A Guide to Disputes at Posh

Disputes are an inevitable part of selling tickets—but handling them effectively protects your revenue and reputation. By setting clear policies, maintaining open communication with attendees, and using Posh’s built-in dispute tools, you can minimize financial loss and build lasting trust with your audience.

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What is a Dispute?

A dispute occurs when an attendee contacts their bank or credit card provider to contest a ticket purchase made through Posh. Common reasons include:

• Claiming they didn't authorize or receive the purchase

• Stating they were charged incorrectly or multiple times

• Arguing they didn’t receive the expected event experience

While Posh does not control dispute outcomes—credit card companies make the final decision—we provide tools to help prevent and challenge disputes when necessary.

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How Disputes Work on Posh

1. When an attendee files a dispute, this dispute appears on your Disputes Dashboard under Finance > Disputes. You’ll also receive an email from [email protected].
2. You have 7 days from the time the dispute is filed to submit evidence. Posh will auto-submit transaction logs and payment verification, so all we need from you is supplemental evidence.
3. From there, evidence submitted is sent to Stripe, our payment processor, who sends it off to the attendee’s credit card company for the final review and decision.
   1. Won: The attendee’s bank ruled in your favor and no further action is needed.
   2. Lost: The attendee’s bank sided with the attendee and you’ve lost the dispute. Funds from lost dispute & $12.50 Stripe fee will be extracted from your Posh account.

📌 Stripe, our payment processor, charges a $12.50 dispute fee per case:

1. If you win or the dispute is withdrawn, Posh covers the fee.
2. If you lose, the $12.50 fee is deducted from your Posh balance

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How We’re Helping You Win More Disputes

We recently rolled out several updates designed to better protect your business and help you recover more revenue from chargebacks:

1. Smart Evidence Submission – We automatically submit attendee transaction data based on the customer’s dispute reason, stacking the odds in your favor.
2. Tailored Guidance for You – When a dispute is filed, we’ll email you with exactly what supplemental evidence to submit based on the specific customer reason behind the dispute.
3. Lower Dispute Fees – We’ve negotiated with Stripe to lower dispute fees from $15 to $12.50.
4. Progressive Attendee Outreach – We send periodic emails to attendees after their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd disputes, with messaging that becomes increasingly firm, encouraging them to resolve issues with you directly and warning of potential consequences.
5. Dispute Abuse Monitoring – We investigate and flag attendees who repeatedly abuse the dispute process, helping protect you from future chargebacks.

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Tracking Disputes in Your Dashboard

To help you stay informed and take action quickly, we’ve made it easy to track, manage, and analyze disputes directly in your dashboard.

Dispute Management

Find your disputes dashboard under Finance > Disputes:

You can click on any row in the table or click ‘View’ under Actions to expand the view and see the individual dispute details.

• Name: name of attendee who submitted the dispute
• Amount: disputed ticket amount
• Status: the status of the dispute
  • Needs Evidence: Upload recommended evidence within 7 days.
  • Under Review: Evidence has been submitted, awaiting decision from attendee’s bank
  • Won: The dispute was successfully challenged, and Posh covers the $12.50 fee.
  • Lost: The dispute was unsuccessful, and funds are deducted from your account.
• Deadline: the time left for you to submit supplemental evidence
• Reason: the reason that the attendee cited when they filed the dispute with their bank/credit card provider:
  • Fraudulent: Attendee claims that they didn’t authorize the payment. This is the most common reason for a dispute. The cardholder might have made an error and failed to recognize a legitimate charge on their credit card statement, or they might have genuinely been a victim of someone using their card fraudulently.
  • Product Not Received: Attendee claims they did not receive what they purchased.
  • Product Unacceptable: Attendee received the ticket / experience but claims it was not described or represented in an accurate manner prior to purchase.
  • Credit Not Processed: Attendee claims they’re entitled to a full or partial refund because they returned the purchased a ticket or didn’t fully use it, or the transaction was otherwise canceled or not fully fulfilled, but you haven’t yet provided a refund or credit.
  • Duplicate: The attendee claims they were charged multiple times for the same product or service.
  • General: This is an uncategorized dispute, so contact the attendee for additional details.
  • Subscription Canceled: The attendee claims that you continued to charge them after a subscription was canceled.
  • Unrecognized: The attendee doesn’t recognize the payment appearing on their card statement.
• Outcome: Pending, Won, or Lost
• Actions:
  • Submit: upload your supplemental evidence within 7 days.
  • View: see individual dispute details.
  • Chat button: clicking this will open a new email draft to that attendee.

Dispute Analytics

Gain visibility into your dispute performance and key metrics to better understand how your events are trending:

💡 A dispute rate of 1% or lower is generally considered healthy across the event industry. If your rate is under that benchmark, you're in a strong position.

Dispute User Management

In your dashboard, you can now view attendees with repeated disputes and block those who are abusing the system from attending your future events.

Find your disputes under Finance > Disputes in your Posh Dashboard.

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Best Practices to Prevent Disputes

1. Clearly Outline Your Refund Policy

Clearly communicate your refund policy within your event description and event terms of service. Include how attendees can reach you if they have questions or concerns.

• Event Description Refund LanguageTicket Policy – No Refunds or ChargebacksBy purchasing a ticket, you agree to the following:
  • No Refunds or Exchanges: All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges will be provided under any circumstances.
  • Chargebacks: Initiating a chargeback or payment dispute violates this agreement. You will be responsible for the ticket cost plus any associated fees.
  • Event Participation: Chargebacks result in denied entry, future bans, and potential legal action to recover funds.
  • Acknowledgment: Your purchase confirms you have read and accepted these terms.
  For any questions or concerns, please contact [Organizer's Contact Information].

You can decide whether or not to offer refunds to your attendees. If you do, it’s essential to communicate that Posh fees (typically 10-13% of the total ticket price) are non-refundable.

Need to issue a refund? View our step-by-step guide.

2. Add Terms of Service (ToS) to Your Event

An Event Terms of Service (ToS) helps you clearly outline your ticket refund, entry requirements, and liability policies. Having ToS in place protects your event and ensures transparency for your attendees.

You can enable this in Event Settings > Policies. Attendees will be required to check a box during checkout, confirming they understand your ToS:

Organizer Examples:

• https://posh.vip/e/souled-out-dates-brooklyn-119/tos
• https://posh.vip/e/we-belong-here-miami-2025/tos
• https://posh.vip/e/singles-mixer-matchup/tos

General ToS Template:

‍By purchasing a ticket to [Event Name], you agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. Ticket Policy:
   • All ticket sales are final and non-refundable, except in the case of event cancellation.
   • Tickets are non-transferable unless explicitly stated.
2. Entry Requirements:
   • A valid government-issued ID matching the ticket name must be presented at the door.
   • Admission is subject to venue capacity and compliance with any security or health protocols in place.
   • Please note: There may be a wait at the door due to capacity checks, security protocols, or other logistical considerations. We appreciate your patience as we ensure a safe and smooth entry process.
3. Age Restrictions:
   • This event is strictly for attendees aged [X] and older. Entry will be denied to anyone under the required age, even with a valid ticket.
4. Event Modifications:
   • The organizer reserves the right to change the date, time, or venue of the event. Attendees will be notified of any significant changes via [email, SMS, or platform notifications].
5. Liability Waiver:
   • By attending this event, you acknowledge and assume all risks associated with the activities and release the event organizer, venue, and staff from any liability for personal injury, property damage, or loss.
6. Code of Conduct:
   • Attendees are expected to behave respectfully towards others. The organizer reserves the right to remove individuals for disruptive or harmful behavior without a refund.
7. Photography and Media Release:
   • By attending, you consent to being photographed or recorded for promotional purposes. If you wish to opt out, please notify the organizer prior to the event.
8. Force Majeure:
   • The organizer is not responsible for cancellations due to unforeseen circumstances such as extreme weather, natural disasters, or government restrictions.

Questions? Contact us at [organize email] or [organizer phone number].

ToS Template - Dispute Specific Language

• Ticketing Agreement – No Refunds / No Chargebacks
• By purchasing a ticket to this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following terms and conditions:
• No Refunds or Exchanges: All ticket sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for any reason, including but not limited to personal circumstances, event cancellation (unless specified), or change of plans.
• Chargebacks and Disputes: If you initiate a chargeback or dispute a payment with your credit card company or financial institution for any reason related to this ticket purchase, you will be considered in breach of this contract.
• Breach of Contract: In the event of a chargeback or payment dispute, you will be held responsible for the total amount of the ticket(s), plus any associated fees, including but not limited to chargeback fees, processing fees, and legal expenses incurred by the event organizer.
• Event Participation: Entry to the event will not be granted if a chargeback is initiated, and you will be barred from future events. Additionally, you may be subject to further legal action to recover the disputed funds.
• Acknowledgment of Terms: By purchasing a ticket, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this agreement, and agree to abide by its terms.

3. Communicate Event Changes or Cancellations Proactively

Notify attendees about any schedule, venue changes, or day-of updates (i.e. wait time on entry lines or if entry is paused/closed). This prevents frustration-driven disputes.

Recommended communication methods:

✔ Instagram & Social Media – Post real-time updates.

✔ SMS Blasts – Alert attendees of urgent changes or cancellations.

✔ Email Notifications – Send detailed updates about cancellations or delays, outlining next steps such as refund timelines or rescheduling options.

✔ Posh’s Full Event Refund Tool – Learn how to initiate refunds.

4. Scan Every Ticket

Scanning tickets provides proof of attendance and serves as evidence to fight disputes.

If an attendee disputes a charge claiming they didn’t attend, ticket scan data can be submitted to the bank as proof.

5. Contact Disputers Directly

Once a dispute is filed, reach out to the attendee to see if it can be resolved. Attendees have 21 days to retract a dispute with their bank.

Even if the $12.50 dispute fee is still charged, this can prevent further financial loss and reputational damage.

Tip: Display clear contact information on your Posh profile and event pages to encourage direct communication before disputes escalate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

| What is a dispute rate?

A dispute rate is the percentage of total orders that result in a chargeback or payment dispute—usually when an attendee contacts their bank to reverse a charge for a ticket purchase.

| What is the standard dispute rate?

In the events industry, a dispute rate of 1% or lower is still the widely accepted benchmark for healthy performance.

Because events often involve in-person experiences, timing issues, and subjective expectations, dispute rates can fluctuate — but staying below 1% is generally considered solid. If your dispute rate is under 0.5%, that's a strong indicator that attendees are satisfied and recognizing charges correctly.

| What is the standard win rate for disputes?

The event industry standard win rate for disputes hovers around 20%. This percentage can go up or down depending on whether evidence is submitted and the quality of the evidence.

| As an organizer, can I dispute a lost dispute?

Unfortunately the card issuer's decision is final for all parties and cannot be appealed. The appeal phase of a dispute is the submission of evidence, and there is no subsequent appeal phase.

| What is a Stripe fee?

‍Stripe, our payment processor, charges a $12.50 dispute fee per case:

1. If you win or the dispute is withdrawn, Posh covers the fee.

2. If you lose, the $12.50 fee is deducted from your Posh balance

‍Note: If the dispute was filed before March 2025, the original $15 Stripe fee still applies.

| Who can I contact if I have questions/concerns about disputes?

Contact our support team at [email protected] or use the chat button in lower right of the web platform.