Service Not Received Chargeback Evidence: What to Include
A service not received dispute means the customer is claiming they never got access to what they paid for. For SaaS and digital products, this is rarely about a physical delivery failure — it typically means the customer either genuinely had trouble accessing the product or is disputing a charge they knew they authorized. Here is how to document that delivery happened.
What a service not received dispute means
Stripe routes this dispute under reason codes like 4855 (Visa) or 4841 (Mastercard). The cardholder has told their bank that they paid for a product or service and received nothing. For digital businesses, common scenarios include:
- The customer claims they never received a confirmation email or access link
- The customer says they couldn't log in or access the platform
- The customer is claiming non-delivery after a refund was denied
- The account was set up but the customer never actually used it
Your goal in the dispute response is to show that your product was made available to the customer — even if they chose not to use it or had difficulty accessing it.
Key evidence to include
Account activation or access confirmation
A record showing that an account was created, an access link was generated, or a confirmation email was sent to the customer's address immediately after payment. If your system sends a welcome or onboarding email, include a copy or delivery record.
Login records and session activity
If the customer logged in at any point, that is direct evidence that they received and used the service. Include timestamps, IP addresses, and any session data you can export from your platform. Even a single login after purchase significantly weakens a “never received” claim.
Feature usage or download records
Usage data — pages visited, files downloaded, reports generated, videos watched — shows that the customer actively engaged with the product. For digital downloads, a server-side record of the download event is strong evidence.
Support communication
Any support tickets, emails, or chat logs from the customer that reference the product or service are useful — even if they are complaints. Contact from the customer after purchase shows they received the service and knew they had it.
Fulfillment timeline
A clear chronological summary of what happened and when: payment confirmed, account created, welcome email sent, access granted, login recorded. Even if you lack some of these records, documenting what you do have in chronological order makes your response more readable for the dispute reviewer.
Product or service description
A clear, plain-language description of what the customer purchased and how it is delivered. For SaaS products, this includes what the subscription includes, how access works, and what the customer was expected to do after payment.
Evidence by product type
SaaS subscriptions
- Account activation email with timestamp
- Login history with IP addresses
- Feature usage logs or dashboard activity
- Subscription confirmation with billing terms
Online courses
- Enrollment confirmation email
- Progress records or lesson completion data
- Login activity showing course access
- Certificate issued (if applicable)
Digital downloads
- Download link delivery confirmation
- Server-side download event log
- Email confirming download access was sent
- Access token or license key issuance record
Common mistakes in service not received responses
- Relying only on the payment receipt — Stripe already has this; it doesn't prove the service was delivered
- No post-purchase activity records — if you can't show the customer accessed the product, this is a weak response
- Unorganized evidence — submitting a folder of screenshots without explanations makes it hard for the reviewer to follow your case
- Missing the response window — Stripe dispute deadlines are firm; late responses are not accepted
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