What to Do When You Get a Chargeback on an imago Order

If you got an email from Sola about a chargeback, this article walks you through what it means, what to do right now, and how to decide whether to dispute it.

What is a chargeback?

A chargeback happens when a customer asks their bank or card company to reverse a charge, instead of asking you for a refund. The bank pulls the money back and opens a case. In our experience this may happen 1 out of every 10,000+ orders on average.

When you sell on imago, your studio is the merchant, so the chargeback is directed to your studio to respond to. Sola is imago’s payment processor. Sola will send you an email like the one below, give you a chance to respond, and manages the dispute with the bank.

Depending on the bank, you can expect the chargeback case to be resolved after 2-4 weeks.

What to do right now

1. Find the email from Sola. It includes your case number, the order amount, and the reason the customer gave (looks like the one above). 
2. Note your deadline. You have until then to respond. If you miss it, the bank automatically sides with the customer.
3. Don’t cancel or refund the order in imago.
4. Look up the order in imago and check whether it shipped, where it shipped (home, school, or studio), and any messages from the customer.
5. Decide whether to dispute (see below).

Should I dispute the chargeback?

It’s your call.

If you don’t dispute:

• Don’t cancel it in imago. 
• You don’t need to do anything. The customer keeps the refund.
• If the order hasn’t shipped yet, you can hold it.
• Contact us and we can help you review what options you have to hold it based on the current status.

If you dispute:

• You’ll upload evidence that the purchase was legitimate and the customer got what they paid for.
• Strong evidence helps, but the bank makes the final call and may still side with the customer.

A dispute is usually worth it when the order was delivered and you have proof.

How to dispute

1. In the Sola email, click the blue button with your case number.

   

    

2. Review the chargeback details, including the reason code.

   

    

3. Click Dispute in the top-right corner.

   

    

4. Upload your evidence and submit before your deadline.

What evidence to send

Pick evidence that matches the reason the customer gave.

Where to find it

Proof of Delivery

• Mail to home Delivery: Under the delivery section of the order details, copy the USPS or Fedex tracking number and paste it into that business’s tracking site. Take a screenshot of the delivered status on that page.
  • USPS Tracking

  • Fedex Tracking

    

• School delivery or studio pickup: Your delivery or distribution records, such as a packing list, a sign-off sheet, or an email to the school confirming the delivery date.

• Digital downloads: 

  

• Customer Communications If the customer texted, called, or emailed you at any point, that can be submitted as evidence.

• Proof of Authorization The order invoice PDF, as well as all the order details from imago can be submitted as evidence.

  

  

What happens after you dispute

The bank reviews your evidence and typically makes a decision, usually within 2–4 weeks.

• If you win: The order amount is returned to you.
• If you lose: The customer keeps the refund. 

How to prevent chargebacks

Most chargebacks start with a customer who didn’t recognize a charge or couldn’t reach the studio.

• Make the charge recognizable.  Make sure the business name used on customer’s card statements matches the name used in your picture day communications.
• Make your contact info easy to find on your galleries and order emails.
• Reply quickly to “where’s my order?” messages, especially around delivery dates.
• Tell customers when to expect their order, and when it’s delivered to the school.