A chargeback (dispute) happens when a customer asks their bank or card provider (for example Visa, Mastercard, or their credit card company) to reverse a payment they’ve made to a business.

Some of the more common reasons for chargebacks include:

• The customer doesn’t recognise the transaction
• They believe they were charged incorrectly
• The item didn’t arrive
• The item arrived but was not as described
• The card was used fraudulently
• The customer tried to get a refund but felt it wasn’t resolved

If you're using Adyen as your Citrus-Lime Payment Gateway or as your Terminal Provider in store, you have the ability to manage chargebacks in house.

Where can I find my current and ongoing Chargebacks?

In Cloud POS Back Office, head to Payments & Transactions > CitrusPay Payouts. 

On the following page, you should see a button for View Disputes. If you do not see this option, please contact the Citrus Lime Support Team.

This will open a pop-out screen, displaying your chargebacks. If you are using Adyen for both multiple payment services, such as your PDQ Terminals, eCommerce Payments and Payment Links, you can use the option highlighted below to change the account, viewing disputes for all payment methods. 

The Chargebacks tab will show any new Chargebacks which have not yet been handled. 

The Fraud Alerts tab will show any payments that you may wish to review before shipping products to your customers.

The Ongoing & Closed tab will show you any Chargebacks for which you have submitted evidence as a counter-action, along with any closed Chargebacks and the status of these (Lost or Won). 

How do I handle a new Chargeback?

To handle the Chargeback, firstly, click onto the Chargeback line from the pop-out window. This will open a further window, which gives options on how you wish to proceed. You have two options when handling a Chargeback; Accept or Defend Chargeback. 

Which option you select will entirely depend on the circumstances of the Chargeback. Below, we have provided some guidance on when each option is likely to be utilised. 

Accepting a Chargeback

A retailer should usually accept a chargeback when the customer is clearly entitled to a refund or when the retailer would be unlikely to win the case.

Common situations include:

The retailer made a mistake

• The customer was charged incorrectly
• A duplicate payment was taken
• The wrong item was shipped and not resolved in a timely manner

The retailer cannot provide evidence:

• No proof of delivery
• No tracking or courier confirmation
• Incomplete or missing orders records

The customer is genuinely entitled to a refund:

• The item was returned in line with the retailer's policy
• The item was cancelled before despatch
• The product was faulty and a refund was agreed but not processed

Disputing a Chargeback

A retailer should consider defending a chargeback when they believe the charge is unfair and they have strong evidence to support this.

Common situations include:

The order was delivered successfully:

• The retailer has tracked delivery
• The courier confirms delivery to the requested address
• The delivery date aligns with the expected timeframe

The customer received what they ordered:

• The product matches the description
• No defect was reported to the retailer directly before a chargeback was submitted
• No return was initiated through the retailer's advertised process

The chargeback reason is incorrect or misleading:

• The customer claims ‘item not received’ but the delivery has been confirmed
• The customer claims fraud but the transaction passed security checks (3D Secure Checks)

The chargeback sets an important precedent:

• High-value orders
• Repeat or suspected abusive chargebacks
• Situations where not defending could encourage further disputes

Once you have decided which avenue you are going to take, make the selection on the pop-out window.

Should you choose to Accept the Chargeback, the customer will be refunded. 

If you choose to Defend Chargeback, you'll be taken to a further screen, whereby you can select the reason for the defense and submit any evidence that you may feel would support your defense, including tracking information, delivery information and customer correspondence. 

You can find further guidance on the types of evidence to submit for the various different dispute reasonings here. 

You can track the status of the Chargeback using the Ongoing & Closed tab on the initial View Disputes pop-out. 

If you have any concerns or questions regarding your Chargebacks, the Citrus Lime Support Team are on hand to assist. 

What happens if the Respond By date has lapsed?

If the Respond By date for a dispute lapses without any response from a retailer, the Chargeback will automatically resolve in the Customer's favour.

We strongly recommend adding in a daily process to monitor for new disputes and ensure that these are handled in a timely manner.