Transaction dispute guidelines
- If your dispute is not about a suspected fraudulent transaction, we strongly suggest you attempt to resolve the dispute with the merchant or service provider.
For disputes that may arise due to COVID-19, please note that many merchants are proactively offering refunds and reasonable alternatives for future service. If no resolution is agreed, we will act on your behalf in the formal dispute process. - Visa have a formal dispute process with set timeframes that we must follow. To allow us to help you resolve your dispute you must contact us without delay on 13 37 39 when you identify a transaction you would like to dispute - ideally this should be within 60 days of the transaction date.
- For us to act on your behalf, we will also need you to provide us with all the available information you can, as well as any relevant supporting documentation specific to the transaction in question.
- We will liaise with the merchant’s bank on your behalf. Please note that charges may apply.
- The merchant’s bank will respond with confirmation of reversal of the charge, or a request for more information. We will contact you by email if further information is required – please ensure that you respond within the timeframes as advised on the correspondence to ensure that we can continue your transaction dispute.
- Dispute cases can take up to 120 days depending on the nature of the dispute, and it is important for you to stay in contact with us and assist with the investigation until a resolution is achieved.
COVID-19 Dispute Information
During this unprecedented time the below information serves as a guide for disputed transactions that may arise due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In all instances, we strongly suggest you attempt to resolve the dispute with the merchant or service provider, as many merchants are proactively offering refunds and reasonable alternatives for future service.
Cardholder Cancellation FAQs
Cancelling services due to concerns related to COVID-19
Example - choosing not to fly following precautionary advice or to avoid mandated quarantines upon arrival.
Generally we do not have chargeback rights if you chose not to use services made available by a merchant, as the merchant has fulfilled its obligations linked to the transaction. This also applies to non-airline merchants, such as hotels and other venues, that kept their obligations to deliver services.
We suggest you check the merchant or service provider terms and conditions relating to their cancellation policy.
Unable to use available service due to travel restriction
Example - Not being permitted to board an operating flight due to your nationality or medical symptoms, or you cannot reach a hotel stay due to border closures.
Generally we do not have chargeback rights if you cannot use or access services made available by a merchant, as the merchant has fulfilled its obligations linked to the transaction. This also applies to non-airline merchants, such as hotels and other venues, that kept their obligations to deliver services.
We suggest you check the merchant or service provider terms and conditions relating to their cancellation policy.
No-show penalty charged because the reservation was not cancelled as per the cancellation policy
Generally we do not have chargeback rights if the merchant was open and made the service available to you. This is because you didn’t cancel the reservation as per the cancellation policy.
However, if you made reasonable attempts to cancel the reservation but were unsuccessful, this may be sufficient for chargeback if supported by documentation of the attempted cancellations.
Missed flight (for any reason) and as a result, missed subsequent separate non-refundable service, such as a cruise or prepaid hotel reservation
Merchant Cancellation FAQs
You have prepaid for services (e.g. flight or hotel reservation) and were notified that the merchant will not be able to provide the services. No refund has been processed
You are notified that the date of service (e.g. concert, sports event, flight or package holiday itinerary) was changed/postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions; however, you cannot or don’t want to use the service on the new date
You purchased a travel package through a travel agent that included flights and other services, such as hotel accommodation or a cruise. The flights were cancelled but the other services are available for use. Now you want to dispute the entire transaction.
You would usually have chargeback rights for the entire travel package that was purchased. However, whether the issuer has chargeback rights for the entire transaction amount, or only a partial transaction amount, will depend on the travel package terms and conditions properly disclosed at the time of the purchase.
Note: If you created your own itinerary and booked each item separately, then the flight cancellation would not give rise to chargeback rights on the other separately booked services. You would need to cancel the hotel, tour, cruise etc., individually, within the required merchant cancellation terms and conditions disclosed at the time of the booking.
Other General Questions
You have ordered goods to be delivered but they have not arrived by the scheduled or mutually acceptable extended delivery date
Example - The merchant has shipped the goods but due to quarantines or travel delays the package has not arrived. Does the issuer have chargeback rights?
Yes. As always, the merchant is responsible for ensuring the goods reach you by the latest expected delivery date. If the goods are expected to arrive late, we encourage you to be patient and flexible to avoid the need for a chargeback.
