After making a payment, a client may dispute the charge with their bank. Disputes (also known as chargebacks) can happen to photographers for various reasons. For example, the client may claim they didn’t receive the service or photos they paid for, or that they didn’t authorize the charge in the first place.

While handling disputes can feel intimidating and sometimes uncomfortable, you have the right as a business owner to challenge them when your charges are legitimate. Successfully countering a dispute protects your income and your business’s reputation.

This guide will help you understand the dispute process, how to proactively prevent them, and what to do if you receive one in Pixieset. 

On this page:

• Preventing disputes
• How disputes work
• Responding to a dispute
  • Providing evidence

Preventing disputes

The best way to handle disputes in your business is to prevent them from happening in the first place. While not all disputes can be avoided, you can significantly minimize the risk of one by following some best business practices:

• Set clear terms with contracts: Before committing to client work, require that your client signs a well-written contract that outlines the scope of your service, payment details, refund policies, and client responsibilities. A contract helps keep everyone on the same page and provides clarity in case of any questions.
• Provide detailed invoices: When invoicing your client, clearly state what they are being charged for. Detailed descriptions for each line item help prevent any unexpected surprises during the payment step, and can serve as clear evidence that your client agreed to the charges.
• Maintain open communication: Take a proactive approach towards client concerns to reduce unnecessary escalations. A transparent refund policy can go a long way in reducing billing disputes.

Important: If your client files a dispute but then withdraws it, you should still counter it to fully prevent it. A withdrawn dispute may still resolve as a loss if you do not submit evidence to challenge it.

How disputes work

When a client disputes a charge, the bank immediately refunds them and the amount is deducted from your payout balance. If your payout balance is not sufficient, the difference is withdrawn from your bank account. This does not mean you have automatically lost the dispute.

Instead, by providing strong evidence that the transaction was valid, you can counter the dispute. As long as you meet the provided deadline, the bank will take your evidence into account when deciding the final outcome:

• If you win the dispute, the amount is returned to you.
• If you lose the dispute, the amount remains with the client.

Note: If you receive an inquiry instead of a dispute, you’ll have the opportunity to provide evidence before any funds are withdrawn by the bank

Responding to a dispute

If you do not challenge your client’s dispute by the provided deadline, it will be accepted automatically in their favor. To respond to a dispute:

1. In Studio Manager, go to Payments > Transactions > Disputes.

2. Select the dispute and click Manage Dispute.

3. Click Counter Dispute. Follow the step-by-step instructions to submit your evidence.

   

When you counter a dispute, the bank typically takes 40–90 days to determine the outcome. Once a decision has been made, you will be notified and the payment in your dashboard will update to “Dispute Won” or “Dispute Lost” accordingly.

Providing evidence

The most important part of countering a dispute is uploading supporting files as evidence. This can seem intimidating but remember that if the payment charge is valid, you likely have plenty of proof on hand. Some common examples of evidence you can submit are:

• A signed contract detailing your terms of service, and the services to be provided
• An invoice outlining the services provided, payment amount, and date
• Payment receipts
• Client acknowledgement of service delivery or satisfaction (e.g. thank you notes)
• A screenshot of the client’s gallery showing delivered work
• Screenshots of client communications about booking, payment, and services (e.g. emails, texts)
• Social media posts showing the client using images from the session

Present your evidence clearly and concisely, and emphasize the most relevant parts of your documents where applicable. For example, when submitting a contract, highlight or share only the specific clause that counters the client’s dispute.

If you need assistance navigating a dispute, our support team is here to help. From your Studio Manager Dashboard, get in touch by clicking the chat bubble in the bottom right corner.