Klarna guide · checked 21 October 2026

How to respond to a Klarna dispute

When a Klarna customer disputes an order, Klarna pauses their payments and asks you for information in the Disputes app of the Klarna Merchant Portal. If you don't answer in time, Klarna decides in the customer's favour and charges the order back to you.

Deadlines by reason

Dispute reason	Your first response	Time before Klarna steps in
Return, goods not received, faulty goods, incorrect invoice	14 days	21 days
Unauthorised purchase (fraud)	7 days, with up to 5 follow-up requests	3 days

Each follow-up request from Klarna gives you another 7 days. If a customer's bank raises a chargeback, or the customer disputes a decision again, it's escalated straight away.

What happens next

• Won: Klarna accepts your evidence, and the customer's invoice is reactivated so they pay as normal.
• Lost (reversal): the customer wins and Klarna charges the order back to you.
• Rejected: the customer didn't provide what Klarna needed, so the invoice is reactivated.

While a dispute is open the customer doesn't have to pay that invoice.

Fees

For merchants with a direct Klarna agreement, the standard dispute fee is EUR 15 per case, or EUR 30 if your escalation rate is above 1.5% for three months running (with more than 100 orders). It's charged only when the case closes against you for merchant reasons, such as not responding or accepting the loss; there's no fee if the customer cancels or is at fault. Fees differ by market, and payment providers that resell Klarna may pass on their own.

Evidence that works

• Goods not received: tracking showing delivery to the address on the order, with a delivery photo or signature where you have one. More on non-delivery.
• Return: your returns policy, whether and when you received the return, and the refund you issued, if any.
• Faulty goods: the product description, photos of what you sent, and your messages offering a repair, replacement or return. More on "not as described".
• Unauthorised purchase: delivery address and IP matching the customer's history, previous orders, and account login details. Fraud evidence guide.

Respond step by step

1. Turn on dispute notifications in the Klarna Merchant Portal so you see new cases the same day.
2. Open the case in the Disputes app and note the reason and the respond-by date.
3. If you agree with the customer, refund the order through Klarna.
4. If you don't, upload your evidence with a short factual explanation before the deadline.

Build my evidence pack

Other platforms: Stripe · Shopify · PayPal · Square · WooCommerce. All deadlines: chargeback time limits.

Sources: Klarna Docs, dispute processing flow (reasons, response and resolution times, outcomes, fees). Read 21 October 2026. Check the deadline shown on your own case.