When a chargeback (dispute) is opened on a payment processed through Stripe, the registration in the Event Manager App will still show as Approved and Paid.
This is expected behavior because the original payment was successfully completed at checkout.
šNOTE: ClearEvent does not manage disputes or chargebacks directly. The dispute process happens separately between Stripe, the cardholderās bank, and the event organizer through Stripe.
What To Do When A Chargeback Is Opened
1. Respond To The Dispute In Stripe Immediately
Log in to your Stripe Dashboard and open the disputed payment.
You will need to either:
Accept the dispute: Stripe returns the funds to the attendee and the case closes
Challenge the dispute: Submit evidence showing the charge was valid and should not be refunded
In most cases, if the attendee completed registration successfully and there is reason to believe the dispute was caused by confusion over the charge description, it is best to challenge the dispute first.
Stripe Smart Disputes can help guide you through the evidence submission process.
š”TIP: If an attendee accidentally disputed a charge from your event, you'll want to go to the Payments section > Payments tab and confirm that the Statement Descriptor clearly communicates your event or organization name. The Statement Descriptor is what appears on credit card statements. A poorly named or confusion Statement Descriptor is more likely to result in a dispute or chargeback.
2. Provide Strong Evidence
Helpful evidence may include:
Registration confirmation details
Attendee name and registration record
Confirmation codes for registrations
Proof that the registrations were completed and approved
Participation details tied to the registration
Email confirmations sent to the attendee
Any communication from the attendee confirming participation or that the dispute was made by mistake
Proof of the statement descriptor shown on the customerās credit card statement
This helps show the charge was legitimate and recognizable.
If the attendee simply did not recognize the charge, explaining to them that the statement descriptor they are seeing is correct and represents your event/organization may help them contact their bank and withdraw the dispute.
3. Ask The Attendee To Contact Their Bank
If the attendee confirms the charge was valid, ask them to contact their bank directly and explain that the payment should not have been disputed.
When the cardholder tells the bank the charge is legitimate, it can sometimes help reverse or close the dispute faster.
4. Do Not Change The Registration Status Or Issue A Refund Yet
Leave the registration as Approved and Paid for now. Do not manually issue a refund while the dispute is in progress.
Because the original payment succeeded, ClearEvent is correctly showing the registration as paid.
Only if Stripe ultimately rules in favor of the cardholder and the funds are permanently returned should you decide whether additional payment collection or registration status changes are needed.
5. If The Dispute Is Lost
If Stripe and the bank rule against you:
The original funds will be returned to the attendee
Stripe may also apply dispute fees
You can collect payment again using a new payment method outside of the original disputed transaction
For example, you could:
Ask the attendee to re-register
Send an invoice directly through Stripe
You may also want to document the replacement payment internally for accounting purposes.
Recommended Immediate Action
RECOMMENDATION: Challenge the dispute in Stripe first, submit strong evidence, and ask the attendee to contact their bank to confirm the charge was legitimate.
Many disputes happen because the cardholder does not recognize the charge on their statement rather than because of fraud. In these cases, providing clear evidence gives you a stronger chance of successfully resolving the dispute.
Should you still have questions, please contact ClearEvent Support.