Card disputes are won or lost on evidence. A chargeback dispute evidence checklist sets out, for each type of dispute, what a bank needs before raising or defending a chargeback: transaction details, proof of authorisation, delivery records, merchant correspondence and cancellation proof. An AI agent can assemble most of it; a person decides and submits.
Why use a checklist for every dispute?
A chargeback is decided on evidence, against card scheme rules and deadlines. Cases are usually lost not because the cardholder was wrong but because the file was incomplete: the delivery proof missing, the cancellation date unrecorded, the merchant never contacted first. A checklist per dispute reason stops that.
The checklist also defines the agent's job. Gathering is depth 1 and 2 work the agent can do well, across transaction systems, customer messages and merchant replies. Raising the chargeback is a formal step with a deadline and a fee, which is why most banks keep it with a person. Whether an AI agent can raise a chargeback for a cardholder sets out that line.
When should the checklist be opened?
Open it the moment a cardholder disputes a card transaction, before anyone decides whether a chargeback is the right route. Some disputes are better resolved by contacting the merchant, by a refund already in progress, or by treating the case as fraud. The checklist helps the team see that early.
For the end-to-end process, including timing and handoffs, see how to handle chargeback disputes with an AI agent. Disputes about a debt the customer owes you, rather than a card payment, follow a different route covered in how to handle debt dispute claims with an AI agent.
How do you complete it?
Choose the dispute reason first, because the evidence differs. Then work through the common items and the reason-specific items. For each, record: found or not found, where it came from, and its provenance. A cardholder's description of events is declared; a delivery confirmation from the merchant's carrier is external until checked; your own authorisation log is signed.
Mark every gap. A missing item does not always kill a case, but the person deciding must know it is missing.
The chargeback dispute evidence checklist
Common to every dispute
- Transaction record: date, amount, merchant, authorisation method
- Cardholder's account of the dispute, in their words, with date received
- Date the dispute deadline falls under the applicable scheme rules
- Whether the cardholder contacted the merchant, and the reply
- Any refund or credit already received or pending
- Previous disputes by the cardholder in the past year
By dispute reason
| Reason | Evidence to gather |
|---|---|
| Not authorised by cardholder | Authentication result; device and location data; card status at the time; whether the card was reported lost |
| Goods or services not received | Agreed delivery date; tracking or delivery record; merchant's response |
| Not as described or defective | Description at purchase; cardholder's evidence of the fault; return attempt and its result |
| Cancelled recurring payment | Cancellation date and method; merchant's acknowledgement; charges after cancellation |
| Duplicate or incorrect amount | Both transaction records; receipt showing the correct amount |
| Credit not processed | Merchant's refund confirmation; date promised; statement showing no credit |
Decision and submission (person)
- Does the evidence meet the scheme requirements for this reason?
- Route chosen: chargeback, merchant contact, fraud case or decline
- Submitted by, date, reference
A worked sample: cancelled subscription
A hypothetical cardholder says a fitness subscription kept charging 45 a month after cancellation.
| Item | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three charges of 45 after the claimed cancellation | Card ledger (signed) |
| 2 | Cardholder says they cancelled by email | Chat transcript (declared) |
| 3 | Deadline falls in 40 days for the earliest charge | Scheme rules reference |
| 4 | Cardholder emailed merchant; no reply | Forwarded email (external) |
| 5 | None | Card ledger |
| Recurring item | Cancellation email dated before first disputed charge; no merchant acknowledgement | Forwarded email (external) |
| 7 | Person judged evidence sufficient for two charges; third charge fell in the period the terms required notice | Card disputes officer |
| 8 | Chargeback raised on two charges | Card disputes officer |
The agent assembled the file in minutes and flagged the notice clause in the merchant's terms. The officer made the call on which charges to pursue. Note that the cancellation email remained external evidence: the officer relied on it, but the file shows why.
Where Pryme fits
Pryme stamps each piece of evidence with its provenance, so a disputes officer sees which items are signed records and which are claims. Submission is held for a named officer. The wider rules for card and payment work are in the guide to AI agents in banking.
Questions people ask
Can the agent tell the cardholder the chargeback will succeed?
No. It can explain the process and the likely timescale. The outcome depends on the merchant's response and the scheme's decision, so any promise would be wrong in some cases.
What if the deadline is close?
The agent should flag it at the top of the file and route the case as urgent. A complete file submitted late is worth nothing.
Can the same checklist be reused for affordability or lending files?
No. The structure, evidence with provenance and a person deciding, is similar, but the items differ. See the affordability assessment checklist for lending.