How to respond to a business chargeback

A chargeback is not a customer complaint sitting in your inbox. It is a formal dispute opened through a card network. The processor pulls the funds first, then gives you a window to submit a documented rebuttal.

Owners who treat that window as optional usually lose the funds by default. The work is documentation, not persuasion.

Telvon does not hold the money and does not promise a reversal. An advocate assembles the file and speaks to the processor on your behalf.

Read the reason code first

Every chargeback arrives with a reason code. That code tells you what the issuer thinks happened, and what evidence they will actually look at.

Start with these:

Fraud or unauthorized use.
Merchandise or service not received.
Not as described, or a credit not processed.
Duplicate processing, or an amount that does not match the receipt.
Authorization issues on a card-present sale.
A catch-all code that still needs a documented reply.

If the code is wrong, say so in the rebuttal and attach the record that proves it. Guessing the story is how files get dismissed.

Calendar the response window

The window is short. Missing it is treated as an uncontested dispute, not a delay you can explain later.

Put these on a calendar the day the notice arrives:

The representment deadline printed on the notice.
The date you requested statements, receipts, and delivery proof.
The date the processor last asked for more documents.
Who on your team is authorized to speak for the business.
Where the finished PDF packet will live, with a file name the processor can open.

Do not wait for a perfect packet. File a complete one before the deadline, then add supplements only if the processor asks.

Pull the evidence, not the argument

Processors read documents. They do not sit on hold with you. A clean packet beats a long explanation.

Collect, in this order:

The original receipt or invoice, with the same amount as the charge.
Proof of delivery, pickup, or service completion.
The signed ticket, terms, or booking confirmation.
Cardholder communication: emails, texts, or chat that show they knew the charge.
AVS, CVV, and 3-D Secure results if the sale was card-not-present.

If a document is missing, say so. Do not fabricate a delivery screenshot or a signature.

Write a rebuttal the processor can use

One page of facts, then exhibits. Lead with the reason code and the date of the sale.

The cover note should answer:

What was sold, and on which date.
How the cardholder authorized the charge.
Whether goods or services were delivered.
Whether a refund was already issued.
Which exhibit proves each point.
What you are asking the issuer to do: reverse the chargeback.
How to reach the person who assembled the file.

Number the exhibits. A reviewer who cannot find the receipt in thirty seconds will not hunt for it.

What to send, and what not to invent

Send only records that belong to this sale. Extra screenshots of unrelated tickets slow the review.

Merchant copy of the receipt or invoice.
POS or gateway authorization record.
Shipping label, pickup log, or signed work order.
Refund policy the cardholder saw at checkout.
Prior refund or replacement if one already happened.

Do not attach marketing pages, unrelated reviews, or a letter that only says the customer is wrong.

Who should speak for the business

One authorized person. Mixed stories from the kitchen, the bookkeeper, and the owner look like confusion, not proof.

Give that person:

A written authorization to contact the processor.
The merchant ID and the case number on the notice.
A single packet, not a chain of forwarded emails.
A record of every call: date, name, and what was requested.
A rule: no one else calls the bank about this case.

If you hire Telvon, that authorization is the work. You do not sit on hold while dinner service is running.

Track the file after you submit

Submission is not the end. Processors ask follow-up questions, and silence is often read as abandonment.

Keep a log of:

The date the packet was uploaded or mailed.
Confirmation numbers from the portal.
Any request for more documents, with the due date.
The decision letter, even if it is a denial.
Whether a second representment is still open.

Store the log with the packet. If you later hire an advocate, that log is the first thing they need.

When the bank still says no

A denial is not always the last word. It is also not a cue to invent a new story.

Read the reason the issuer gave, not the one you hoped for.
Check whether a second representment is still allowed.
Send only the missing exhibit, not a rewritten argument.
If the window is closed, stop calling. The file is done.
Keep the packet. Patterns across cases matter more than one loss.

Telvon will not tell you a denial is impossible to live with. Some disputes end with the funds staying with the issuer.

Friendly fraud versus a real error

Issuers look for a dated, specific rebuttal. Vague explanations rarely move a case.

Keep:

The last four of the card, if the notice includes them.
The reason code and the exact wording on the notice.
The date the charge posted and the date the notice arrived.
The amount, the processor name, and the case or ARN number.
The deadline printed on the notice, in writing, on a calendar.

Treat the file as a calendar problem first. Deadlines expire whether you feel ready or not.

Do not promise a reversal

A complete file usually includes:

The original invoice or receipt.
Proof of delivery, service, or attendance.
The cardholder's order or booking record.
Your refund or cancellation policy as it stood at the time.
Correspondence that shows they knew the charge.
A short cover note that states the request.

None of this guarantees a reversal. It puts the issuer in a position to review documented facts.

A simple chargeback checklist

A complete rebuttal is not a long story. It is the reason code, the dated proof of the sale, and the exhibits a reviewer can check without calling you. Extra pages of opinion hide the receipt.

After you submit, document:

The date and channel you used to submit.
The exhibit list you attached.
Any items you could not produce in time.
A copy of the full PDF stored off the processor portal.
The confirmation number or reference the processor gave you.
The next date you are expected to hear back.
Who on your team owns follow-up if the file is silent.

After you submit, keep the packet. A later case with the same customer or the same reason code is easier to answer if last month's file still exists outside the processor portal.

After you file

Keep a log of:

Dates: every notice, call, and upload.
Names: who you spoke with and what they asked for.
Status: open, submitted, or closed.
Owner: the person authorized to speak for the business.
Next date: the next deadline or expected reply.
Ask: what you want the issuer to reverse.

What Telvon will not do

Hold, manage, or transfer funds.
Process payments or serve as a financial institution.
Provide legal advice or appear as counsel.
Promise a recovery amount, outcome, or timeline.
Replace your bank, processor, or insurer.
Send promotional text messages.

Telvon is an advocate. You remain the merchant of record.

When to hand the file over

If you are missing the calendar, the evidence, or the time to speak for the business, that is the point to authorize an advocate.

Telvon investigates, assembles documentation, and communicates with the bank or processor on your behalf. You stay the merchant of record. Telvon does not hold the money.

Start a case when the dispute is large enough that sitting on hold is costing more than the work of handing it over.

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