How Do I View and Respond to Chargebacks?

A chargeback is a formal dispute initiated through a cardholder's issuing bank.

If you received an email notification, begin by reviewing the subject line. It identifies the type of activity and whether funds have been debited or credited.

What Does the Email Subject Mean?

If the subject includes	What it means	Where the case appears
Debit	A chargeback was received and the amount shown was debited from your account.	Reports → Chargebacks
Credit	The amount shown was credited to your account for chargeback activity.	Reports → Chargebacks
No Debit Issued	A retrieval request or inquiry was received. Information has been requested, but the amount has not been debited.	It does not appear in the Chargebacks Report.
No Debit Issued Yet	A pre-arbitration was received. A new debit has not been issued while the case is pending.	It does not appear in the Chargebacks Report.

The Email Is an Alert

The PayJunction email alerts you to dispute activity. It is not the Official Notice and does not initiate the dispute or trigger the debit or credit.

The TSYS Chargeback Department sends the official case documentation separately by mail and, when enabled, fax. Review those documents for the complete dispute details, response deadline, and submission instructions.

Do Not Issue a Separate Refund After a Debit

If the email subject includes Debit and the chargeback amount has already been taken from your account, do not issue a separate refund for the same transaction.

Doing so will cause both the chargeback debit and the refund to be taken from your account.

What to Do First

If the email subject includes Debit:

Locate the case under Reports → Chargebacks in your PayJunction account.
Review the email. Then review the separately delivered Official Notice and Bank Documentation as soon as they arrive.
Decide whether you want to submit a response disputing the chargeback.
If you choose to dispute it, prepare a written explanation and relevant supporting documentation.
Submit the response through merlinkresponse.com by the deadline shown on the notice.

If the email subject includes Credit, review the related case in the Chargebacks Report and retain the notification with your records. Respond only if you receive a separate notice requesting additional information or action.

If the subject includes No Debit Issued or No Debit Issued Yet, the case will not appear in the Chargebacks Report. Review the email and official notice and follow the instructions for the applicable case type.

Case Not Listed in the Chargebacks Report?

Retrieval requests, inquiries, pre-arbitrations, and PIN debit chargebacks do not appear in the PayJunction Chargebacks Report.

See Types of Chargebacks to identify the case type and determine what to do next.

View Chargebacks

Standard chargeback debits and credits appear in the PayJunction Chargebacks Report.

Select Reports from the left menu.
Select Chargebacks.
Review the cases listed in the Chargebacks Report.

Retrieval requests, inquiries, pre-arbitrations, and PIN debit chargebacks are not listed in this report.

Find the Disputed Transaction

To locate the transaction associated with a standard chargeback:

Find the case in the Chargebacks Report.
Select the ⋮ menu for the case.
Select Find Transaction.
Select the eye icon to open the complete Transaction Details page.

To save the complete page for your response, see How to Save PayJunction Virtual Terminal Transaction Details for a Chargeback Response.

Prepare Your Response

Review both the Official Notice and Bank Documentation before preparing your response.

These documents explain what the cardholder is disputing, the response deadline, and any specific information that should be addressed.

If you choose to dispute the case:

Prepare a written summary explaining what happened and responding directly to what the cardholder is disputing.
Include relevant documentation that supports your explanation.
Place the written summary first, followed by the supporting documents in the order they are discussed.

The following resources can help you prepare the response:

Information Needed for Submission

Before accessing merlinkresponse.com, gather:

The case number shown on the notice
The disputed amount
Your email address
Your completed response file

The case number and amount must match the information shown on the notice.

File Requirements

merlinkresponse.com allows one file to be selected during each submission.

When possible, combine the written summary and supporting documentation into one organized PDF. If you cannot combine the documents, repeat the submission process for each additional file.

Each file must be:

No larger than 10 MB
PDF, JPG, or TIF format
Clear and readable

Submit Your Response

Standard chargebacks, retrieval requests, inquiries, and pre-arbitrations are submitted through merlinkresponse.com.

PIN debit chargebacks use a different response method.

Standard Chargebacks

For a standard chargeback, access Merlink Response by:

Selecting Respond in the upper-right corner of the Chargebacks Report, or
Going directly to merlinkresponse.com

Then:

Enter the case number, disputed amount, and your email address.
Select Upload File.
Select Challenge before attaching your response.
Enter your written explanation in the Merchant Comments section or include it in the attached response summary.
Select Choose File and attach the response file.
Select Submit.

Follow the deadline and any additional instructions shown on the Official Notice and Bank Documentation.

Retrieval Requests and Inquiries

Retrieval requests and inquiries do not appear in the Chargebacks Report.

Go directly to merlinkresponse.com and use the case number and amount shown in the email or official notice.

Provide the requested information within the deadline shown. If you do not respond, the case may become a chargeback and the disputed amount may be debited.

Pre-Arbitrations

Pre-arbitrations do not appear in the PayJunction Chargebacks Report.

Go directly to merlinkresponse.com and use the case number and amount shown in the email or official notice.

If you choose to continue disputing the case:

Enter the case number, disputed amount, and your email address.
Select Upload File.
On the Pre-Arbitration upload screen, review and select the acknowledgment checkbox.

The acknowledgment explains that the response may be submitted to the issuing bank and could proceed to arbitration. If the case proceeds to arbitration, additional fees may apply.
Confirm that you want to proceed using one of these methods:
- Provide the signed authorization requested by the TSYS Chargeback Department, or
- If you are unable to sign the authorization form, enter a clear statement in the Merchant Comments section confirming that you want to proceed. For example: The documentation I'm providing is sufficient and I want to move forward.
Select Choose File and upload your response and supporting documentation.
Select Submit.

The Acknowledgment Alone Does Not Complete Your Response

If the TSYS Chargeback Department does not receive your submitted response and one of the confirmations described in step 4, the case may be accepted and the disputed amount may be debited.

The TSYS Chargeback Department may send additional notices or authorization requests by mail and, when enabled, fax. Review any follow-up requests promptly.

See Types of Chargebacks for more information about pre-arbitrations.

PIN Debit Chargebacks

Do Not Submit PIN Debit Responses Through Merlink Response

PIN debit chargebacks appear as Adjustments on the Bank Deposits page and do not appear in the Chargebacks Report.

Submit the response using the fax or email instructions provided in the Debit Card Chargeback Adjustment Advice letter.

See PIN Debit Chargebacks for complete instructions.

Confirm Your Response Was Submitted

After submitting through Merlink Response, a confirmation message should display Image uploaded with the case number and amount entered.

Save the confirmation for your records.

The confirmation means that the file was uploaded. It does not mean the response has been reviewed or that the dispute will be resolved in your favor.

Uploads may not be immediately visible to PayJunction Risk. If you do not receive the confirmation or need help verifying the upload, contact PayJunction Risk.

Enable Chargeback Notifications

Administrators and users can enable chargeback email notifications in their PayJunction profiles.

Select Account in the lower-left corner.
Select My Profile.
Scroll to Notification Preferences.
Select Chargeback Notifications.
Select Submit.

Notification availability varies by case type. Not every chargeback-related notice appears in the Chargebacks Report.

The email alert does not replace the official case documentation sent by the TSYS Chargeback Department.

Update Document Delivery

The TSYS Chargeback Department sends official case documentation to the mailing address on file. When fax delivery is enabled, the documents are also sent by fax.

Contact PayJunction Risk if you need to:

Request a copy of missing case documentation
Update or confirm the fax number used for chargeback documents
Confirm whether fax delivery is enabled
Report an incorrect mailing address

Need Help?

PayJunction can help you locate available case information, understand the response process, request missing documentation, and confirm whether files were uploaded.

PayJunction does not initiate disputes, decide when funds are debited or credited, review the merits of a dispute, or determine the outcome.

Contact PayJunction Risk:

Phone: 800-601-0230 x5
Email: risk@payjunction.com

Important - A Favorable Outcome Is Not Guaranteed

Responding with relevant information and documentation may help address the dispute, but no response or document guarantees a favorable outcome.

The issuing bank and, when applicable, the card brand make the final decision - not PayJunction or TSYS.

More Chargeback Resources