Stripe Smart Disputes explained
Stripe runs its own automated dispute response tool, Smart Disputes, and it's likely already active on your account. As of November 2025, it's on by default for new disputes unless you turn it off. Here's exactly what it does, what it costs, and where it stops being enough on its own.
Quick facts
- Status
- On by default since November 2025, opt out
- Cost
- Nothing on a loss, 30 percent of the recovered amount on a win
- What it needs
- Enough transaction and customer data to build a case; eligibility varies by reason code and evidence availability
What Smart Disputes actually does
It uses an AI rules engine to pull evidence from your transaction data, Stripe's own internal data, and cardholder data, tailored to the specific reason code. If you take no action, it automatically submits the compiled evidence packet just before your deadline.
Eligibility isn't guaranteed
Stripe determines eligibility using several factors: the reason code, the payment method, and whether relevant evidence actually exists and is strong enough to be worth the cost of submitting. Not every dispute qualifies.
The fee, precisely
Nothing if it loses. 30 percent of whatever it recovers if it wins. That replaces the standard dispute countered fee entirely, you don't pay both.
Where it genuinely helps
Cases you'd otherwise miss the deadline on entirely. High volume, low value disputes where a person reviewing each one individually isn't worth the time. Straightforward cases where the available data clearly supports the merchant.
Where it stops being enough
Smart Disputes decides using Stripe's own data. It doesn't pull from your CRM, your support tickets, or context that only exists outside Stripe. High value disputes, or ones where the real evidence lives somewhere Smart Disputes can't reach, benefit from a considered decision instead of an automated one.
You can also use Stripe's compiled evidence yourself, without paying the 30 percent fee, by reviewing and submitting it manually before the deadline. Turning off auto-submit in Dashboard settings gives you that option on every dispute rather than just the ones you happen to catch in time.
How Recovra fits alongside it
Recovra makes the decision Smart Disputes can't: whether a specific case is actually worth fighting, using a person's judgment on the case, not just an eligibility rule. If a case genuinely needs more than Stripe's own data to make that call, that's exactly the kind of case worth a closer look.
Request your free dispute auditFrequently asked questions
Is Smart Disputes already running on my account?
Likely yes, if you haven't specifically turned it off, since it's been on by default since November 2025.
Does Smart Disputes guarantee a win?
No. The final decision is always the issuing bank's, and Stripe doesn't guarantee any outcome.
Can I use Smart Disputes' evidence without paying its fee?
Yes. Reviewing and submitting the compiled evidence yourself before the deadline avoids the 30 percent fee, though it does mean managing the deadline yourself rather than relying on auto-submit.
Want a second, human look at what Smart Disputes would do with your current disputes?
Request your free dispute audit