Once issuing banks raise disputes, merchants have either 20, 30 or 45 calendar days (depending on the card company) to respond. They do so by submitting a document called a representment. In the representment they will attempt to rebut your reasons for a chargeback. If the merchant does not file a representment, your temporary credit will be re-classified as permanent once the deadline passes. In the event you did not receive a temporary credit, the funds will automatically appear in full in your account at this time.

When the merchant files a representment, however, your bank will receive it in a reverse process. Your bank will then either request that you submit a response to the representment, or it may respond on your behalf. It may do so without notifying you. It also has the right to close the case on its own. If you used a Visa card, the merchant may choose to submit a second representment to rebut your response. In that event, a new period 30 days, known as pre-arbitration, begins. If afterwards the acquiring bank still does not agree to the chargeback, the issuing bank can elect to move to arbitration.

If you used a Mastercard, the merchant has 45 days to respond. Should the merchant submit a representment, the cardholder then has 45 days to rebut it. If the issuing bank allows the cardholder to respond to the representment, the acquiring bank can elect to move directly to final stage of the chargeback process, which is arbitration.

American Express, Discover®  (and Diners Club International®, which it owns) employ an internal chargeback process. Merchants have 20 days to respond.

The arbitrators are neutral professionals employed by the credit card companies themselves. They are not parties to the dispute. Their ultimate decision is final. Theoretically the losing side can file an appeal afterwards under exceptional circumstances. Once example of an exceptional circumstance is if the arbitrators clearly base their decision on a misrepresentation of the facts of the case. As a general rule, the bank that loses the dispute will pay for the costs of the arbitration. Not the cardholder.

The entire process, from your initial request to the final resolution, can take up to six months.  Our experience is that in most cases it takes three-to-four months.

MyChargeBack will accompany you throughout this entire cycle.

Upon engaging the services of a good recovery firm, you will have to provide thems with the following information:

1. The names of all merchants, including the URLs of the domains, with whom there is at least one disputed transaction.
2. A comprehensive list of all deposits and withdrawals processed with each merchant.
3. A comprehensive list of the relevant credit card details for each transaction.

Their financial professionals will then review this material, chart an appropriate strategy and prepare the document you will submit to your bank. Should it be necessary, one of their experienced recovery agents will then join you in as many conference calls with your bank’s dispute department as are necessary. Their recovery agent will explain to your bank why it must initiate your dispute. In the event the merchant challenges your request, they will, of course, prepare a point-by-point response and continue to work with you in pursuing your case.