If you do not respond within 7-21 days, what is the likely result?

If you do not respond within 7-21 days, what is the likely result?

• A. The dispute is automatically dismissed
• B. It will escalate to a chargeback
• C. The merchant is required to issue a refund immediately
• D. The dispute is moved to manual review

Answer: (B)

When a merchant doesn’t respond within the 7–21 day window, there isn’t enough merchant-provided evidence to counter the cardholder’s claim. In that situation, the card network typically sides with the cardholder and issues a chargeback for the disputed amount. So, the dispute is escalated to a chargeback rather than being dismissed or requiring an immediate refund. The idea is that without merchant input, the default outcome is to move the funds back to the cardholder.

When a merchant doesn’t respond within the 7–21 day window, there isn’t enough merchant-provided evidence to counter the cardholder’s claim. In that situation, the card network typically sides with the cardholder and issues a chargeback for the disputed amount. So, the dispute is escalated to a chargeback rather than being dismissed or requiring an immediate refund. The idea is that without merchant input, the default outcome is to move the funds back to the cardholder.