Managing disputed charges

Disputed charges, also known as chargebacks, occur when a client’s card issuer reverses a payment. This guide explains how disputes work in SimplePractice and how to accept or challenge them. Below, we'll cover:

• Understanding disputes
• Accepting a disputed charge
• Preparing evidence to challenge a disputed charge
• Challenging a disputed charge

For more information about disputed charges, see Disputed charges FAQs.

Understanding disputes

A dispute occurs when a cardholder questions a payment with their card issuer. Disputes typically fall into one of the following categories:

• Credit not processed
• Duplicate
• Fraudulent
• General
• Product not received
• Product unacceptable
• Subscription canceled
• Unrecognized

Note: For more information about dispute reasons, see Preparing evidence to challenge a disputed charge.

When a client contacts their bank to dispute a charge, the bank files a formal dispute with SimplePractice’s payment processor. You’ll be notified by email with instructions for next steps.

If a formal dispute is created, the original transaction amount and a $15 dispute processing fee are withheld from your online payments account balance. If there aren’t enough funds available, the remaining amount is withdrawn from your connected bank account.

Note: AutoPay is automatically disabled for any client with a dispute so you can manage their billing during the dispute process. Once the dispute is resolved, you can re-enable AutoPay. To learn more, see Getting Started with AutoPay.

Accepting a disputed charge

Accepting a dispute means you agree the dispute is valid and the client should receive a refund. This option is recommended if you don’t plan to submit evidence.

To accept a dispute:

1. Navigate to Billing > Card transactions
2. Locate and select the disputed charge
3. Click Accept Dispute

Once accepted, the dispute is closed with the client’s bank. The disputed funds remain with the client, and the bank retains the $15 dispute fee. This is a standard practice, and every payment processor charges a fee to cover the administrative costs of processing a dispute.

Note: You can write off an accepted or lost dispute. To learn more, see Updating the billing details for individual appointments.

Preparing evidence to challenge a disputed charge

To prepare evidence to challenge a disputed charge, it should align with the dispute reason. To view this reason:

• Navigate to Billing > Card transactions
• Click Details next to the charge in question

The dispute reason will appear in the Transaction Details.

For more information about dispute reasons, see Dispute categories.

Note: To learn about the Card transactions tab, see Card transactions tab.

When preparing evidence, follow these best practices below.

Keep your evidence relevant and to the point

Provide only the facts surrounding the original purchase, using a neutral and professional tone. For example:  “Client attended a X session at [place of business] on [date] and authorized the charge using their [card type].”

If you include emails or texts, make sure that these exchanges don’t verify identity. If you include them, make sure only the relevant information is included.

Tip: Clear, concise evidence is more effective than excessive documentation. Web logs, email communications, and proof of prior refunds can be helpful.

Provide clear and accurate evidence

When you're providing evidence, highlight or call out key information so reviewers can quickly assess your submission. Be brief as possible.

If you're providing multiple pieces of evidence, you can include a table of contents and give each uploaded image/PDF an attachment number or letter. If you’re including a copy of your practice policy or refund policy, highlight the relevant information to make your case clearer.

Important: Card issuers don’t follow links. You can include screenshots of policies or terms as they appear to clients.

Include proof of customer authorization

Proving the cardholder was aware of and authorized the disputed transaction is crucial in fraudulent dispute cases. This can include:

• Address Verification System (AVS) matches
• Card Verification Code (CVC) confirmations
• Signed receipts or contracts
• IP address that matches the cardholder's verified billing address

Note: SimplePractice automatically includes AVS, CVC, as well as the purchase IP whenever available.

Include proof of service

Provide documentation showing the appointment occurred and services were rendered as described. For a full list of dispute reasons, see Understanding disputes.

Include a copy of your practice policies and refund policy

Provide screenshots showing how policies are presented during intake to demonstrate client acknowledgment. A clean screenshot of how your policies are presented during intake is an important addition to your evidence.

Challenging a disputed charge

Note: Some clients may dispute charges by mistake. You can contact the client and ask them to withdraw the dispute, but the formal banking process may continue regardless. Even if the client agrees to withdraw the dispute, submitting a formal challenge is strongly recommended.

Tip: Evidence should match the dispute reason. For recommendations, see Preparing evidence to challenge a disputed charge.

To challenge a dispute:

1. Navigate to Billing > Card transactions
2. Click Details next to the charge in question
3. Select Submit Evidence

5. Fill in all required fields and upload evidence in the Upload evidence field
6. Click Submit

Important: Banks only allow evidence to be submitted once. Upload a single PDF under 4.5 MB and no more than 50 pages. On average, evidence submitted is 1-5 pages in length.

After submission, card issuers typically take 60–75 days to reach a decision.

Important: Evidence must be submitted by 11:59 PM UTC on the due date listed in your notification email. If you miss the deadline, the funds are returned to the client and the $15 dispute fee is retained by the bank.