> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.yorlet.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Disputes

> Respond to payment disputes, submit evidence to the cardholder's bank, and recover funds.

A dispute (also called a chargeback) is raised when a customer questions a payment with their bank. The bank can return the funds to them, and you have a limited time to send evidence that the charge was legitimate.

You can review and respond to disputes from the [Disputes page](https://dashboard.yorlet.com/disputes). Card disputes can be contested with evidence. [Bacs](/payments/payment-methods/bacs-debit) and [SEPA](/payments/payment-methods/sepa-debit) Direct Debit disputes are final and cannot be appealed.

## What happens when a payment is disputed

When a dispute is created:

* The disputed amount is deducted from your balance, usually within 24 hours.
* A dispute fee is deducted for card and SEPA Direct Debit disputes. See [Fees](#fees).
* If the payment was for an invoice, the invoice is marked with a late payment failure.
* If the funds had already been paid out to an owner, a transfer reversal is created.
* Admins receive an email and a Dashboard notification with a link to the dispute.

The original payment stays on the [Payments page](https://dashboard.yorlet.com/payments) and shows a link to the dispute.

If the dispute needs a response, you have until the evidence due date to submit evidence. Three days before that deadline, admins receive a reminder email. Once the deadline passes, you can no longer submit evidence.

<Tip>
  Refund a payment you agree was made in error before the customer disputes it. A [refund](/payments/refunds) is faster and cheaper than a chargeback, and there is no dispute fee.
</Tip>

## View disputes

To open a dispute, follow these steps:

1. Go to the [Disputes page](https://dashboard.yorlet.com/disputes) under **Payments**.
2. Use the **Unresolved** and **Resolved** tabs, or open a dispute from the related payment.
3. Optionally assign a team member so it is clear who is responding.

The dispute shows the amount, fee, reason, customer, and the related payment and invoice. A timeline tracks when the dispute was created, when evidence is due, and when it is under review.

## Dispute statuses

| Status                   | Description                                                                                                |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Needs response           | You can still submit evidence. Respond before the due date.                                                |
| Evidence submitted       | Your evidence has been sent to the cardholder's bank. A decision can take up to three months.              |
| Won                      | The bank found in your favour. The disputed amount is returned to your balance.                            |
| Lost                     | The bank found in the customer's favour. The deducted funds are not returned.                              |
| Warning - needs response | An early enquiry from the card network. Funds are not withdrawn yet, but you should still review the case. |
| Warning - under review   | The warning is being reviewed.                                                                             |
| Warning - closed         | The warning was closed without becoming a full dispute.                                                    |

## Respond to a card dispute

You can add evidence while the status is **Needs response**. Save your progress as you go, then submit once everything is complete. You can only submit once: after that, the evidence cannot be changed or sent again.

To add evidence, follow these steps:

1. Open the dispute.
2. Click **Manage evidence**.
3. Upload documents and fill in the details that support your case. Click **Save evidence** to keep your progress.
4. When you are ready, close the evidence sheet and click **Submit evidence**.
5. Confirm that the evidence is complete, then click **Submit evidence** again.

<Warning>
  Once submitted, the evidence cannot be changed or resubmitted. Make sure everything is complete before you confirm.
</Warning>

**Submit evidence** stays disabled until at least one document or detail has been saved.

### Documents

Upload PNG, JPEG, or PDF files. Use the category that matches the file:

| Field                      | What to upload                                                                                          |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Customer communication** | Emails, messages, or letters with the customer about the payment, property, or tenancy.                 |
| **Refund policy**          | The refund or cancellation policy the customer agreed to.                                               |
| **Service documentation**  | Proof the service was provided: a signed tenancy or licence, the invoice, check-in records, or similar. |

### Details

| Field                                | What to write                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Why should you win this dispute?** | A clear, concise explanation of why the charge is legitimate. This is the narrative the bank reads first.             |
| **Product description**              | What the customer paid for, for example a month's rent at a named property, a holding deposit, or an application fee. |
| **Refund policy disclosure**         | How and when the customer was shown your refund policy before they paid.                                              |
| **Refund refusal explanation**       | Why they are not entitled to a refund, if they asked for one.                                                         |
| **Service date**                     | The date the service was provided, such as the tenancy start date or the first day of the rent period.                |

## Evidence best practice

Banks review a high volume of cases and often decide from the written explanation plus a few supporting documents. Strong evidence is specific, dated, and tied to this customer and this charge.

* Respond before the due date. Late evidence is not accepted.
* Address the dispute reason. Fraud evidence is different from a refund complaint.
* Write in plain English. State what was paid for, when, by whom, and why the charge is valid.
* Use names, dates, amounts, and addresses that match the Customer, Invoice, and payment.
* Prefer a signed tenancy or licence, the invoice, and emails from the customer's own address over generic policy text.
* Keep scans readable. Crop to the relevant pages; do not upload an entire unsearchable pack.
* Do not argue, threaten, or include unrelated complaints. Stick to facts the bank can verify.

<Tip>
  Requiring [3D Secure](/payments/fraud-prevention) on card payments makes fraudulent disputes harder to win against you, because liability often shifts to the customer's bank.
</Tip>

### What to include by reason

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Fraudulent, unrecognised, or not authorised">
    The customer (or someone using their card) told the bank they did not make or recognise the payment.

    Include:

    * The signed tenancy, licence, or application in the customer's name.
    * Emails or messages from the customer arranging the property, viewing, or payment.
    * The invoice and payment receipt.
    * Proof they occupied or used the property, such as a check-in record or key handover.
    * In **Why should you win this dispute?**, explain that the named customer authorised the payment for a specific property and period.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Credit not processed">
    The customer claims they were owed a refund that never arrived.

    Include:

    * Your refund policy and **Refund policy disclosure** showing they saw it before paying.
    * **Refund refusal explanation** if they were not entitled to a refund (for example the rent period had already started).
    * If you already refunded them, proof of that refund: date, amount, and destination.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Product or service not received">
    The customer claims they did not receive what they paid for.

    Include:

    * **Service date** and **Service documentation** showing the tenancy started or the rent period was provided.
    * The tenancy or licence agreement.
    * Communication that they collected keys, moved in, or otherwise used the property.
    * **Product description** naming the property and the period covered by the charge.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Duplicate or subscription cancelled">
    The customer claims they were charged twice, or that a recurring payment continued after they cancelled.

    Include:

    * The invoices that show each charge was for a distinct period or product.
    * If two payments were made in error, refund the duplicate rather than fighting both disputes.
    * For recurring rent, the subscription or tenancy dates and any cancellation notice you received, with when it took effect.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Direct Debit disputes

[Bacs Direct Debit](/payments/payment-methods/bacs-debit) and [SEPA Direct Debit](/payments/payment-methods/sepa-debit) disputes are final. There is no evidence process and no appeal.

If a Direct Debit is disputed:

* The payment is marked `lost`.
* Contact the customer to resolve it directly.
* If you agree a repayment, [create a new payment](/payments/accept-a-payment).

Bacs Direct Debit is widely used for rent. Fraudulent Direct Debit disputes are uncommon; when one happens, recover the funds with the customer rather than through the bank.

## After you submit

The dispute moves to **Evidence submitted**. The cardholder's bank reviews the case, which can take up to three months. The dispute status updates to **Won** or **Lost** when the bank decides.

* **Won**: the disputed amount is returned to your balance. The dispute fee is not refunded.
* **Lost**: the deducted funds stay with the customer.

You can add internal comments on the dispute for your team at any time. These are not sent to the bank.

## Mark a dispute as resolved

**Mark resolved** takes the dispute off your **Unresolved** list in Yorlet. It does not change the bank's decision.

You cannot mark a dispute resolved while it still needs a response. Card disputes that the bank has decided are usually resolved for you. Use **Mark resolved** when you have finished working a case that is no longer awaiting evidence — for example a Direct Debit dispute, or a card dispute already under review.

<Warning>
  Marking a dispute resolved cannot be undone.
</Warning>

To mark a dispute as resolved, follow these steps:

1. Open the dispute.
2. Click **Mark resolved**.
3. Click **Resolve** to confirm.

## Fees

The disputed amount is withdrawn when a full dispute is created (not for a warning). An additional dispute fee applies to some payment methods:

| Payment method    | Dispute fee                                        |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Cards             | £20.00 (or the equivalent in the payment currency) |
| SEPA Direct Debit | €7.50                                              |
| Bacs Direct Debit | No additional dispute fee                          |

The fee is shown on the dispute as **Fee**. It is not returned if you win.