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description: >-
  Chargeback dispute management in the Inyo Dashboard — track disputes by ARN through pre-chargeback, first and second chargeback, and arbitration; accept, dispute with evidence, or request arbitration; and respond to reviewer feedback.
---

# Disputes (Chargebacks)

**Payments → Disputes** is where you manage chargebacks: cardholder-initiated reversals of payments you processed. The Dashboard groups all activity by **ARN** (Acquirer Reference Number), tracks each case through its lifecycle, and lets you respond — accept the loss, contest with evidence, or escalate to arbitration.

**Requires:** *view chargebacks* to see the page; *create chargeback event* to submit responses; *download chargeback evidence* to download files.

![The Disputes page — volume over time, distribution by latest cycle, and the reason code summary](/images/dashboard/disputes.png)

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### The Disputes List

The list page opens with three summary widgets — **Volume over time**, **Distribution by latest cycle**, and a **Reason code summary** (code, description, case count, average amount) — followed by the **Chargeback Details** table:

`ARN` · `Cases` · `Merchant` · `Agent` · `Status` · `Latest Cycle` · `Reason` · `Total CB` · `Card` · `Date Issued` · `Reply By` · `Customer` · `Phone` · `Actions`

Expanding a row reveals **Transaction Details**, **Customer & Card**, **Risk Signals** (IP address and country, device, fingerprint, visitor ID), and the **ARN Timeline** across all of that ARN's cases.

**Filters:** ARN, External ID, Status, Cycle, Reason code, and Period (date received).

> **Reply By** is the deadline that matters. Sort your queue by it — a dispute without a response by that date is typically lost by default.

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### The Dispute Lifecycle

| Stage | Meaning |
| ----- | ------- |
| **Pre-Chargeback** | Early notification — often resolvable by refunding before it becomes a chargeback |
| **First Chargeback** | The formal dispute; you respond by accepting or contesting |
| **Second Chargeback** | The issuer rejected your defense and re-presented the dispute |
| **Arbitration** | The card network decides — a non-refundable fee applies |

Statuses along the way: `Open`, `Pending Response`, `Accepted`, `Disputed`, `Won`, `Lost`, `Arbitration Pending`, `Arbitration Won`, `Arbitration Lost`, `Closed` — plus transient badges `Processing`, `Under review`, and `Awaiting submission`. Actions that are not valid at the current stage appear disabled with an explanatory tooltip.

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### Responding to a Dispute

Open a dispute to see its full detail and the response actions:

| Action | What it does |
| ------ | ------------ |
| **Accept** | Accept the chargeback and absorb the loss |
| **Dispute** | Contest the chargeback with supporting evidence |
| **Request Arbitration** | Escalate to card network arbitration — you must tick a checkbox accepting the non-refundable arbitration fee |
| **Retry** | Resubmit a response that failed to deliver |

Every response dialog asks for a **Description** (required), an optional **Call Number**, and a confirmation checkbox.

**Disputing requires evidence.** The Dispute dialog adds:

* **Evidence Type** — `Receipt / Invoice`, `Delivery Proof`, `Customer Communication`, `Refund Policy / Terms`, or `Other Documentation`
* **Evidence Description** — what the files demonstrate
* **File upload** (drag-and-drop) — images, PDF, DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, with per-file, total-size, and file-count limits shown in the dialog. At least one file is required.

**What wins disputes:** match the evidence to the reason code. *Fraud* reason codes want proof the cardholder participated (AVS/CVC matches, IP and device signals from the Risk Signals panel, delivery to the verified address). *Product/service* codes want delivery proof and customer communication. *Duplicate/credit* codes want your transaction records showing the refund or the distinct orders.

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### Action History and Reviewer Feedback

Each dispute's **Action History** timeline tracks your submissions (`Not submitted` → `Submitted`) and the review status (`Pending` → `Reviewed`). When a reviewer needs more information, their comments appear on the interaction and **Add New Evidence** lets you attach a follow-up response. Previously submitted files can be retrieved with **Download evidences** (permission-gated).

You are notified of new chargeback events and submission confirmations via the [Notifications](../notifications.md) bell, which deep-links straight into the dispute.

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### Reducing Chargebacks

The best dispute is the one that never opens: respond to pre-chargebacks with a refund when the transaction looks unrecoverable, and see [Mitigating Fraud](../../api-references/payments-gateway/mitigating-fraud.md) for prevention practices.