A dispute (also called a chargeback) is a client asking their bank to reverse a card charge. The bank takes the money back straight away and gives you a deadline to send your side. If you don't answer in time, the bank decides for the client.
POS → Disputes
How you find out
The moment the bank opens a dispute, everyone at your business who can issue refunds gets a notification and an email, and the dispute appears:
- first in Today's action list, with the deadline
- under POS → Disputes, with a count on the tab
Reminders follow 5, 2 and 1 day before the deadline until you respond. Owneli support sees every dispute too and will reach out if a deadline is close.
What Owneli gathers for you
Open the dispute to see the evidence already collected for that charge:
- The charge: what it was for, the card, who took it, and the tip with who entered it
- The booking: when and how the client booked, the exact cancellation and no-show policy they agreed to, when they agreed and from which IP address
- What happened: check-in, completion, no-show or cancellation, and who recorded it
- What the client was sent: confirmations, reminders, receipts and fee notices, with send times
- Messages from the client in your inbox, and forms they signed
- Their other charges around the same day, so "charged twice" can be answered with two different bookings
Preview what the bank receives opens the evidence summary exactly as it will be sent.
Answer the dispute
- Read the tip at the top: it says what the bank is looking for, based on the client's reason.
- Under Your response, explain in plain words what the charge was for and why it's valid.
- Attach anything the summary doesn't already hold, such as a screenshot of a conversation or a signed paper policy. PDF, JPG or PNG, up to 3 MB each.
- Select Send response to the bank. Once sent, nothing more can be added, so check the preview first.
The bank usually decides within 60 to 75 days. You're notified either way.
What it costs
Stripe takes the disputed amount back from Owneli, so the same amount is held from your payouts while the dispute is open.
- You win: the held money comes back to your payouts.
- You lose or accept: the sale is reversed (commission, tips, loyalty points and unspent gift cards from it too), and the card network's dispute fee (about $15) is passed on to you.
Fewer disputes to begin with
Most disputes come from clients who don't recognise a charge. Owneli already:
- labels every charge on the client's card statement (for example
NOSHOW FEEorDEPOSIT), so two charges on one day never look like the same one twice - always emails the client when a fee is charged, with the amount, the card and the date, even if you've turned that email off
- never charges a fee higher than the policy the client agreed to when they booked
The strongest protection is a clear policy the client agrees to before booking. See Deposits, cancellation and no-show fees.
Common questions
Who can see and answer disputes?
Anyone whose role can issue refunds. The same permission covers both, because answering a dispute decides whether the money goes back.
Can Owneli answer for me?
Yes. If you can't respond before the deadline, contact Owneli support. They can send the response on your behalf from the same evidence.