What is a red flag in a chargeback vendor RFP response?

Red flags: win rates reported on "eligible" disputes only (not all disputes), no published pricing (requires sales call), vague performance guarantees, no per-dispute-type breakdown, minimum volume requirements that benefit the vendor, and long-term lock-in contracts. Also watch for responses that dodge specific processor or reason code questions.

What is the difference between a chargeback agency and chargeback software?

Software (tools like ChargeMate) generates responses that you or your team submit, at a per-case or subscription fee. Agencies manage the entire dispute process on your behalf — response generation, submission, tracking, and reporting — typically at a higher cost per case but requiring zero internal effort. Some services like ChargeMate offer both modes.

TemplateJune 2026 · 10 min read

Chargeback Management RFP Template: 40 Questions to Ask Any Vendor

Q: What should I ask a chargeback management vendor?

Key areas: pricing structure (per-case vs success fee vs retainer), which processors and networks are supported, how win rates are measured (all disputes vs only contested), how performance is reported, response time guarantees, reason code coverage, and what happens when you want to cancel. Always ask for a breakdown of actual win rates across all disputes — not just contested ones.

Q: What is a typical chargeback management contract length?

Varies widely: some services are month-to-month, some require 6–12 month commitments, and enterprise platforms often require annual contracts. Shorter commitments are preferable during an initial evaluation period. Always clarify the notice period required to cancel and whether you can exit if performance SLAs are not met.

Q: How do chargeback vendors measure win rate?

Some vendors report win rate on all disputes. Others report only on "eligible" or "selected" disputes — meaning disputes they chose to contest. A vendor with 85% win rate on 30% of disputes is performing worse than a vendor with 70% win rate on 100% of disputes. Always ask: win rate on all disputes submitted to you, or only on disputes you chose to contest?

Quick answer

The most important questions: How do you define win rate — all disputes or only contested ones? Which processors and reason codes are covered? What is the pricing model and are there lock-in contracts? Can I see the actual responses submitted? 40 full questions across 6 categories below.

Most chargeback vendor evaluations fail because the wrong questions are asked. "What's your win rate?" without "how do you define win rate?" allows vendors to report cherry-picked performance. These 40 questions are designed to make vendor performance comparable across all relevant dimensions.

Pricing & Contract (8 questions)

1. What is your pricing model — per-case flat, success fee, retainer, or hybrid?

Red flag

Refuses to answer without a sales call

ChargeMate answer

$10/case flat. $0 if you don't win — success fee tier available.

2. Are there monthly minimums or setup fees?

Red flag

Yes to both — penalizes low-volume months

ChargeMate answer

No minimums, no setup fees. Free plan: 3 cases/month.

3. What is the success fee percentage if applicable?

Red flag

>35% with no per-case alternative

ChargeMate answer

20% on wins (or flat $10/case — your choice)

4. Does pricing change based on dispute value?

Red flag

Tiered pricing that favors high-value disputes

ChargeMate answer

Flat $10 regardless of dispute value

5. Is there a minimum contract length?

Red flag

Annual lock-in without performance exit clause

ChargeMate answer

Month-to-month, cancel any time

6. What is the cancellation notice period?

Red flag

>30 days

ChargeMate answer

0 — no notice required, cancel in the dashboard

7. Do you charge for disputes that are auto-accepted (no contest)?

Red flag

Yes — charging for non-effort

ChargeMate answer

Only pay for cases you submit

8. Are reporting and analytics included in pricing?

Red flag

Analytics sold as an add-on

ChargeMate answer

Full analytics dashboard included at no extra cost

Integration & Setup (7 questions)

9. Which payment processors do you support?

Red flag

Only supports one or two processors

ChargeMate answer

Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, Adyen, Square, Braintree, and any others — no API integration required

10. Do you require API integration to use the service?

Red flag

API-only — blocks non-technical teams

ChargeMate answer

No API required. Paste dispute details manually or sync Stripe account.

11. How long does setup take?

Red flag

>1 week to first case

ChargeMate answer

First response in under 3 minutes from signup

12. Do you require access to our Stripe/PayPal dashboard?

Red flag

Requires credentials sharing instead of OAuth

ChargeMate answer

Stripe OAuth only — never sees your credentials

13. Can multiple team members access the same account?

Red flag

Single user only or high per-seat cost

ChargeMate answer

Multi-user on all plans — no per-seat fee

14. Do you integrate with our existing CRM or dispute tracking system?

Red flag

No integrations, no export

ChargeMate answer

CSV export; Zapier and API webhooks on higher plans

15. What happens to our data if we cancel?

Red flag

Data deleted within 30 days without export option

ChargeMate answer

Full case history export available at any time

Performance & Results (8 questions)

16. What is your average win rate?

Red flag

Not broken down by processor/code type; only reports "eligible" disputes

ChargeMate answer

80%+ on represented disputes across all processor types

17. How do you define win rate — all disputes or only those you chose to contest?

Red flag

Only contested disputes (cherry-picked)

ChargeMate answer

All disputes submitted — no cherry-picking

18. What percentage of disputes do you contest (not auto-accept)?

Red flag

<60% — auto-accepting defeats the purpose

ChargeMate answer

100% of submitted cases are contested

19. Can you share win rate benchmarks by reason code?

Red flag

No reason-code-level reporting

ChargeMate answer

Dashboard shows win/loss by reason code per Visa, MC, Amex, Discover

20. What is your average response turnaround time?

Red flag

>24 hours to generate a response

ChargeMate answer

<3 minutes to generate; submission deadline tracking included

21. Do you offer a performance guarantee or SLA?

Red flag

No SLA, no refund if performance underdelivers

ChargeMate answer

Win rate benchmarks published publicly. Refund policy on plans.

22. How are results verified — who confirms the win/loss?

Red flag

Self-reported without processor confirmation

ChargeMate answer

Outcome tracked via Stripe webhook or manual confirmation; dashboard shows P&L

23. What is your Net Dollar Recovery, not just win rate?

Red flag

Cannot compute or doesn't track NDR

ChargeMate answer

NDR calculator built into the dashboard — see chargemate.tech/roi-calculator

Reason Code Coverage (5 questions)

24. Which Visa reason codes do you handle?

Red flag

Cannot list specific codes — generic "all fraud" answer

ChargeMate answer

All Visa 10.x fraud and 13.x consumer dispute codes, including CE 3.0 pathway

25. Which Mastercard reason codes do you handle?

Red flag

Same vague answer

ChargeMate answer

All MC 4800-series codes: 4837, 4853, 4854, 4855, 4860, 4863, etc.

26. Do you handle Amex and Discover disputes?

Red flag

Only supports Visa and MC

ChargeMate answer

Yes — all four networks

27. Do you use CE 3.0 (Compelling Evidence 3.0) for eligible Visa 10.4 disputes?

Red flag

No, or doesn't know what CE 3.0 is

ChargeMate answer

Yes — CE 3.0 is a specific option for Visa 10.4 when prior undisputed transactions exist

28. Can you handle subscription/recurring billing chargebacks specifically?

Red flag

No specialization — same template as all others

ChargeMate answer

Yes — specialized flows for 4853/13.2 cancellation disputes and subscription billing documentation

Transparency & Reporting (7 questions)

29. Do we receive a copy of every response submitted?

Red flag

No access to actual response content

ChargeMate answer

Full response content visible in dashboard per case

30. Can we see the evidence submitted for each dispute?

Red flag

Evidence list only, no actual documents

ChargeMate answer

Full document set visible and downloadable per case

31. How often do you provide performance reports?

Red flag

Monthly only, no real-time access

ChargeMate answer

Real-time dashboard; reports available any time

32. Do you provide root cause analysis for disputes?

Red flag

No analysis — just win/loss

ChargeMate answer

Reason code breakdown + trend data to identify dispute causes

33. What data do you share about issuer feedback on lost disputes?

Red flag

No feedback shared

ChargeMate answer

Dispute outcome notes included when available from processor data

34. Is the response generation process auditable?

Red flag

Black box — no transparency into how responses are built

ChargeMate answer

All AI-generated content is visible and editable before submission

35. Can we modify generated responses before submission?

Red flag

Fully automated — no human review option

ChargeMate answer

Yes — every response is editable before you submit

Support (5 questions)

36. What is your support channel (email, chat, phone)?

Red flag

Email only with 5+ day SLA

ChargeMate answer

Live chat + email; response <4 hours on business days

37. Do we get a dedicated account manager?

Red flag

Only on enterprise plans with high minimums

ChargeMate answer

Dedicated support on Outsourcing plan; chat for all others

38. What training is provided to our team?

Red flag

None — self-serve only

ChargeMate answer

Onboarding walkthrough + dispute guides library

39. How do you handle urgent deadline disputes (24-hour response windows)?

Red flag

Same queue as regular cases

ChargeMate answer

Same <3 min turnaround — deadline urgency does not add delay

40. Who do we contact if a dispute is lost and we want to understand why?

Red flag

No post-loss review process

ChargeMate answer

Lost case review available in dashboard; support can provide additional analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I ask a chargeback management vendor?+

Focus on pricing model, processor coverage, how win rate is defined, reason code depth, contract length, and reporting transparency. Win rate definition is the most important — always ask if it's based on all disputes or only contested ones.

What is a red flag in an RFP response?+

Win rates reported on 'eligible' disputes only, no published pricing, vague SLAs, lock-in contracts without performance exit clauses, no per-reason-code breakdown, and inability to answer specific processor questions.

What is a typical chargeback management contract length?+

Ranges from month-to-month to annual. Prefer short commitments during evaluation. Always verify the cancellation notice period and whether there's a performance-based exit clause.

How do chargeback vendors measure win rate?+

Some report on all disputes, others only on disputes they chose to contest. Always ask: 'Is this win rate on all disputes submitted to you or only on disputes you selected to contest?' A major difference.

What is the difference between a chargeback agency and software?+

Software generates responses you submit yourself. Agencies manage the full process. ChargeMate offers both: self-serve at $10/case, and a fully managed outsourcing service for merchants who want zero internal effort.

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