If an item you bought through a Stripe-powered checkout arrives damaged, deal with the seller first. Photograph the item before repairing, cleaning, assembling, or discarding it. Keep the box, padding, shipping label, and tracking details, then send a written request to the seller or marketplace shown in your order records.
Stripe generally provides payment-processing tools. It normally doesn't inspect the merchandise or decide whether the damage justifies a refund. If the seller won't resolve the problem, the bank or card issuer that issued your card handles the payment dispute. This guidance is for U.S. consumers; deadlines and protections can differ elsewhere.
There isn't one "Stripe damaged-item claim"
Different parts of the transaction are controlled by different rules:
- The seller's return and damage policy usually controls the refund, replacement, repair, and return process, subject to consumer rights that may apply.
- Stripe's payment tools let a merchant or marketplace issue refunds and respond to disputes. They don't replace the seller's merchandise policy.
- Your card issuer and card-network rules control a card dispute or chargeback.
- A marketplace's terms may provide another support or escalation route if the order was placed through a platform using Stripe Connect.
Stripe's Connect refund and dispute documentation describes operational steps for platforms and connected businesses. It doesn't promise that Stripe will reimburse a buyer directly.
What to do when the order arrives damaged
1. Stop using the item and preserve the evidence
Take photographs before changing the item's condition. Show:
- The damage from several angles
- The entire item, including its model or serial number
- The box, envelope, padding, and other protective materials
- Shipping labels, tracking numbers, and visible tears or dents
- The contents as they appeared when you opened the package
Keep the original packaging until the seller or carrier tells you what to do with it. It may be needed to assess shipping damage or support a carrier claim. An unboxing video can help, but it isn't the only evidence you can use. Save the original file if you have one.
Write down the delivery date, when you noticed the damage, and anything unusual about the delivery or packaging.
2. Identify the seller and check the order terms
Look at the order confirmation, receipt, and card statement. The statement may show a payment descriptor connected with Stripe rather than the store's trading name, so use the receipt to identify the business.
Check for:
- The seller's damaged-goods or defective-product procedure
- A deadline for reporting damage
- Return, inspection, or replacement instructions
- Who pays return shipping
- An email address, phone number, or support form
Report the damage promptly even if the seller gives you more time. A short store deadline is a reason to act quickly, not to wait until the last day.
3. Write to the seller
Use the contact details in the order confirmation or on the seller's website. Include the order number, delivery date, a short description of the damage, and clear photographs. Ask for a specific remedy and, if a return is required, ask for the instructions before sending anything back.
You can use this message:
Order [number] arrived on [date] with [brief description of damage]. I've attached photographs of the item, packaging, and shipping label. Please confirm whether you will issue a full refund, send a replacement, or offer another remedy. If you need the item returned, please send the return instructions and confirm who will pay the return shipping.
Keep the email, attachments, and replies. If you speak with the seller by phone, note the representative's name and send a short follow-up email confirming what was discussed.
4. Confirm the return and refund details
The seller may offer a full refund, replacement, repair, or partial refund. Don't accept a partial refund unless you're comfortable keeping the damaged item and understand that accepting it may close the issue.
Before returning the item, ask:
- Will the seller provide a prepaid label?
- Must the original packaging be used?
- Will the item be inspected?
- When will the refund be initiated?
- What amount will be refunded?
The seller or marketplace should explain the return process. Stripe's role in processing the payment doesn't determine who supplies a label or pays the return shipping. If you return the item, keep the tracking number and proof of delivery.
If the seller ignores or refuses the request
Send one follow-up that identifies your original request and asks for a response by a reasonable date. If a marketplace handled the order, open a case with the marketplace as well as contacting the seller. Use written support where possible and save the case number.
A seller that tells you to "contact Stripe" hasn't removed your option to contact the card issuer. Give the issuer the seller's response, or explain that the seller never replied.
Don't report the payment as unauthorized fraud if you made the purchase yourself. Describe the problem accurately as merchandise that arrived damaged, defective, or not as described. An unauthorized-transaction report is a different type of dispute.
How to dispute the payment with your card issuer
If the seller won't provide a reasonable solution, call the number on the back of your credit or debit card. Ask which process applies to merchandise that arrived damaged or defective and what deadline applies to your transaction.
Have these details ready:
- The merchant name shown on your statement
- The transaction date and amount
- The order and delivery dates
- A description of the damage
- When and how you contacted the seller
- The remedy you requested and the seller's response
- Photographs, the receipt, shipping records, and correspondence
The issuer may accept the dispute through its app or website. Ask whether it also requires a written notice, and follow its instructions exactly. Save the confirmation number and any deadline shown in the case materials.
Credit-card billing dispute deadline
For a U.S. credit-card dispute that fits the federal billing-error process, the Federal Trade Commission says written notice must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
Send the notice to the billing-inquiries address supplied by the issuer, which may be different from the address used for payments. Keep a copy and proof of delivery. The FTC also says the issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days and resolve the dispute within 90 days, unless it resolves the matter sooner.
Whether a particular damaged-product dispute qualifies under that process depends on the facts and the issuer's review. The 60-day federal notice period is not a universal deadline for every card-network or issuer dispute. Don't assume that every Stripe purchase has a 120-day deadline, or that a seller's seven-day damage-reporting policy controls the card dispute. Ask the issuer for the exact deadline as soon as the seller stops responding.
Debit and prepaid cards
The FTC guidance above concerns credit-card billing disputes. If you paid with a debit or prepaid card, contact the bank or card provider promptly and ask which procedure and deadline apply. Don't assume the credit-card process, including the 60-day written-notice rule, works the same way.
If you paid through a digital wallet, ask both the wallet provider and the underlying card issuer which channel should handle the dispute. Don't file duplicate disputes for the same amount without telling the parties involved.
Evidence that makes the dispute easier to review
Your evidence should connect the purchase, delivery, damage, and attempted resolution. Keep the files together and submit readable originals when possible.
| Evidence | What it helps establish |
|---|---|
| Order confirmation and receipt | What you bought, from whom, and for how much |
| Card statement or transaction record | The payment date, amount, and statement descriptor |
| Photos of the item and packaging | The condition on arrival and possible shipping damage |
| Shipping label and tracking history | The shipment connected to the order and delivery date |
| Seller's return or damage policy | The procedure you were expected to follow |
| Emails, chats, and call notes | That you gave the seller a chance to resolve the problem |
| Return label and tracking | That you followed the authorized return instructions |
| Refund confirmation | The amount and date of any credit already issued |
If you annotate a photograph to point out the damage, keep the unedited original too. A delivery scan can show that the package arrived, but it doesn't by itself show that the product inside was undamaged.
What happens after a card dispute?
A dispute isn't an automatic, final refund. The issuer may ask for more information, provide temporary credit, or send the matter through the card network for review. The seller can respond with records such as delivery information, product descriptions, messages, return instructions, or proof of a refund.
Stripe describes the general process in its chargeback overview. The actual steps and response periods depend on the issuer and card network, so follow the dates in your case notice rather than a general estimate found online.
If the seller refunds you after the dispute begins, tell the issuer and upload the refund confirmation. Don't seek recovery twice for the same amount. If the seller refunded only part of the purchase, state exactly how much remains unresolved.
If the purchase used Stripe Connect
Stripe Connect is used by marketplaces and platforms that work with separate sellers. Contact both the marketplace's support team and the seller listed in your order records. The platform may control the return workflow or be able to issue a refund on the seller's behalf.
The Connect documentation explains how platforms manage refunds and disputes between connected accounts. That administrative process doesn't make Stripe the retailer, and it doesn't replace the marketplace's own terms. Save the marketplace case number and include it in any card dispute.
Common questions
Can Stripe refund me directly for a damaged item?
Usually, you request the refund from the seller or marketplace that sold the item. Stripe may have processed the payment, but the merchant normally initiates the refund. If the seller refuses or disappears, ask your card issuer about its merchandise-dispute process.
Can I start the claim in the Stripe Dashboard?
The Stripe Dashboard is primarily a merchant tool. Buyers should contact the seller or marketplace first, then use the bank or card issuer's dispute process if the problem remains unresolved.
Is a damaged delivery an unauthorized transaction?
No, not if you authorized the purchase. Tell the issuer that the merchandise arrived damaged, defective, or different from the description. Don't report card theft when the issue is the condition of the goods.
Do I need an unboxing video?
No single piece of evidence guarantees a refund or dispute decision. Photographs, packaging, shipping records, the receipt, and your communications with the seller can still document what happened.
What should I do today?
Photograph the item and packaging, find the seller's damage policy, and send a written refund or replacement request. If the seller doesn't resolve the problem, contact the card issuer promptly and use the deadline and submission instructions it gives you.