---
title: "Understanding and defending disputes"
description: "Learn how disputes work and how to defend them."
url: "https://docs.adyen.com/risk-management/understanding-disputes"
source_url: "https://docs.adyen.com/risk-management/understanding-disputes.md"
canonical: "https://docs.adyen.com/risk-management/understanding-disputes"
last_modified: "2020-09-24T12:02:00+02:00"
language: "en"
---

# Understanding and defending disputes

Learn how disputes work and how to defend them.

[View source](/risk-management/understanding-disputes.md)

A dispute occurs when a cardholder disputes a payment and contacts their issuer to initiate a chargeback. Disputes can be categorized into the following groups:

* Fraud
* Consumer disputes
* Processing errors
* Authorization

Whether a payment can be disputed depends on the payment method. For example, credit card payments can be disputed, but bank transfers cannot.

When a dispute is raised by the issuing bank, Adyen will communicate this to you, and the dispute cycle starts. If you want to be notified when you receive a dispute, [enable the Customer Area notification](/account/notification-center/#configure-notification-settings) for **Chargeback notices**.

Before you manage disputes, it is important to understand:

* How the [dispute process](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-process-and-flow) works.
* Which [documents you must provide](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-reason-codes/#defense_requirements) to defend disputes.
* The [chargeback guidelines for issuers](/risk-management/chargeback-guidelines).
* The [reason codes](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-reason-codes) you can receive for different dispute events.
* Within [what timeframe](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-timeframes/) you must submit the required documents.

When you understand the dispute process, you are ready to [manage disputes](/risk-management/manage-disputes).

## Next steps

[Dispute flow](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-process-and-flow)

[Review the general flow and learn how the dispute process works.](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-process-and-flow)

[Dispute timeframes](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-timeframes)

[Review the different timeframes for handling the dispute process.](/risk-management/understanding-disputes/dispute-timeframes)

[Manage disputes](/risk-management/manage-disputes)

[Learn how to review, accept or defend a dispute.](/risk-management/manage-disputes)