Handling Payment Disputes

A payment dispute happens when a cardholder asks their bank to reverse a charge. The bank holds the funds while it decides, and Neztio marks the invoice as Disputed. Disputes are rare, and most centers resolve them without drama: the important thing is to respond before the evidence deadline.

How You'll Know

• The invoice shows a Disputed status, and opening it shows a dispute banner with the current state and deadline.
• Your dashboard shows an alert while any dispute needs attention.
• Billing automation for that invoice pauses automatically: no reminders, late fees, or automatic payment retries while the dispute is open.

Your Two Options

You can contest the dispute by submitting evidence, or accept it and write the invoice off. Contesting is worth it when you have clear records; accepting is sensible when the amount is small or preserving the family relationship matters more.

Contesting: Submit Evidence

1. 1Open the disputed invoice and click Submit evidence in the dispute banner.
2. 2The Stripe dashboard opens in a new tab, on the dispute's page.
3. 3Upload your evidence there: attendance records, the signed tuition agreement, and relevant message history are the strongest documents.
4. 4Come back to Neztio and confirm that you submitted. The banner changes to awaiting review.
5. 5The bank's decision usually arrives within 60 to 75 days. Neztio updates the invoice automatically when it does.

Accepting: Write Off the Invoice

1. 1Open the disputed invoice and click Accept dispute (write off) in the banner. Center admins and billing-only staff only.
2. 2Review the confirmation: the disputed amount will be marked uncollectible and the invoice moves to Written off status.
3. 3Optionally record a reason, then confirm.
4. 4The bank's reversal proceeds, the amount is tracked as bad debt in your billing summaries, and the decision is recorded in the activity log.

Split Invoices

If the invoice is split across multiple payers and the dispute covers one payer's portion, the accept option is not available. To resolve it without contesting, simply do not submit evidence: the bank will decide the dispute and only that payer's portion is reversed. The other payers' payments are unaffected.

Outcomes

• Won: the bank sided with you. The charge stands and the invoice returns to paid.
• Lost: the bank returned the money to the cardholder. The invoice shows Dispute lost until you decide whether the family still owes the balance. Neztio's payment fee is not returned.
• Accepted: you chose not to contest. The invoice is written off.

If You Lose a Dispute

Losing a dispute means the bank returned the money to the cardholder. It does not decide whether the family still owes you for the care. The invoice shows Dispute lost, and reminders, late fees and automatic payments stay paused until you choose what happens to the balance.

1. 1Open the invoice. A panel at the top reads Dispute lost: decide whether the family still owes this amount.
2. 2Click Family still owes to put the amount back on the invoice as owed. Reminders and collection resume.
3. 3Or click Write off balance, enter a reason, and click Write off balance again to record it as uncollectible. The family will no longer have to pay this amount.