Handling a Stripe payment dispute

A dispute (sometimes called a chargeback) happens when a family asks their card issuer to reverse a charge. The bank pulls the money out of your account immediately and asks you to prove the charge was valid.

What you see

Stripe emails you the moment a dispute is opened. The dispute also shows up in your Stripe dashboard, and Rosterra surfaces it on the family's billing page with a red banner.

You have time to respond

Stripe gives you a window (usually 7 to 21 days, depending on the card network) to submit evidence. Do not wait until the last day. The earlier you respond with strong evidence, the better.

Evidence to submit

• The signed waiver with the family's signature and the date.
• The original enrollment record showing what they signed up for and when.
• Attendance history showing they used the service. This is the single strongest evidence for a tuition dispute.
• The parent portal terms of service they agreed to.
• Any communication confirming the charge in the days or weeks leading up to it.

Rosterra packages all of this automatically when you click Submit evidence on the dispute page. Review it, add any custom notes, and submit to Stripe.

How long it takes

Stripe forwards your evidence to the card network. The card network reviews it and replies in 60 to 75 days. There is no faster path. You will not hear anything in the meantime.

If you win

The disputed money is returned to your account. The dispute is closed. You pay no fee.

If you lose

The money stays withdrawn. Stripe charges a 15 dollar dispute fee. You can choose not to fight a future charge from the same family, but the disputed money is gone.

Keeping disputes low

Most disputes come from families who forgot they were on autopay. Three things help:

1. Send a heads-up email before any large or unusual charge.
2. Make the parent portal billing page easy so families can see what they have been charged and self-serve cancel if needed.
3. Respond quickly to "what is this charge?" emails. Families who get a fast answer almost never dispute. Families who feel ignored go straight to their bank.

Repeat offenders

If the same family disputes more than once, consider:

• Refunding them proactively going forward (do not try to charge them again).
• Removing them from autopay and switching to pay-as-you-go.

A single dispute is normal. A pattern is a sign you should stop charging that family.