Chargebacks and Disputes

What a chargeback is

A chargeback happens when a customer asks their bank to reverse a card payment. It may also appear as a dispute in Dinevate. The bank pulls the disputed order amount while it reviews the case.

The customer may say the payment was not authorized, the order was not received, the product was not acceptable, the charge was a duplicate, or a refund was owed. The bank decides the outcome.

You can either accept the chargeback or send proof. Sending proof is also called countering the dispute.

Why the deadline matters

Every chargeback has a response deadline. If proof is not sent before the deadline, the restaurant automatically loses the case and the disputed order amount does not come back.

A dispute response is final after it is submitted. That means you should include all useful proof the first time.

Where to find chargebacks in Dinevate

1. Log in to Dinevate.
2. Open your Merchant Dashboard.
3. Go to Disputes.
4. Open the chargeback you want to review.

The dispute page shows the order, customer details, payment record, fulfillment details, deadline, and the current Stripe status.

How to counter a chargeback in Dinevate

1. Open the chargeback from the Disputes page.
2. Review the order details and the reason given by the bank.
3. Click Chargeback Defender to let Dinevate prepare a response from the order, payment, and fulfillment records.
4. Review the filled evidence fields.
5. Add anything Dinevate cannot know, such as a photo of the packed order, a customer message, a signed receipt, or staff notes.
6. Click Send Proof before the deadline.

Use Fill Facts only when you want Dinevate to copy the known order facts into the form for your review. Chargeback Defender is the better option for writing the response.

What proof helps

Good proof is specific. Banks review facts, not long generic explanations.

Useful proof can include:

• The order receipt and exact items ordered.
• Customer-entered name, email, phone, and billing details.
• Payment details, such as card brand, last four digits, CVC check, ZIP check, Stripe charge ID, and payment intent ID.
• The time the order was placed, accepted, prepared, picked up, or delivered.
• Pickup notes, delivery status, courier details, or handoff records.
• Refund records, cancellation records, or customer messages if they exist.
• Photos of packed food or delivery handoff if your team captured them.

Do not invent proof. If you do not have a photo, signature, delivery confirmation, or customer message, do not claim that you do.

How Chargeback Defender works

Chargeback Defender is Dinevate answering chargebacks with your restaurant's order, payment, and fulfillment records.

It does not guess. It builds a case file from the data Dinevate and Stripe already have, then writes a response for the bank. It is designed to be short, chronological, and tied to the dispute reason.

Chargeback Defender can use:

• Order timeline.
• Items, modifiers, notes, taxes, fees, and total.
• Customer-entered checkout details.
• Stripe payment details and verification checks.
• Pickup or delivery fulfillment records.
• Refund records when present.
• Existing proof links and receipts.

It cannot use proof that was never recorded. If your staff has extra proof outside Dinevate, add it before sending.

Automatic proof sending

There are two settings on the Disputes page:

• Chargeback Defender - turns Dinevate's chargeback help on or off.
• Send proof 2 days before the deadline - lets Dinevate send proof near the deadline when Defender is on.

For new restaurants, Chargeback Defender is off by default. The 2-day sending option is on by default, but it only does anything after you turn Chargeback Defender on.

When both settings are on, Dinevate will send proof only when:

• The dispute still needs a response.
• The deadline is within 48 hours.
• No proof has already been submitted.
• The dispute is not past due.
• Chargeback Defender says the case has enough factual proof to send.

If the case is missing important proof, Dinevate leaves it for review instead of sending a weak response.

Automatic proof sending counts as proof being sent to the bank or card network, so the counter-dispute fee applies when Dinevate sends proof through Chargeback Defender.

Fees

Dinevate splits chargeback fees into two parts:

• $35 chargeback received fee - charged when a chargeback opens. This fee is not returned.
• $15 counter-dispute fee - charged only if proof is sent to the bank or card network. This fee comes back if you win.

If you win, the disputed order amount is returned to the restaurant. If proof was sent, the $15 counter-dispute fee is also returned or voided if it was still unpaid.

If you lose, the disputed order amount is not returned. The $35 chargeback received fee stays charged. If proof was sent, the $15 counter-dispute fee is not returned.

How to avoid chargebacks

You cannot prevent every chargeback, but you can reduce them.

• Use a clear restaurant name on receipts and statements.
• Keep your online menu accurate.
• Show pickup and delivery instructions clearly.
• Keep prep times realistic.
• Mark orders fulfilled only when they are actually picked up or delivered.
• Save customer messages about cancellations, missing items, or refunds.
• Take photos of large pickup or delivery orders when possible.
• Handle refund requests quickly and record what happened.