1️⃣ Official Chargeback Contact
Primary Contact:
All dispute-related communications must be centralized through riskops@tonder.io to ensure proper tracking, documentation, and SLA compliance.
2️⃣ Scheme Reason Codes & Fight vs Accept Matrix
Tonder follows official Visa and Mastercard dispute reason code categories.
Fight vs Accept Logic
Category | Example | Default Action |
Fraud – Card Not Present | Unauthorized CNP transaction | Fight if 3DS liability shift or strong device/IP/behavioral evidence exists |
No Authorization | Missing or invalid authorization | Accept |
Services Not Rendered | Customer claims no service received | Fight if usage logs + IP/device match + policy acceptance available |
Canceled Recurring / Subscription | Recurring dispute | Fight if cancellation policy + timestamp proof exists |
Duplicate / Credit Not Processed | Operational disputes | Case-by-case; accept if merchant error confirmed |
Core Principle
We fight when:
3DS liability shift applies, or
Clear proof of service consumption exists, or
Policies were properly disclosed and accepted.
We accept when:
Authorization was invalid
Evidence is weak
Merchant operational fault is confirmed
The objective is to protect merchant MID health and maintain sustainable chargeback ratios.
3️⃣ Dispute Lifecycle & Timeline
Dispute Trigger
A dispute officially begins when its status changes to:
“Needs Response.”
At that moment:
The transaction amount is debited.
The fixed dispute fee is charged.
The response window begins.
Merchant Response Window
Once the dispute status is “Needs Response,” the merchant has:
15 calendar days to submit complete evidence.
If evidence is not submitted within 15 days:
The dispute will be automatically lost.
The transaction amount will remain debited.
Recovery rights are forfeited.
Timely submission is critical.
4️⃣ Tonder Fee Model
One Fixed Dispute Fee
Tonder applies:
One fixed (flat) dispute processing fee per dispute.
Key characteristics:
Fixed amount per case
Charged once
Triggered at “Needs Response”
No additional stage-based fees
No pre-arbitration fees
No arbitration fees
No layered or cumulative fees
One dispute = One fixed fee.
5️⃣ Settlement & Recovery Rules
Capital Movement Logic
Stage | Transaction Amount | Fixed Dispute Fee |
Dispute – Needs Response | Debited | Charged |
Dispute Won | Credited back | Not refunded |
Dispute Lost | Remains debited | Already charged |
Explanation
When the dispute arrives as “Needs Response,” the transaction amount is immediately debited.
The fixed dispute fee is charged at the same time.
The merchant has 15 days to submit evidence.
If the dispute is won, the original transaction capital is returned.
The fixed dispute fee is not refundable, regardless of outcome.
Why the Fixed Fee Is Not Refunded
The fixed dispute fee covers:
Dispute intake and validation
Operational review
Evidence compilation
Submission and case handling
Internal tracking and reporting
These operational costs occur once the dispute process begins, independent of final ruling.
6️⃣ Chargeback Ratio Monitoring
Tonder monitors dispute ratios daily at merchant level.
Internal Monitoring Objectives
Detect ratio increases early
Apply Guardian rule tightening when necessary
Adjust traffic routing if required
Protect MID stability
Keep merchants below monitoring thresholds
Internal Risk Controls
Daily dispute dashboard
Merchant-level risk scoring
Weekly RiskOps review
Proactive 3DS enforcement when ratios approach 0.7%
Operational Philosophy
Tonder’s dispute management model is built on:
Early prevention
Evidence-driven representment
Controlled ratio management
Strict 15-day response discipline
Simple, transparent fixed-fee structure
Executive Summary
Official contact: riskops@tonder.io
15 calendar days to respond to disputes
One fixed fee per dispute
Fee charged at “Needs Response”
No additional stage-based fees
Capital returned only if dispute is won
Fixed fee is not refundable