Chargeback guide · for car rental
Respond to the code.
Car rental gets disputed more than almost any card business, and it’s rarely the base rental that’s challenged. It’s the extras. Here’s how to stop that at the counter, and win when it happens.
1 PDF
under 2 MB. One upload.
48–72 hrs
to get your response in
~9 days
Visa’s window. The tightest.
01
Start here
The one rule that decides every dispute.
THE GOLDEN RULE
Prove the cardholder agreed to the charge, and that you delivered what they agreed to.
The renter starts it
They tell their bank something’s wrong with the charge.
Their bank decides
Not you, not ValPay. The cardholder is the bank’s customer.
The networks set the rules
Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Discover decide what evidence counts.
ValPay passes it on
We post the case in the portal and deliver your response.
02
Stop them before they start
The habits that prevent most disputes.
1
Verify the driver and the card
Scan the licence, match the card to the renter, and put every extra driver on the agreement.
2
Get the extras signed, not just the rental
Damage, fuel, cleaning, tolls and late returns, initialed at the counter. Unsigned extras are the hardest to defend.
3
Photograph the vehicle, both ways
Time-stamped walkaround photos at check-out and check-in, with fuel and odometer. Damage claims are won or lost here.
4
Explain the deposit hold
Say what’s held and what will actually be charged, then keep proof the hold was released.
5
Get the closed agreement signed
An unsigned final agreement is the first thing a bank points at. Get a signature, or an emailed receipt the renter acknowledges.
03
The email has landed
First, work out which one you’ve got.
FRAUD NOTIFICATION (NOF)
A warning shot. Get ready.
The card network has told us, through our systems, that the cardholder flagged this charge as unrecognised. These often turn into chargebacks.
Do the prep now. Pull the booking, ID and payment records while they’re easy to find.
Thinking of refunding? Check no chargeback has landed first. Some networks send the NOF and then the chargeback, and you could lose the money twice.
It still counts toward your fraud totals, even if you refund.
CHARGEBACK
The clock is ticking
The bank has taken the money back and opened a case.
Read the reason code
Defend or accept
Beat the deadline
1
Open the case
From the email link or the portal
2
Read the code
Respond to that. Nothing else.
3
Defend or accept
Accepting is final
4
Upload one PDF
Letter and exhibits, in order
9 days
Visa
14 days
Amex
24 days
Discover
39 days
Mastercard
One file. 2 MB.
The portal takes a single upload. Scan at 150 dpi in grayscale, and use Reduce File Size if it’s over.
Good to know
04
Find your code
Match the claim, then send the evidence in the last column.
“I didn’t authorize this”
Visa 10.4 · MC 4837 · Amex F29
Signed agreement, licence image, AVS/CVV result, prior undisputed rentals.
“I never got the vehicle”
Visa 13.1 · MC 4853 · Amex C08
Signed agreement with check-out odometer and fuel, key-out and return times, telematics if you have it.
“Charged twice / wrong amount”
Visa 12.5 / 12.6 · MC 4834 · Amex P05
Proof the deposit was a hold that was released, and every payment adding up to the final bill.
“I never agreed to these charges”
Visa 13.3 · MC 4853 · Amex C31
The initialed fee schedule, condition photos both ways, the repair, fuel or cleaning invoice.
“I canceled that booking”
Visa 13.7 · MC 4853 · Amex C18
The cancellation policy shown at booking, and proof no cancellation came in time.
“I was promised a refund”
Visa 13.6 · MC 4853 · Amex C-series
The refund’s ARN, date and amount, or your policy if none was owed.
“The payment wasn’t approved”
Visa 11.x · MC 4808 · Amex A02
The approval record. Take incremental authorizations on long rentals.
WATCH THE CARD-PRESENT FLAG
A phone or online booking tagged “card present” routes to a code that demands proof the physical card was read. That’s impossible for a remote booking, so get the flag right.
05
Let AI do the heavy lifting
Your records in. One clear, two-minute story out.
Not sure where to start? Pull the booking and payment records from your reports, and let an AI assistant turn them into one clear story for the bank.
THE PROMPT
I’m responding to a card dispute. Reason code: [code and description from the case]. A bank analyst will read this for about two minutes and decide. Using only the records below, write a one-page cover letter that: states the case number, reason code, transaction date and amount; answers the reason code in the first two sentences; gives a short timeline; lists each exhibit (A, B, C) and what it proves; and stays calm and factual. Put the key facts in bold. Don’t add anything that isn’t in my records. If something’s missing, tell me what to find. Records: [paste here]
Before
Strip card numbers and other customers’ details. Never paste them into an AI tool.
After
Check every fact against your records. AI can get things wrong, and you own the response.
Then
One PDF, under 2 MB, uploaded before the deadline.
06
Cases worth learning from
How the golden rule plays out in real life.
Depends
“It wasn’t the car I needed”
The renter got the class they booked but says it didn’t suit the trip. Show the booking, the signed agreement and any complaint you logged. Answer the claim, not just the paperwork.
Defend
The deposit that “never came back”
The hold was released days ago. Attach the release record, not just the invoice, and say so in one line.
Defend
Two charges, one rental
A renter sees two charges and calls it double billing. Show both adding up to the final bill, line by line. One clear table beats three pages.
Accept
Keyed at the counter, stolen card
The chip was bypassed and the licence didn’t match the card. That one’s on the branch. Accept it and tighten the counter routine.
Before it happens
Licence scanned, card matched
Extras initialed at the counter
Walkaround photos, both ways
Deposit hold explained
Closed agreement signed
When a dispute lands
Open it the day it lands
Read the code, answer the code
Defend or accept. Accepting is final.
One PDF under 2 MB
Everything in the first response
Questions about a specific dispute? Start with the reason code on the case. If you get stuck, chargebacks@valpay.com will do its best to help.