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Credit not processed disputes on Stripe: the complete guide

A credit not processed dispute means your customer says a refund they were owed never arrived. This category actually contains two different situations, and they need opposite responses: a refund that's genuinely late, or a refund that was never actually owed.

Quick facts

Response window
Same 7 to 21 days as any Stripe dispute
Evidence Stripe weighs most
The transaction ID and timestamp for a processed refund, or the policy supporting no refund being owed
Recovra's general read
Depends entirely on which of the two situations applies
On this page

What this reason code actually means

Stripe applies this when a customer claims they were promised or are owed a refund that hasn't arrived.

Why this happens

  • A refund was genuinely processed, but hasn't reflected in the customer's account yet, or the customer disputed before checking.
  • A refund was promised verbally or in writing but never actually processed.
  • The customer believes a refund is owed, based on the merchant's policy, but the merchant disagrees that it applies to their case.
  • A partial refund was processed, and the customer is disputing the remainder.

Evidence Stripe accepts for this reason code

For a refund that was processed

  • The refund transaction ID and timestamp
  • The payment processor log showing the refund

For a refund the merchant doesn't believe was owed

  • The refund or return policy shown at time of purchase
  • Customer communication relevant to the specific claim

The mistakes that lose this type of case

  • Treating "hasn't been refunded yet" and "no refund is owed" as the same case. They call for completely different evidence.
  • Submitting a refund confirmation without the exact timestamp, when timing is the actual point of dispute.
  • Relying on a general policy statement when the customer's specific situation isn't clearly addressed by it.
  • Not processing a genuinely owed but delayed refund immediately once the dispute reveals the gap.

An illustrative example

How Recovra handles credit not processed disputes

Recovra checks first whether a refund was genuinely processed or genuinely owed, since those are different questions with different answers. Where a refund exists, we submit the exact proof. Where none was processed and none is owed under the merchant's policy, we build that case instead. Where one is genuinely owed and simply hasn't happened, we'll flag that directly rather than fight a case that shouldn't be fought.

Request your free dispute audit

Frequently asked questions

What if we genuinely forgot to process a refund?

Then process it immediately. Recovra won't recommend fighting a case where a refund is actually owed and hasn't happened.

How long does a processed refund typically take to reflect on a customer's statement?

This varies by bank and isn't something Stripe or Recovra controls directly, which is often the actual source of this dispute type.

What if our policy doesn't clearly cover the customer's specific situation?

That's worth reviewing directly. An unclear policy is a weak foundation for a dispute response either way.

If a credit not processed dispute is sitting in your dashboard right now, the free audit will tell you honestly which situation you're actually in.

Request your free dispute audit