Resolving Disputes FAQ
We want to help your business through the dispute process swiftly and successfully. Here are a few answers to help you better understand and navigate the procedure.
You can view a detailed report of your dispute by heading to your Dispute Dashboard using a laptop or desktop computer.
From here, you will be able to view a full breakdown of each disputed charge, submit your response and provide documentation to help the Disputes Team build a case on your behalf. You can track the status of your dispute, so you’ll know when there has been an update to your case.
You can also follow the link in the dispute notification email we sent you. This will take you directly to the disputed payment within the transactions section of the Dashboard.
After your customer cancels the dispute, their bank will send them a confirmation letter or email. Please collect that letter from your customer and contact Square Support to send the PDF or JPG attachment. We’ll only be able to release the funds back to you early if we receive this confirmation letter.
For security reasons, we can’t share your customer’s personal information. If you’re unable to recognise your customer, please send us any other information about the sale or your business that may help your case.
Dispute resolution can take up to 90 days. During this time, the customer’s bank/financial institution will go through the documentation you provided. It is up to the customer’s bank – not Square – to make the final decision.
Typically, the fastest way to resolve a dispute is to contact your customer. If you’re able to get in touch with them and come to an agreement, follow these directions.
You can visit your Dispute Dashboard to view the status of a dispute at any time. Here, you can also view the status of the dispute, all documents you have uploaded thus far and what’s next in the dispute process.
You can upload additional information from your Dispute Dashboard at any time. Alternatively, if you are having trouble accessing your Dashboard, we can create another form for you.
Contact Square Support and we can email you a new form. For security purposes, please do not include any sensitive documentation or information in your email.
Yes, your team members can view and answer a dispute for you. You can turn on this permission under Reports in your Square dashboard.
- Learn more about payment dispute permissions.
When the payment card issuer notifies us of your dispute, we place a hold on the disputed funds by either withholding the funds from your Square balance or initiating a debit to your linked bank account.
If the withholding or debit was successful, the funds will be released as a credit to your bank account within three to five business days after the case was resolved.
If the withholding or debit was unsuccessful, the deferred funds will be released back to your Square balance. Your bank account will not be credited. Rather, your Square balance will be adjusted to reflect the resolution because we never collected the funds from you.
If, at this point, you want to pursue the case further, you’ll need to resolve it with your customer directly or seek legal advice. Unfortunately, Square can no longer assist in getting the funds back.
When the payment card issuer notifies us of your dispute, they immediately debit Square’s account. We let you know of the dispute right away and also place a hold on the disputed funds by either withholding funds from your Square balance or initiating a debit to your linked bank account.
To access the form and upload files, sign in to your Dispute Dashboard. Submit only JPG, PDF or TIFF file types. We’re unable to successfully download any other file types.
You can also submit your documentation from your smartphone. Click Choose file in the form, and then either take a photo of the documentation or select a photo you’ve previously taken.
If you still can’t view the form, please make sure Javascript is enabled in your browser and is fully up to date. In order to enable Javascript, follow the instructions based on your browser: Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari. If this information is unhelpful, try using a different browser.
It’s likely that Square was unable to debit your bank account on three separate occasions due to the deferred funds from the disputed amount.
Square is unable to communicate with a bank after three failed attempts to debit a bank account. As a result, communication with your bank was terminated and all deposits to your account have stopped.
You will need to link your bank account to re-establish two-way communication with your bank. You can use your existing bank account, but you will need to go through the linking process again.
Once your bank account is verified, you can expect to see deposits according to our normal deposit schedule.
For further information, visit the following resources:
If you have questions about your payment dispute, contact Square Support.