Payments

Handle a chargeback or payment dispute

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A dispute — often called a chargeback — happens when an attendee asks their bank to reverse a charge instead of asking you for a refund. The bank takes the money back while it investigates, and you get a window to respond with evidence. Disputes are rare, but they're strictly time-boxed, so knowing where to look and what to submit makes all the difference.

Review your open disputes

Open Payments from your dashboard. When a dispute needs you, a Disputes button with a count appears at the top of the page — we also flag it on your home dashboard.
Click through to the Disputes page to see every dispute with its amount, status (Needs response, Under review, Won, or Lost), and evidence deadline.
Open a dispute to see the full picture: the original payment, the attendee, the reason the cardholder gave, and exactly how long you have to respond.

Submit evidence

Open the dispute and read the reason first — the strongest responses answer the cardholder's specific claim.
Write a short, factual account: what was booked, when, for how much, and whether the attendee showed up.
Attach supporting files — a receipt, your cancellation or refund policy, messages with the attendee, or check-in records. PDFs and images up to 5MB each.
Save a draft while you gather material, then click Submit when you're confident. Once submitted to Stripe, evidence can't be edited, so review it carefully.
For payments taken through Square, submit evidence in your Square Dashboard instead — the dispute page links you straight there with the dispute ID ready to copy.

Timelines and outcomes

The disputed amount is held from your balance as soon as the dispute opens — it isn't gone for good unless the dispute is lost.
Evidence deadlines are set by the card network and shown on every dispute — usually one to three weeks. Missing the deadline almost always means losing.
After you respond, the cardholder's bank can take several weeks to decide. The dispute's status updates automatically when the outcome lands.
If you win, the held amount is returned to your balance. If you lose, the cardholder keeps the money and the payment is marked as lost — card network decisions are final.

Reduce your dispute risk

Use a business name customers will recognize on their statement — 'I don't recognize this charge' is the most common trigger.
Put your cancellation and refund policy on the class page so expectations are set before anyone pays.
Reply quickly to attendee messages. People who can't reach you call their bank instead.
When something genuinely went wrong, refund proactively — a refund closes the conversation; a chargeback opens a case.
Keep using check-in: attendance records are some of the strongest evidence that the service was delivered as promised.

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