / What is Strong Evidence?

Challenging a dispute is much more time consuming, but may be worth the effort if you have the supporting documentation to prove your case.