Chargebacks & Disputes

A chargeback (also called a dispute) happens when a guest asks their bank or card issuer to reverse a charge. The bank pulls the money back while it investigates. Haven processes guest booking payments on its platform Stripe account and routes your share to your connected Stripe account — but you remain the merchant of record for the stay, as described in Haven's Terms of Service (Section 10 — Disputes, Chargebacks & Merchant Responsibility).

This article explains what Haven does automatically, what you may need to handle yourself, and how chargebacks differ from refunds or damage claims.

What a chargeback is

Unlike a cancellation refund (which follows your cancellation policy inside Haven), a chargeback is initiated by the guest's bank, not by Haven or by you. Common reasons include:

The guest claims the charge was unauthorized (fraud)
The guest claims the stay did not happen or was not as described
The guest disputes a charge after a cancellation refund did not arrive quickly enough

While the bank reviews the case, Stripe may withdraw the disputed amount (and a dispute fee) from the payment flow. Haven contests eligible booking charges on your behalf; see below for security deposit captures, which work differently.

Your role as merchant of record

For each stay booked on your Haven site:

You are the seller of the rental
You are responsible for chargebacks, dispute fees, and any amounts the bank ultimately returns to the guest
Haven may recover those amounts from your connected Stripe account or future payouts after the bank decides against you, as authorized in the Terms

Haven is not a party to the rental agreement between you and your guest. Guest complaints about the property or stay should still be resolved between you and the guest directly.

Booking payment disputes (Haven auto-responds)

When a guest chargebacks the main booking payment (the checkout charge for the stay), Haven:

Identifies the reservation tied to the charge
Automatically submits dispute evidence to the guest's bank, including what Haven holds from booking time:
- Signed rental agreement (when the guest signed)
- Accepted house rules
- Check-in and check-out dates
- Itemized total the guest agreed to
- Cancellation policy summary shown at booking
Emails you that a dispute was opened, with the amount and a link to View reservation
Emails you again when the bank closes the case — won or lost

You do not need to log into Stripe to upload evidence for the main booking charge in most cases. Haven handles that submission when the dispute opens.

There is no chargeback inbox or dispute panel in the host dashboard today. Watch your email and open the reservation from the link in the notification.

If you win

The bank accepts Haven's evidence and the funds stay with you. No further action is required.

If you lose

The bank sides with the guest. You remain responsible for the disputed booking amount plus Stripe's dispute fee. Haven's team reviews the outcome and may recover your share from your connected-account payouts per the Terms. You will receive a resolution email when the case closes.

Security deposit capture disputes (you respond in Stripe)

If you capture part or all of a security deposit after checkout, that capture is a separate charge on the guest's card. If the guest disputes that capture with their bank, Haven does not auto-submit evidence today.

In that situation:

Stripe will notify you (typically by email) and ask for evidence within a short deadline — often about 7 days
Respond in your Stripe Dashboard under Disputes
Use the photos, written reason, and receipts you saved when you filed the claim on the reservation page

Keep claim evidence somewhere you can find it quickly when you capture a deposit. See Security Deposits for the claim workflow.

Screen & Protect and chargebacks

Damage protection (Truvi Screen & Protect) does not cover credit card chargebacks, loss of income, or business interruption. It is for adjudicated property damage claims — separate from payment disputes.

For booking chargebacks, Haven's auto-evidence flow applies. Truvi documentation may still help in edge cases, but it does not replace Haven's booking dispute response.

Reducing chargeback risk

Haven already captures much of the evidence banks expect when guests book directly on your site:

Digital rental agreement with signature audit trail
House rules acceptance at checkout
Clear cancellation policy displayed before payment
Documented stay dates and itemized pricing

You can further reduce disputes by:

Setting cancellation and refund expectations clearly on your listing
Responding to guest issues before checkout when possible
Keeping a record of messages about problems during the stay
Processing legitimate cancellation refunds promptly inside Haven (so guests are less likely to escalate to their bank)