Here's what happens if a purchaser disputes the charge with their credit card/ bank.
When a donor or purchaser disputes a charge through their credit card or bank, a formal dispute process begins. This article explains how disputes work, what steps Trellis and the organization need to take, and special considerations when raffle tickets are involved.
🚩 Overview of the Dispute Process
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Disputes are initiated by the donor/purchaser through their bank or credit card provider.
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The dispute is between the donor’s bank and the organization’s bank.
Trellis is only an intermediary with access to Stripe’s dispute portal; we do not control or decide the outcome. -
Once Stripe receives the dispute, they notify Trellis via email with a link to the dispute portal.
🔗 Trellis’s Role
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Trellis receives the notification email from Stripe and accesses the portal.
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We send the "Dispute" template to the organization impacted.
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The template includes:
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Details of the disputed charge.
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Instructions for the organization on what to do next.
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The deadline by which evidence must be submitted.
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- We will take a screenshot of the dispute information in Stripe, as well as a screenshot of the transaction information in Trellis to include in the email along with the deadline found in the Stripe dispute portal.
👥 Your Role
Once informed, the organization must:
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Contact the donor directly.
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You should ask the donor to reach out to their bank/credit card provider and cancel the dispute if it was made in error.
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The donor must also send written confirmation (email is fine) that they acknowledge the dispute was a mistake.
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Collect and send evidence.
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The organization needs to forward the donor’s written confirmation to Trellis within the time frame specified in the email template.
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Act promptly.
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Disputes are time-sensitive. If the evidence is not submitted before the deadline, the organization will lose the dispute.
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📤 Submitting Evidence
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Trellis submits the evidence through the Stripe dispute portal on the organization’s behalf.
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Once submitted, no further changes can be made — it’s final.
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There is a wait period (usually at least one month) before Stripe informs Trellis whether the dispute was won or lost.
💸 Outcome of the Dispute
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If the organization wins the dispute:
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The donor’s funds remain with the organization.
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No funds are withdrawn.
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If the organization loses the dispute:
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The funds are withdrawn automatically from the organization’s bank account (or Stripe balance if available).
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The withdrawal happens only after the decision is made — nothing is withdrawn before the dispute is resolved.
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🎟️ Special Note: Raffle Ticket Purchases
When a dispute involves a raffle ticket purchase, there is one critical additional step:
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If the dispute is lost, the purchased raffle tickets are automatically voided in Trellis.
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The transaction in Trellis is updated to show as “refunded.” (We currently do not have a “disputed” state in the system.)
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If the donor later realizes the dispute was a mistake after it has already been resolved, they will need to repurchase tickets.
Their original raffle tickets are no longer valid once voided.
📌 Key Points to Remember
✅ Trellis does not decide dispute outcomes — we facilitate the process through Stripe.
✅ The organization must act quickly and provide written confirmation from the donor.
✅ Once evidence is submitted, it cannot be changed.
✅ Funds are only withdrawn if the dispute is lost.
✅ For raffle tickets, losing a dispute voids the tickets automatically and permanently.
Need Help?
If you have questions about a specific dispute, reach out to support@trellis.org