Chargebacks and payment disputes

What happens when a buyer disputes a card payment, how fees work, what evidence to gather, and how Linker.page and Stripe fit into the process.

What is a chargeback?

A chargeback (dispute) happens when a cardholder asks their bank to reverse a payment. The bank or card network runs a formal process. Linker.page does not decide the outcome.

Disputes can come from real buyers with delivery issues, or from unauthorized / unrecognized charges. Either way, funds and a dispute fee may be taken from your Stripe Connect balance.

What happens step by step

The cardholder opens a dispute with their bank.
Stripe notifies you (email and Stripe Dashboard / Connect). Linker.page may also surface dispute-related balance impact in Earnings.
You gather evidence and respond in Stripe within the deadline shown (often about 7 days — always follow the date Stripe displays).
Stripe submits evidence to the card network. The issuer decides, typically within 60–90 days.
If you win, disputed funds may be returned. Dispute fees are usually kept by the network/Stripe whether you win or lose.

Evidence that helps

Order details: product title, amount, currency, buyer email, timestamps.
Physical goods: tracking number, carrier proof of delivery, shipping address confirmation.
Digital goods: delivery timestamp, download or access logs, license/code sent, checkout digital-goods acknowledgement.
Bookings: confirmed date/time, meeting link sent, attendance notes.
Tips/donations: checkout text showing voluntary / non-refundable acknowledgement.
Communication: order chat or email showing the buyer received the item or agreed to cancel the dispute.

Fees and refunds

Dispute fees vary by region (often around USD 15 / GBP 20 / EUR 20 — set by Stripe/card networks). Per Stripe policy, the fee is typically not returned if you win.

Refunding the full charge before a dispute is filed can prevent many chargebacks. After a dispute starts, refunding usually does not remove the fee.

Tips and donations

Tips are voluntary and non-refundable under our Terms once processed, but banks can still open disputes. Keep the supporter's acceptance record and any thank-you / fulfillment messages.

Need help?

Respond in Stripe first so you do not miss the deadline. For Linker.page product questions, email support@linker.page with your account email and the Stripe dispute ID.