Payments and reports
Disputes come out of your balance
What a dispute (chargeback) is, why the money is debited from you, how to respond, and why VibeKitchen does not absorb it.
What a dispute is
A dispute — also called a chargeback — happens when a buyer asks their card issuer to reverse a charge instead of asking you for a refund. The buyer’s bank, not VibeKitchen, decides the outcome.
The money is debited from you
This is the biggest change in how selling works now, so it should not catch you off guard later. Because you are the merchant of record for your own sales, a disputed amount is debited from your balance while the case is being decided, and Stripe charges a separate dispute fee that comes out of your balance as well. If you win, the disputed amount returns to your balance. If you lose, it stays gone for that order. The dispute fee is not returned either way.
VibeKitchen does not absorb disputes and cannot make them disappear. No setting moves a chargeback cost off of you and onto VibeKitchen — that is simply how being the merchant of record works.
You can respond with evidence
A dispute is not automatically lost. You can respond with evidence that the order was legitimate and fulfilled, and a strong response can win the case.
- 1Open Disputes from the seller navigation and open the case that needs attention.
- 2Gather evidence: the order confirmation, pickup or delivery details, buyer messages, and any proof the food was handed over or delivered.
- 3Submit your evidence using the tools shown in the Disputes workflow before the deadline.
- 4Use Reports afterward to see how the case affected your balance.
How to reduce disputes
Most disputes come from a buyer not recognizing a charge or feeling an order went wrong. A few habits lower the odds.
- Your shop name shows on the buyer’s card statement, which already prevents many “I don’t recognize this charge” disputes — keep your business name clear and consistent.
- Keep order chat and pickup or delivery details clear, so there is a record of what was agreed.
- When something genuinely goes wrong, a prompt refund from the Refunds section is usually cheaper and simpler than a lost dispute.