How do you record a refund as chargeback evidence?

To use a refund as chargeback evidence, record 4 things when you issue it: the processor reference, the date, the amount and the card it went to. A record with all 4 can settle a credit-not-processed dispute on its own, while a record missing any of them leaves the bank weighing a claim.

Why does a refund record decide a credit-not-processed dispute?

The record decides it because the dispute asks one question, whether the customer got the refund, and only the refund itself answers it. Visa calls this dispute reason code 13.6, credit not processed. Under Table 11-125 of the Visa Core Rules edition of 18 April 2026, the issuer waits 15 days from the date on the credit receipt before disputing.

If the receipt is undated, the dispute is capped at 540 days from the processing date. A dated credit sets the issuer's clock, while an undated one leaves a much longer period in which the customer can still file. Record the day the credit was submitted at the processor, with the time zone.

Which details should the record hold?

The record needs 4 details, all from your processor's system:

• the refund reference, the identifier the processor gave it;
• the date the credit was submitted;
• the amount, matching the original charge, or stated against it for a partial refund;
• the card that received it, by last 4 digits and network.

The reference comes first because the issuer can check it. Stripe's Smart Disputes builds its evidence packet from refund data, including the ARN (acquirer reference number), which shows what a packet on any platform needs. Nobody can verify a sentence typed into an order note, while a reference can be matched in seconds.

Stripe's advice for a customer who disputes the full amount after a partial refund is to respond with proof of the refund, and that proof is only as good as the figure. A refund to a different card, or a store credit, answers a different question from the one the bank is asking. Check all 4 fields against the order before you file.

What limits apply when you file on Stripe?

On Stripe, evidence is submitted once and cannot be edited afterwards. The combined file is limited to 4.5 MB with one file per evidence type, and Mastercard cases are capped at 19 pages combined.

A merchant who tries to add a missing screenshot after submitting has lost the chance. A one-page refund summary, exported from the processor and checked against the order record, is the right unit of evidence. It leaves room for the proof of delivery and the policy text that usually go with it, so build that summary before you start the response.

Can you fix a missing refund once the dispute is open?

You cannot repair a missing record by refunding once the dispute arrives. Stripe states that a merchant cannot issue a refund outside the dispute process while the dispute is open. Shopify states that refunds cannot be issued while a chargeback is open.

A refund that was never issued cannot be issued later through the normal route. A refund that was issued can still be exported, and whatever that export shows is what you have to work with.

The same dated reference helps when a refund lands after the customer has already disputed, because it shows when the credit was submitted. That case is covered in what to do when a refunded order is disputed anyway. Make the record at the moment the refund is issued.

Takeaway: what to do this week

1. Write 4 fields to every refund. Save the processor reference, submission date, amount and card to the order at the moment the refund is issued.
2. Repeat the fields in the customer's confirmation. Support staff can then answer a "where is my refund" message from those fields without searching.
3. Build the refund summary before you file. On Stripe, evidence goes in once, inside 4.5 MB, so check it is complete first.
4. Attach the same 4 fields to any response. If a refunded order is disputed, they are the core of your evidence.

Sources: Stripe Support, "Disputes on a refunded transaction"; Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, edition 18 April 2026, Table 11-125; Stripe Docs, "Respond to disputes"; Stripe Docs, "Dispute evidence best practices"; Stripe Docs, "How disputes work"; Shopify Help Center, "Resolving a chargeback". All checked 24 October 2026.