PPRO provides a unified, merchant-centric approach to managing disputes across all payment methods.

Key Benefit: A single, consistent interface for managing disputes across all payment providers (Visa, Mastercard, Wero, AfterPay, etc.), with standardized reason codes, evidence requirements, and webhook events.

Core definitions

Dispute: A formal challenge raised by a consumer against a payment through their bank, card network, or local payment method provider. Each challenge results in the creation of a dispute record.
Chargeback: The reversal of funds from a merchant to a consumer due to a dispute. This can occur:
- Pre-emptive: Funds are clawed back when the dispute is created (e.g., Wero, Zip).
- Post-decision: Funds are clawed back after the merchant loses the dispute (e.g., BBVA, Afterpay).
Chargeback Reversal: Funds are returned to the merchant after a pre-emptive chargeback, typically when the merchant wins the dispute or the consumer cancels/withdraws it.

Why disputes occur?

Consumers may raise a dispute when they are dissatisfied with a transaction or the service provided by the merchant. Most disputes fall into one of four main categories:

Category	Description	Common Examples
Fraud	Unauthorized payments	"I didn't make this purchase", "My card was stolen"
Product/Service Issues	Problems with goods/services	"Item never arrived", "Service not as described", "Product was defective"
Processing Errors	Technical or billing mistakes	"Charged twice", "Wrong amount", "Canceled subscription but still charged"
Authorization Issues	Payment approval problems	"Never authorized this payment", "Recurring charge after cancellation"

Disputes flow

Status definitions

Understanding dispute states helps you track progress and know what actions are available:

State	Description
ACTION_REQUIRED	Ready for merchant action
ACCEPT_PROCESSING	Accept action submitted
CHALLENGE_PROCESSING	Challenge action submitted
UNDER_REVIEW	Provider/Consumer actively reviewing evidence
WON	Provider ruled in merchant's favor
LOST	Provider ruled in consumer's favor