Creator payments
Chargeback on a digital product: what to do next
A buyer told their bank they did not get what they paid for, or did not make the payment at all. The money has already left your balance. You usually have one to three weeks and one chance to answer. Here is how to use it well.
A chargeback (also called a payment dispute) is when a buyer asks their bank to take a card payment back. The bank returns the money to the buyer first and asks questions later. Your payment provider pulls the amount from your balance, usually adds a fee, and gives you a short window to send proof. If you do nothing by the deadline, you lose automatically.
What to do in the first hour
Do not panic and do not reply in anger. A dispute is a paperwork process, not a verdict on you. Most of the work is finding records you already have.
- 01
Write down the deadline
Stripe says the response window is usually 7 to 21 days, depending on the card network. Put the date in your calendar with a reminder two days before. Missing it means losing the money and the fee.
- 02
Read the reason
Every dispute comes with a reason, such as "fraudulent", "product not received" or "subscription canceled". The reason decides what proof matters. The next section explains each one.
- 03
Find the sale
Open the order: buyer email, date, amount, product, receipt, and delivery or download record. Check the messages too. Did this buyer write to you before or after paying?
- 04
Check if it is an inquiry
Some card networks start with an "inquiry", a request for information before a formal dispute. Answer it. Stripe warns that an unanswered inquiry can turn into a chargeback you can no longer win.
One thing you cannot do: refund the payment now. Once a dispute is open, the bank has already given the buyer their money back. Any extra refund would pay them twice, so providers block it. Your only choices are to send proof or accept the dispute.
Read the dispute reason before you reply
Card networks have hundreds of reason codes. Stripe groups them into a handful of categories. For a digital product, these are the ones you will see most:
| Reason | What the buyer told the bank | The proof that answers it |
|---|---|---|
| Fraudulent or unrecognized | "I did not make this payment" or "I do not know what this is" | The buyer's email and name matching the order, earlier purchases from the same buyer, and their messages to you |
| Product not received | "I paid and got nothing" | The receipt, the delivery email, and a download or access record with the date and time |
| Product unacceptable | "It was broken or not what was described" | A screenshot of the sales page as the buyer saw it, the file contents, and your reply to any complaint |
| Subscription canceled | "I canceled and you kept charging me" | The renewal terms shown at checkout, your cancellation steps, and proof the membership was still active |
| Credit not processed | "They promised a refund and never sent it" | Your refund policy shown before purchase, and either the refund you already issued or why it did not apply |
| Duplicate | "I was charged twice" | Two separate orders with different products or dates, or the refund of the real duplicate |
"Unrecognized" disputes are often honest mistakes. The buyer sees a name on their card statement they do not connect with you. Stripe treats this reason the same as fraud, so the answer is the same: show who bought it and what they got.
If your provider shows the bank's documents, read them. Sometimes the buyer wrote a sentence explaining the complaint. Your evidence should answer that sentence, not a general case.
Fight it or accept it: a simple rule
Fighting a dispute costs time and, with Stripe, an extra fee. In the US, Stripe charges 15 USD when a dispute arrives, and another 15 USD if you counter it. The counter fee comes back if you win. The first fee does not. So the question is not only "am I right?" but "can I prove it, and is it worth it?"
Fight the dispute when the buyer's claim is wrong and you have records that show it, such as a download log against "not received", or a page screenshot against "not as described". Accept it when the claim is fair (the file was broken, a cancellation was missed), when you have no records, or when the sale is so small that the counter fee and your time cost more than you could win back.
Two more things can change the answer:
- The buyer may withdraw it. Stripe suggests contacting the buyer, since a misunderstanding can often be fixed. Even if they withdraw, Stripe says you still need to submit evidence for the dispute to close in your favor.
- Every dispute counts against you, won or lost. Card networks watch your dispute activity. Stripe notes that the industry treats activity above 0.75% of payments as excessive. A creator with 40 sales a month crosses that with one dispute. That is a reason to prevent disputes, not a reason to give up on a fair one.
A message to the buyer you can adapt:
Hi [name], I saw that your bank opened a dispute for your [product] purchase on [date]. I am sorry something went wrong. Could you tell me what happened? If the file did not open or was not what you expected, I would like to fix it. Your download link is still [where to find it]. Thanks, [your name]
Keep it short and friendly. Do not ask them to "drop the chargeback or else". Do not mention it in public, even without a name.
Build the evidence file
You get one submission. Stripe forwards it to the bank right away, and you cannot edit it or add files later. Gather everything first, then send once.
Stripe's response guide sets the format rules:
- All files together under 4.5 MB, and at most 19 pages for Mastercard disputes.
- One file per type of evidence. Combine several screenshots of the same kind into one PDF.
- No links, audio or video. The bank does not click links, so paste screenshots instead.
- Short and factual. Answer the reason the buyer gave, nothing else.
For a digital product, a strong file usually holds these items, in this order:
- A three-sentence summary. What they bought, when, and why the claim does not hold. For example: "The buyer purchased the Lightroom preset pack on 3 September. The download link was emailed at purchase and the files were downloaded on 3 and 5 September. The buyer did not contact us before opening the dispute."
- The receipt with the buyer's email, the product name and the amount.
- The sales page as it looked at the time of purchase, showing what the product includes and your refund terms.
- Delivery and access records: the delivery email, download dates and times, logins, or member-area visits. For digital goods, Stripe advises keeping access logs that tie use back to the buyer.
- Messages with the buyer, especially any where they said thanks, asked about the content, or never raised a problem.
Leave out anything that does not answer the reason. A long story about how hard you worked on the product does not help the bank decide.
After the decision
The bank, not your payment provider, makes the call. Stripe says the bank usually takes 60 to 75 days after you respond, and the whole process often runs two to three months. If you win, the disputed amount comes back to your balance. If you lose, the money stays with the buyer and the decision is final.
Either way, do three things:
- Find the cause. Was the charge name unclear? Was the download hard to find? Did the page promise more than the file had? Fix that one thing.
- Decide about access. If you lost, it is fair to remove the buyer's access to the product or membership. Do it through your platform, not by announcing it.
- Note the buyer. If the same person disputes again later, you will want the history.
Prevent the next one
Most digital-product disputes come from confusion, not theft. These five changes deal with the common causes, and most come straight from Stripe's prevention advice.
| Cause | Change |
|---|---|
| The buyer does not recognize the charge | Use a statement name they will know, such as your creator name or site, and send a receipt every time. |
| The buyer cannot find the file | Deliver instantly, say on the page where the file arrives, and keep a download record. Test it with a real purchase path, as in the digital product checklist. |
| The product was not what they expected | Show what is inside: format, page count, software needed. Never promise results the file cannot deliver. |
| A refund felt impossible | Show the full refund policy before checkout, not only a link, and answer refund requests within a day or two. A quick refund costs less than a dispute. The refund policy guide has examples per offer type. |
| A membership renewed unexpectedly | Say plainly that it renews, how often, and how to cancel. Cancel right away when asked and confirm it in writing. |
One more case: sometimes your provider sends an early fraud warning before any dispute. Stripe says about 40% of these become fraud disputes if left alone. For a small sale, refunding the payment as fraud is often cheaper than waiting, because a fully refunded payment cannot be disputed.
On a Loresta Page, supporters' card statements show Loresta with your creator name. If a sale is disputed, it appears under Refunds and disputes in Finances with the deadline. Loresta gathers the sale record for you to check before it goes to the bank, and you can also accept the dispute or ask for help. You still decide.
Research notes
Sources checked for this guide
Product details and policies can change. First-party pages were checked on October 22, 2026.
- Stripe Docs: how disputes work
Dispute timing (usually 120 days to file, 7 to 21 days to respond), inquiries, early fraud warnings, and why you cannot refund an open dispute.
- Stripe Docs: respond to disputes
One submission only, a 4.5 MB evidence limit, no links, audio or video, and the accept or counter choice.
- Stripe Docs: dispute categories
What each reason means and the evidence that answers it, including access logs for digital goods.
- Stripe Support: dispute fees
In the US, a 15 USD fee for each dispute received and a 15 USD fee to counter one, returned only if you win.
- Stripe Docs: preventing disputes
Recognizable statement descriptors, full policies shown before purchase, and when to refund a suspicious payment early.
- Stripe Docs: measuring disputes
Won and lost disputes both count toward your rate; the industry treats activity above 0.75% as excessive.
Questions creators ask next
Direct answers that keep the plan realistic.
Can a buyer get a chargeback on a digital product they already downloaded?
Yes. A buyer can dispute any card payment with their bank, whatever they did with the file. A download record does not stop the dispute, but it is often your strongest evidence when the claim is that nothing arrived.
How long does a buyer have to file a chargeback?
Card networks usually allow about 120 days from the payment, and sometimes longer. Keep your sale, delivery and message records for at least that long.
Should I just refund the buyer instead?
Before a dispute is opened, a full refund usually ends it, because a fully refunded payment cannot be disputed. Once the dispute is open you cannot refund outside it; the bank has already returned the money to the buyer.
Will I get the dispute fee back if I win?
With Stripe, the fee for receiving a dispute is not returned (businesses in Mexico are the exception). The separate fee for countering it is returned if you win. Check your own platform's terms for who pays these fees.
Can I message the buyer about the chargeback?
Yes, once, politely, and in writing. Ask what went wrong and offer to fix it. Never threaten, never post about them in public, and keep a copy of every message, because the conversation can become evidence.
Can I block a buyer after a chargeback?
Many platforms let you, and it is reasonable to stop selling to someone who disputed a payment they received. Do it quietly, not as a public warning.
Sell from a Page that keeps every sale's record in one place
Claim your name and paste your link. Loresta builds a free Page for tips, offers and answers to your followers' questions. Nothing goes live until you publish.
Compare plans