January 14th, 2025
Stripe Disputes and ACH Best Practices
Stripe Disputes Best Practices
General Handling in Admin Console
When a dispute occurs, you'll receive an email notification with the disputed order, the amount, any additional fees, and the deadline to submit evidence if you choose to counter.
Disputes are managed under Accounting, Stripe Payments, Disputes tab, where you can see all disputes and their status (Action Required, Won, Lost, Deadline Missed, etc.).
Clicking into an "Action Required" dispute shows the dispute reason, response due date, payment and invoice details, payment method details, and a link to Stripe's step-by-step guide specific to that dispute type.
To counter, select the primary reason for countering (e.g., purchase made by the rightful user), enter product description details (name, SKU, serial/unit number), select product/service type, confirm or enter shipping information, enter customer billing details matching the order, and upload supporting evidence. Once submitted, the status changes to Reviewing, then updates to Won or Lost.
Receiving Dispute Emails
Under Admin Users, select your account, then Email Settings, and confirm "Charge Dispute" is turned on for each location (this should always remain on for any admin who needs dispute notifications).
Under Settings, Email Customizations, Admin Emails, confirm "Stripe Dispute Alert" under Admin Alerts is turned on. If it's off here, no admin will receive dispute emails, regardless of individual settings.
Best Practices to Win Disputes
Review Stripe's dispute best practices guide: Stripe Dispute Best Practices
Require customers to agree to terms before an order goes out, and enable Digital Signature at Checkout under Settings, General Settings, Options (search "digital signature"). This generates a signed contract on the order page that can be downloaded and submitted as evidence.
Keep submitted evidence clear and concise, submitting only the relevant sections of your rental policy (highlighted or excerpted) rather than the full document, since Stripe reviewers handle high volumes and are more likely to favor concise, relevant evidence.
Include shipping/ship-to address information confirming proof of delivery or service, with the name matching the renter on the order.
If the card used required 3D Secure authentication, a screenshot of the 3DS status on the order page can serve as strong supporting evidence (this can also be captured proactively in case a dispute arises later).
ACH Best Practices
General Handling
ACH payments can take up to 6 days total (including holidays and weekends) and 2-3 days to process before completing successfully; avoid charging a customer again while a payment is still pending or processing to prevent double charges.
ACH does not currently work in Canada; EFT support is planned for the future, though no confirmed timeline was given.
ACH Setup and Fees
Enable ACH under Settings, General Settings, Options (search "ACH"), setting Enable ACH Payments to Yes.
Pass-through fees for ACH and credit card transactions are controlled by separate settings, so each can be turned on or off independently.
ACH fees (distinct from credit card fees) are 1% for payments up to $1,000, and a flat $10 fee for payments over $1,000.
To send an ACH setup link, go to the order, click Edit Payment Method, select ACH Bank Account, then Send ACH Account Setup Link. This emails the customer a link to their Customer Portal payment settings page.
If a customer's bank doesn't appear in the searchable bank list, they can manually enter their routing and account numbers using the link provided below the bank search field. Manually added accounts take one to two business days to verify.
Common Questions
I'm not receiving Stripe dispute emails, what should I check first?
Check two settings: under Admin Users, your account's Email Settings should have "Charge Dispute" turned on for each location, and under Settings, Email Customizations, Admin Emails, "Stripe Dispute Alert" must also be turned on. If the second setting is off, no admin will receive the email regardless of individual settings.
What's the single most helpful piece of evidence for winning a dispute?
A signed contract with a digital signature, enabled via Digital Signature at Checkout in General Settings, tends to be strong evidence, along with concise, highlighted excerpts of your rental policy rather than the full document.
Why is my customer's ACH payment still showing as pending?
ACH payments can take up to 6 days total and 2-3 business days to process. Avoid charging the customer again while a payment is still pending or processing to prevent a duplicate charge.
Can my Canadian customers pay via ACH?
Not currently. ACH does not work in Canada. EFT support is planned for the future, but there's no confirmed release timeline yet.
What if a customer's bank doesn't show up when they try to set up ACH?
They can manually enter their bank account and routing number using the link below the bank search field on their payment settings page. This method takes one to two business days to verify instead of the instant match some banks support.
Are ACH fees the same as credit card fees?
No. ACH fees are 1% for payments up to $1,000, and a flat $10 fee for payments over $1,000, this is separate from Stripe's credit card processing fee structure.