A transaction dispute occurs when you challenge a charge on your account due to unauthorized transactions, billing errors, fraudulent activity, or other issues. The process typically involves your card network (for example, Visa) and may require supporting documentation.
When can I raise a dispute?
The use cases for you to raise a dispute depends on the status of your transaction.
Pending transactions
You can initiate disputes for authorzed (pending) transactions, but they are subject to specific conditions and must first be confirmed with an administrative fee before proceeding.
To initiate disputes for pending transactions or discrepancies in settled amounts, contact Payhawk Support via chat or at support@payhawk.com.
Posted transactions
You can formally raise disputes only after a transaction is fully completed (settled). Transactions in an authorized (pending) state must first settle before a dispute case can be created.
Settled transactions
If an authoroized (pending) transaction later posts to your account, you cannot delete it. Instead, you can initiate a charge dispute through the card network (for example, Visa) to request a refund.
Timeframes
You must report disputes within 3 months of the transaction. For Visa transactions specifically, this must be done within 120 days from the settlement.
How do I report a disputed transaction?
To report a disputed transaction:
Immediately block (freeze) your Payhawk corporate card to prevent further use.
Report the issue to Payhawk Support and your company's Payhawk Administrator.
Investigate unrecognized transactions by checking date, time, location, retailer names, and pending status.
If the transaction is suspicious or unrecognized, provide detailed information including:
List of disputed transactions with amounts
Last 4 digits of the card
URLs of disputed expenses
Card status
Submit any required chargeback dispute forms within 10 calendar days as directed by Payhawk.
Confirm that the compromised card will not be reopened and all details are accurate.
For more details:
What fees apply to disputes?
A dispute claim fee of 25 currency units applies per dispute and requires explicit cardholder confirmation before proceeding. This fee is typically applied in the account currency and is charged by the card network.
What happens with multiple or refunded transactions?
If you dispute multiple transactions and one of them is refunded or reversed by the merchant, the dispute will continue for the remaining unreversed transactions.
If a merchant refunds a disputed transaction, the dispute process will adjust to exclude the refunded amount.
What types of transactions may be restricted or blocked?
The following specifics apply based on the type of the disputed transaction. For more details, see the article about unsupported card transactions.
Spend restrictions
Restrictions may apply due to merchant category, country restrictions, or spend limits set by Payhawk Administrators at your company. These settings can be adjusted through spend policies if needed.
High-value transactions
High-value transactions may be temporarily blocked for review and require confirmation before processing.
Unsupported transactions
Attempts to fund other financial instruments or quasi-cash transactions like gambling or lottery purchases are not supported.
What is the difference between authorized and settled transactions?
Authorized transactions are approved but not yet settled (pending) while settled transactions are final payments. Only settled transactions are included in reports and ERP exports.
Tips and tricks
For discrepancies between requested and invoiced amounts, discrepancy rules allow defined thresholds for deviations, triggering approval workflows when the acceptable limits are exceeded.
Always review your account statements regularly and act promptly if you notice any discrepancies. For further assistance, refer to your card network's dispute resolution guidelines or contact Payhawk Support via the chat or at support@payhawk.com.