Tevau Card Transaction Dispute Guide

November 2026

Download the required template: Tevau Card Dispute Request Form (.xlsx)

This guide is for Tevau clients who submit card transaction disputes on behalf of cardholders. It explains when a case may be eligible, what evidence to collect, how to complete the companion workbook, and how to send the package to Tevau. Tevau reviews every case before filing. Submission does not guarantee recovery.

Enter one transaction per row and send the completed workbook with all supporting documents to chargeback@tevau.io.

1 Immediate Actions

Freeze a lost, stolen, or compromised card immediately and contact Tevau. Record when the card was lost, discovered missing, frozen, and reported.

Report every suspected or confirmed fraudulent transaction to Tevau. This includes transactions below USD 10 and unrecognized declined transactions.

For processing and consumer cases, ask the merchant to correct the charge or provide a refund first. Keep the complete communication history.

Collect the transaction record, merchant documents, cardholder statement, and other evidence before submission. Make sure dates, amounts, and merchant details are readable.

Start the case immediately. Filing limits run from the disputed transaction date, and Tevau needs time to review the package.

2 Eligibility Check

Complete every check below before submitting the case. A case may be rejected when a condition is not met or the supporting record is incomplete.

Check	Requirement	Required action
Transaction status	The transaction must be posted or cleared.	Wait until a pending transaction clears before requesting a formal dispute.
Minimum amount	An individual transaction must be at least USD 10 or the equivalent for a formal dispute.	Report suspected fraud to Tevau even when the transaction is below the minimum.
Time limit	The case must be submitted within the applicable filing period.	Use the deadline table below and submit as soon as possible.
Card action	A lost, stolen, or compromised card must be frozen promptly.	Provide the loss, discovery, freeze, and report times.
Fraud authorization	The cardholder must not have approved the transaction or allowed a known person to use the card.	Check PIN, wallet token, card-present, and 3DS records.
Merchant contact	Processing and consumer cases require an attempt to resolve the issue with the merchant.	Attach the full communication chain and the merchant's response.
Merchant terms	The claim must not be excluded by agreed terms, normal fees, or a valid cancellation timetable.	Attach the terms, invoice, listing, or cancellation policy that supports the claim.
Evidence	The information and documents must support the selected reason.	Use the evidence matrix in Section 5.

3 Submission Time Limits

Dispute type	Latest filing point	Count from
FRAUD	120 days	Disputed transaction date
AUTH	75 days	Disputed transaction date
PROCESSING	75 days	Disputed transaction date
CONSUMER	60 days	Disputed transaction date

A late or incomplete package may be rejected. Do not wait until the final day to contact Tevau.

4 Dispute Types

Type	Use when	Common scenarios	Important exclusions
FRAUD	The cardholder does not recognize or authorize the transaction.	Unrecognized card-not-present transaction. Lost or stolen card used after it was reported.	Transactions approved by the cardholder or authenticated by PIN, card-present methods, wallet token, or successful 3DS are normally treated as authorized.
AUTH	A transaction cleared without a valid prior authorization.	Clearing without matching authorization. Tevau will confirm whether this category applies.	Do not use this category only because the cardholder regrets an authorized purchase.
PROCESSING	The transaction is valid but its processing is wrong.	Cancelled recurring charge. Refund not received. Incorrect amount or currency. Duplicate billing or payment by another method.	Exchange-rate differences, normal fees, charges allowed by merchant terms, and cancellations effective in a later billing cycle are not eligible.
CONSUMER	The merchant did not provide the goods or service as agreed and did not resolve the issue.	Goods or service not received. Goods defective, counterfeit, or not as described. Service materially different from the agreement.	Personal preference, final-sale terms, or unsupported complaints about service quality are not eligible.

Fraud Checks

Card still in the cardholder's possession. Confirm that no family member or known person used the card without the cardholder's knowledge.

Card missing, lost, or stolen. The cardholder must report the loss and freeze the card immediately after discovery. Transactions made before reporting may remain the cardholder's responsibility.

Strong authentication. Card-present contactless, chip and PIN, magnetic-stripe, wallet-token, and successfully authenticated 3DS transactions are normally outside the fraud dispute process.

Fraud filing limit. No more than 15 fraud transactions may be filed against the same card number.

Processing Checks

Cancelled recurring charge. Confirm the cancellation followed the merchant's policy and was effective before the disputed charge.

Refund not received. Provide the merchant's refund confirmation and evidence that the credit is still absent.

Incorrect amount or currency. Show the original billed amount or currency. Exchange-rate changes and normal fees do not qualify.

Duplicate billing or payment by another method. Provide both transaction records or proof of the other payment. Recurring, installment, or GIRO billings are not duplicate-billing disputes.

Consumer Checks

Goods not received. Provide the invoice, expected delivery date, tracking record, and merchant communication.

Goods defective, counterfeit, or not as described. Show the product listing, objective difference or defect, photos, return attempt, and merchant response.

Service not received or materially different from the agreement. Provide the service agreement or listing and show the merchant's failure to resolve the issue.

Final-sale terms and personal preference are not valid consumer dispute reasons. General dissatisfaction without objective evidence may also be ineligible.

5 Evidence Requirements

Provide the documents for the selected scenario. Keep originals where possible and submit clear copies in chronological order.

Scenario	Information required	Supporting documents	Checks before submission
Unrecognized transaction	Transaction details and dated chronology. State whether the card remained in the cardholder's possession.	Cardholder statement or transaction record. Cardholder attestation. Additional details when available.	Confirm no family member or known person used the card. Check PIN, wallet token, and 3DS authentication.
Lost or stolen card	Date and time the card was lost, discovered missing, frozen, and reported. List each disputed transaction.	Cardholder attestation. Loss or police report if available. Transaction record.	Freeze the card immediately. Identify any transactions that occurred before reporting.
Cancelled recurring charge	Subscription details, cancellation date, and charges after cancellation.	Proof of cancellation. Proof of payment. Merchant communication.	Confirm cancellation followed the merchant's policy and was effective before the disputed charge.
Refund not received	Purchase details and chronology, including the merchant's refund commitment and expected refund date.	Proof of payment. Refund confirmation or reference. Merchant communication. Statement showing the credit was not received.	Confirm the merchant agreed to refund and the credit is still absent.
Incorrect amount or currency	Original billed amount or currency and the posted transaction details.	Invoice, receipt, or other proof of the agreed amount or currency.	Exclude exchange-rate differences and normal bank or merchant fees.
Duplicate billing or paid another way	Identify the original and duplicate charge, or explain the failed card payment and other payment method.	Original invoice if available. Both transaction records, or proof of cash or other-card payment.	Confirm the entries are separate charges for the same purchase.
Goods or service not received	Description, purchase date, and expected delivery or service date.	Invoice or receipt. Delivery promise. Tracking record if applicable. Merchant communication.	The cardholder must first ask the merchant for delivery or a refund.
Goods not as described or counterfeit	Description and chronology, including the merchant's response and any return attempt.	Proof of payment. Product listing. Photos. Return tracking if applicable. Merchant communication.	Show an objective difference, defect, or misrepresentation.
Service not as described	Description and chronology showing how the service materially differed from the agreement.	Proof of payment. Service agreement or listing. Merchant communication.	General dissatisfaction without objective misrepresentation may be ineligible.

Cardholder Attestation

For a fraud case, obtain a signed or otherwise authenticated cardholder statement accepted by Tevau. It should include the following information.

Cardholder name and the last four digits of the card.

Each disputed transaction, including merchant, amount, currency, and date.

Whether the card remained in the cardholder's possession or when it was lost or stolen.

Confirmation that the cardholder did not authorize the transaction and no family member or known person used the card.

Confirmation that the cardholder did not approve the transaction through PIN, a digital wallet, or 3DS.

For a lost or stolen card, the date and time of discovery, freezing, and reporting.

The date of the statement and the cardholder's signature or accepted authentication.

6 Completing the Workbook

Download the workbook: Tevau Card Dispute Request Form (.xlsx)

Use one workbook per card. Enter one disputed transaction per row. Complete all 13 fields exactly as shown below.

Field	Workbook column	Required entry	Completion rule
1	date_of_dispute	Submission date	Enter the date the complete package is sent to Tevau in YYYY-MM-DD format.
2	card_opaque_id	Tevau Card ID	Use the card identifier shown in the Tevau portal or transaction record.
3	card_last_four_digits	Last four digits	Enter exactly four digits. Use the same digits in the workbook and evidence filenames.
4	cardholder_last_name	Cardholder surname	Enter the surname exactly as recorded for the cardholder.
5	visa_transaction_id	Transaction reference	Use the transaction identifier shown in the Tevau portal or transaction record.
6	transaction_amount	Amount	Enter the posted transaction amount as a number without a currency symbol.
7	transaction_currency	Currency	Enter the three-letter currency code, such as USD, EUR, or GBP.
8	transaction_auth_date	Authorization date	Enter the authorization date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
9	transaction_capture_date	Capture date	Enter the capture or clearing date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
10	merchant_name	Merchant	Use the merchant name shown on the transaction record.
11	dispute_type	FRAUD, AUTH, PROCESSING, or CONSUMER	Select the category from the workbook list. Use the guide in Section 4.
12	description	Reason and chronology	State the specific scenario, key dates, merchant contact, and result. Use complete sentences.
13	evidence	Evidence filenames	List every attached filename and briefly identify what each file proves.

The User Code is also required. Put it in the submission email body so Tevau can identify the account.

7 File Naming and Submission

Item	Required format	Example
Workbook	UserCode_Last4_YYYYMMDD.xlsx	ABC123_3933_20261102.xlsx
Evidence	Last4_TransactionID_DocumentType_01.ext	3933_TX123_invoice_01.pdf
Email subject	Card dispute - User Code - Last4	Card dispute - ABC123 - 3933
Email body	State the User Code and any brief context needed to identify the package.	User Code ABC123
Recipient	chargeback@tevau.io	Send the workbook and all evidence in one complete email.

8 Review and Outcome

Tevau checks the submission for completeness, eligibility, timing, and evidence. Tevau may ask for corrections before filing.

When the case is eligible, Tevau submits the dispute through the card-network process. The merchant or acquiring bank may accept the claim or provide evidence to challenge it.

If new evidence is received, Tevau may ask for the cardholder's response or additional documents. Send the requested material by the deadline in Tevau's message. Urgent requests may require a response within 24 hours.

A case can proceed through further review, prearbitration, and arbitration. The final decision must be accepted by the parties.

If a case proceeds to Visa arbitration, the party that does not meet the applicable requirements may be charged a USD 600 filing fee per transaction in addition to the disputed amount. Tevau will notify you via email to confirm whether to escalate to arbitration in the event that a chargeback fails. Please note that an arbitration fee will be charged if you choose to proceed; however, this $600 fee will be refunded if the arbitration is successful.

Dispute handling can take several months. Tevau will notify you of the outcome and handle any recovered funds under your agreement.

9 Final Submission Checklist

Check	Confirm before sending
Card safety	The card is frozen when it is lost, stolen, or compromised.
Fraud reporting	All suspected fraud is reported, including low-value and declined transactions.
Eligibility	The transaction is cleared, the amount and deadline requirements are met, and the reason is not excluded.
Merchant contact	The full merchant communication chain is attached for processing and consumer cases.
Evidence	All scenario-specific evidence and the cardholder attestation are included where required.
Workbook	All 13 fields are complete and match the transaction record.
Descriptions	Each row states the specific reason, chronology, merchant contact, and result.
Filenames	The workbook and evidence files use the required naming format.
Email	The subject, User Code, recipient, workbook, and all attachments are correct.
Readability	Screenshots and documents are complete, dated, and legible.

Tevau Card Transaction Dispute Guide

1 Immediate Actions#

2 Eligibility Check#

3 Submission Time Limits#

4 Dispute Types#

Fraud Checks#

Processing Checks#

Consumer Checks#

5 Evidence Requirements#

Cardholder Attestation#

6 Completing the Workbook#

7 File Naming and Submission#

8 Review and Outcome#

9 Final Submission Checklist#