When a donor questions a contribution, it can reach you in three different ways: an inquiry, an early fraud warning, or a chargeback. They are related but not the same, and only one of them takes money out of your account straight away. This article explains each one and how to respond.
Every case is different. Treat what follows as a description of the process, not as a recipe. What the card network wants to see varies by the reason given, the donor's bank, and the facts of the contribution.
Inquiry
An inquiry is a bank asking for information about a charge before it decides whether to file a formal dispute. It is a question, not yet a claim.
No fee is charged for an inquiry.
The money is not taken from your balance while it is open.
An inquiry can close on its own, or the bank can escalate it into a chargeback.
An inquiry that is never escalated closes automatically after 120 days.
An open inquiry still shows the donation as Disputed in Raise More, because the outcome is not settled yet. If it closes in your favor, the donation returns to normal.
Early fraud warning
An early fraud warning is a signal from the card issuer that a charge has been reported as fraudulent. It arrives before any dispute is filed and is a heads-up rather than a claim against you.
No fee is charged, and no money is held.
An early fraud warning often, but not always, precedes a chargeback.
Raise More does not create a separate record for it. It sits with the payment on Stripe's side.
If you receive one and are not sure what to do with it, contact support and we will look at it with you.
Chargeback (a formal dispute)
A chargeback is the formal claim. The donor's bank reverses the charge and asks the card network to decide who keeps the money.
The disputed amount is held immediately, so it leaves your available balance.
Under Stripe’s standard US pricing, a $15 fee applies when the chargeback opens. It is not returned, whatever the outcome.
If you respond with evidence, a further $15 applies. That one is returned if the dispute is decided in your favor.
Fees can vary by account and region; check your connected account’s pricing and Stripe’s current pricing. The card network makes the final decision, not Stripe and not Raise More.
How to handle a chargeback
Go to www.raisemore.app/payments and open the Disputes tab.
The Disputes card lists your disputed donations. Find the one you need.
Open it and follow the prompts Stripe shows for that dispute.
Submit your response before the deadline Stripe displays.
Stripe asks for the evidence that fits the reason the donor's bank gave, so the prompts differ from one dispute to the next. Work through what it asks for on that specific transaction rather than preparing a standard response.
Disputed donations also appear in the Payments card on the Transactions tab, but the Disputes tab is the quickest way to find them.
You can also choose not to respond. If you do nothing before the deadline, the dispute closes against you and the funds stay with the donor. The opening fee still applies.
What you see in Raise More
Once Stripe tells us the outcome, the donation record updates on its own:
Disputed: an inquiry or chargeback is open.
Dispute won: the case closed in your favor and you keep the funds.
Partially won: part of the contribution was lost, and the remaining amount is shown.
Dispute lost: the full amount went back to the donor.
FAQ
Is an inquiry the same as a chargeback?
No. An inquiry is the bank asking for information, with no fee and no money held. A chargeback is the formal claim, and it holds the funds and charges a fee.
Does an early fraud warning mean I will get a chargeback?
Not necessarily. It means the issuer flagged the charge as reported fraud. Some are followed by a chargeback and some are not.
Should I respond to every dispute?
That is your call, and it depends on the case. Responding costs $15, returned only if you win. Weigh that against the amount at stake and the evidence you actually have.
How long do I have to respond?
Stripe shows the deadline on the disputed transaction. It is set by the card network and varies, so check it on the specific dispute rather than assuming a standard window.
Can Raise More respond to a dispute on my behalf?
No. The response has to come from your connected Stripe account through the Disputes tab of the Payments page. Contact support if you want help understanding what a dispute is asking for.