Square guide · checked 17 October 2026
How to respond to a Square dispute
When a customer disputes a card payment, Square holds the disputed amount from your balance and asks you to either refund or send evidence. The window is short, often about a week, so open it the day the email arrives.
Step by step
- Open the email from Square or go to Disputes in your Square Dashboard.
- Note the reason (fraud, not received, not as described, and so on) and the respond by date shown on the dispute.
- Choose to challenge and upload your evidence with a short written explanation, or accept and refund if you agree with the customer.
- Submit before the deadline. The cardholder's bank then decides, which can take up to about 90 days, and Square tells you the result.
If your balance doesn't cover the held amount, your Square account goes negative and you'll need to cover it.
What it costs
- No chargeback fee. Square doesn't charge a separate fee for handling a dispute.
- No chargeback protection. Square stopped offering it in the US in April 2019, so if you lose, you lose the sale amount and keep paying the processing fee.
Because there's no fee, it's usually worth fighting any dispute where you have proof. Check with the calculator.
Evidence by reason
| Reason | Lead with |
|---|---|
| Fraudulent / unauthorized | Billing address and CVC checks passed (AVS/CVC match); 3D Secure authentication completed; Two earlier undisputed orders from the same customer, 120 to 365 days old, sharing the same IP or device (Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0) |
| Product not received | Carrier tracking number showing Delivered, with date; Delivery address matches the address the customer gave; For digital goods or services: download, login or usage logs after purchase |
| Not as described / defective | Screenshot of the product page as it was when ordered; Return policy shown at checkout, and that the customer never asked to return; Messages showing you offered a fix, replacement or return |
| Subscription canceled | Renewal terms shown at signup, with the box or button they agreed to; Account record showing no cancellation before the charge date; Logins or usage after the charge date |
| Duplicate charge | Both order records, showing different items, dates or order numbers; Refund receipt if one charge was already refunded |
| Credit not processed | Refund receipt with date and amount, if issued; Refund policy shown at checkout; Messages where you explained the refund decision |
In-person sales
For card-present payments, the strongest evidence is the receipt showing the card was dipped or tapped (chip or contactless), with the date, time and last four digits. Fraud disputes on chip or contactless payments are hard for a customer to win. Keyed-in card numbers are much weaker, so avoid manual entry where you can.
Other platforms: Shopify · WooCommerce · Stripe. Square holding your balance for other reasons? Get frozen funds released.
Sources: Chargeback.io, Square chargeback policy (2026). Read 17 October 2026. Confirm the deadline shown on your own dispute.