Overview

A dispute happens when a client contacts their bank to challenge the validity of a payment they have made to your business. When this occurs, the bank provides you with an opportunity to challenge the dispute, which you can read more about in this guide.

The first and most important step you can take to protect your business is to prevent disputes from being filed. However, some disputes are inevitable, so it's also important to be clear and transparent with your clients. 

Dispute prevention

Know your clients

Only work with clients that you trust, and consider steps like a Zoom session to not only discuss their trip but to get to know them a little better. If you find something suspicious, for example, they ask to pay using multiple credit cards issued under different names, trust your instinct and reconsider whether you are comfortable moving forward.

Communicate regularly

Often, a dispute is a simple misunderstanding, such as the client not hearing back from their agent for an extended period. Regularly touching base with your clients will show them that they can trust your business, they can reach out to you with concerns, and you'll be there to help, which can dissuade them from jumping straight to a dispute.

Underpromise and overdeliver

Some disputes are filed as "product unacceptable," which indicates that the service did not match the client's expectations. A clear and detailed description of the services you provide and the travel you've booked can help clients understand what to expect, and provide you with an opportunity to "wow" them when they reach their destination!

Consider proactively refunding

This option is very rare but can be compelling in cases where you later learn that a transaction was fraudulent or you were unable to deliver the quality of service that your client expected. Proactively refunded payments cannot be disputed, saving you time as well as the $30 dispute fee.

Use a recognizable statement descriptor

Disputes may arise due to confusion when the client does not recognize your charge on their statement. You can battle this by letting the client know how the charge will appear on their statement, something you can find by visiting Settings -> Direct Payments and following the two steps under the "Business Info" section. The descriptor will be at the bottom of the second page, and it can be updated by changing the name in "Doing business as":

Client transparency

Disclose your refund and cancellation policies

Your refund and cancellation policy should clearly and fully disclose everything the client needs to know about how your agency handles refunds and cancellations. This can include disclosure of which payments are non-refundable, how long the client has to cancel, what penalties might be associated with cancellation, and more.

These policies should also:

• Be disclosed during registration, checkout, or both
• Collect the client's electronic agreement, as shared in the next section

Collect an electronic agreement from your clients

There are a number of ways clients can express agreement with your policies electronically. For example, our forms, supplier invoices, and supplier group booking pages collect a digital signature that can be drawn or typed, and both options are equally valid.

Our direct invoices and direct group booking pages collect what's known as a "clickwrap agreement." This will look familiar if you've ordered just about anything online, and explicitly states that completing the payment signals the client's acceptance of the terms. 

To learn how to add your policies to the terms and conditions section of a form, invoice, or group booking page, check out this guide. 

Create accurate invoice items and descriptions

It is a good idea to accurately and fully describe items on your invoice. For example, instead of "Hotel," rename the item "Oceanview Queen Room at Starlite Hotel, April 22nd - May 1st, 2021." This provides additional emphasis that the client knew what they were booking when they made payment.

You may also wish to fill out all relevant details for an invoice item. For a hotel, for example, this includes check-in and check-out times as well as a confirmation number from the property.

Properly document a travel credit or voucher for future travel

If you or a supplier chooses to issue a credit or voucher to the client, we recommend creating a PDF containing the details of the credit or voucher (including confirmation or reference numbers, supplier details, client information, and total amount of the credit or voucher) and sending this document to the client via TravelJoy, thus documenting that you have provided the client with this information.