Disputing a card payment — full guide

When contesting a card payment dispute, the documents you need to submit depend on the reason the cardholder gave when opening the dispute. This guide walks you through everything you need to build a strong case — what to gather, how to present it, and what to avoid.

Your evidence is reviewed by the cardholder's bank — not by Montonio or Adyen. The bank representative works through a large volume of cases and spends only a few minutes on each one. Your job is to make it immediately clear what happened, that you fulfilled your obligation, and why the customer's claim is incorrect.

The bank cannot visit your store, call your customer, or verify information independently. Everything they know about your case comes from what you submit.

Check the dispute reason in your notification email. If it is unclear, reach out to your customer before building your case — understanding their side of the story may help you respond more effectively.

For a list of documents required for each dispute reason, read: What documents do I need for my dispute? [link]

This is the most important thing you will submit. A clear, factual summary that tells your side of the story makes a real difference.

Structure your summary around these four points:

1. What was ordered State clearly what the customer purchased — product name, quantity, order number, and date.

2. How and when it was fulfilled Explain how the order was delivered or the service was provided. Include the delivery date, method, and tracking reference. For digital goods, mention when access was granted and how.

3. Why the customer's claim is incorrect Be specific. Address the dispute reason directly. For example:

4. Any prior contact with the customer If the customer contacted you before disputing, include what they said and how you responded. If they did not contact you at all, state that clearly — it strengthens your case.

Example summary:

Order #[number], placed on [date]. The customer purchased [product] for EUR [amount]. The order was shipped on [date] via [carrier], tracking number [number], and delivered on [date] — see attached proof of delivery. The customer did not contact us prior to opening this dispute.

Combine your case summary and all supporting documents into one single PDF file. Do not submit separate files.

Technical requirements:

Tips:

Reply to the dispute notification email with your PDF attached before the deadline. If we do not receive your response in time, the dispute will be automatically lost.

✅ Specific — dates, order numbers, tracking references
✅ Directly addresses the dispute reason
✅ References attached documents ("see attached proof of delivery")
✅ Concise — one to two short paragraphs is enough
✅ Written in plain English

❌ Vague statements without specific evidence
❌ Emotional language or complaints about the customer
❌ Long, unstructured text that buries the key facts
❌ Ignoring the specific dispute reason
❌ Submitting no summary at all and letting the documents speak for themselves without context

Montonio submits your evidence to Adyen on your behalf — that is our role. We do not assess your case, advise on it, or influence the bank's decision. The outcome depends entirely on the quality and completeness of what you submit.