REACHpay is a payment gateway directly from REACH offered to US-based nonprofits. We offer this PCI-compliant service through Stripe Connect.

This article describes how donation disputes are handled when using REACHpay as your payment gateway.

When a donation is disputed, the organization’s account email is automatically sent an email notification that includes a link to review the donation details. From here, the admin will see the reason for the dispute and the steps they need to take to resolve the dispute within an indicated timeframe.

We recommend that any other necessary admins also opt-in to Donation Disputes and Early Fraud Warning email notifications by following these instructions.

Note: An organization should make every attempt to resolve the dispute with their supporter. Should the dispute not be resolved, the organization will be charged a $15 dispute fee from REACH.

Opt-In to Admin Email Notification#

Individual admins can opt-in to Donation Disputes and Early Fraud Warning email notifications (recommended).

Here’s how:

• Go to Settings > Admin Users
• Next to the Admin’s Account, click Edit 
• Click on the Notifications tab
• Check the boxes Donation Disputes and Early Fraud Warnings
• Click on Save Changes

Donation Disputes Scenarios#

These are some of the most common donation dispute scenarios. 

The Supporter Disputes a Donation and the Card Issuer Creates a Chargeback#

Should a supporter review their credit card statement and decide to dispute a donation by having the card issuer create a chargeback, the REACH system will notify the account’s admin via email and include a link to the Donation Details page.

Once a chargeback has been initiated, it can no longer be refunded.

If you do not wish to contest the dispute, you can accept the dispute and the $15 charge from REACH. Once the dispute is closed, the donation will be updated to Refund status.

The Donation Details page will include a notification that states that the supporter has disputed the donation and provides their reason. 

In this instance, the reason provided is: Fraudulent

Under the reason, instructions on how to resolve the dispute will be provided. In this instance, the Admin is directed to contact REACH support for more information.

The Supporter Disputes Donation as Inquiry#

Should a supporter review their credit card statement and decide to dispute a donation and request an Inquiry, the REACH system will notify the account’s admin via email and include a link to the Donation Details page.

The Donation Details page will include a notification that states the Supporter has disputed this donation with their card issuer and provides the reason.

In this instance, the reason provided is: Fraudulent

Under the reason, instructions on how to resolve the dispute will be provided. 

In this instance, the Admin is told that the card issuer is investigating the inquiry and is directed to immediately refund this donation and then reach out to the supporter to resolve the dispute.

Some card issuers may begin to investigate a payment before creating a chargeback, and request further information about the charge. Most card networks call these “retrievals,” and American Express calls them “inquiries.” These are common for American Express and Discover payments. Mastercard and Visa almost always create a chargeback immediately. To avoid this, we always recommend issuing an immediate refund.

Note: Many of these inquiries and retrievals are the result of the cardholder simply not recognizing the donation transaction. Providing basic information about your organization and the donation when discussing with your supporter is usually sufficient to resolve the issue. 

REACHpay Detects a Fraudulent Transaction#

REACHpay includes enhanced fraud detection. Should the REACHpay payment gateway detect potential fraud, the REACH system will notify the admin via email and include a link to the Donation Details page. 

The Donation Details page will include a notification that states the REACHpay payment gateway has detected a likely fraudulent transaction and provide the reason.

In this instance, the reason provided is: Made With Stolen Card

Under the reason, instructions on how to resolve the dispute will be provided.

In this instance, the Admin is directed to immediately refund this donation to avoid a chargeback and then reach out to the supporter to resolve the issue.

To refund the donation:

On the Donation Details screen, click Actions > Refund

Submitting Evidence for a Donation Dispute#

To resolve a dispute, you will need to submit evidence, via email to our Support team, that the Supporter has agreed to withdraw the dispute.

We require at least the following documentation, in the format stated:

• A PDF document that contains your email thread with the Supporter confirming that they agree to withdraw the dispute (include the Reference or Donation ID, Supporter’s name, Donation Amount, and Date of Donation).
• A PDF document that contains a signed note from the Supporter confirming that they would like to withdraw the dispute (including the Reference or Donation ID, Supporter’s name, Donation Amount, and Date of Donation).
• Note: Any additional documentation that you provide as evidence will also be accepted.

Note: Please submit evidence as soon as possible, as once we have received these two PDF documents as evidence, we will need to submit the dispute details on our end.