What it means
The cardholder says they paid but never received what they bought. On Stripe the dispute shows the reason Product not received, with codes such as Visa 13.1 (Merchandise/Services Not Received), American Express C08 or Discover 4755. Mastercard's equivalent claims are mostly filed under 4853 today, which Stripe shows as Product unacceptable.
For digital products there's no tracking number. "Delivery" means access: the account was created, the customer logged in, and they used it.
Why software, course and membership customers file it
- They never logged in, often because the welcome email went to spam.
- They expected something different on day one, such as a live cohort that starts later.
- A team member uses the account, and the cardholder doesn't know.
What wins it
Stripe's guidance for digital products is evidence of access, login or download:
| Evidence | Stripe field |
|---|---|
| The customer's name, email and IP address at checkout | customer_name, customer_email_address, customer_purchase_ip |
| Logins, downloads and use after the payment, with time and IP | access_activity_log |
| Messages with the customer, or a note that they never contacted you | customer_communication |
| When access began, a future start date if there is one, and anything else that answers the claim | uncategorized_text, uncategorized_file |
What proves delivery for software and courses:
- The access email, with its timestamp. The account was created and the login link sent at the time of purchase.
- Use after the purchase. First login, lessons completed, files downloaded, projects created, each with a date and, ideally, the IP address.
- The same IP as checkout. Logins from the IP that made the purchase tie the use to the cardholder.
- A start date that hasn't arrived. If they paid for a cohort or a service that starts later, the claim is premature. Show the agreed date.
What doesn't work, and when to accept
- Screenshots of your product. They show the product exists, not that this customer got it.
- "We sent an email." Without the time, the address it was sent to, and evidence of use, it's weak.
If the customer never logged in and you can't show the access was delivered, refund or accept.
How Flatfight handles it
Flatfight pulls the customer's activity from your analytics, course platform or CSV, starting from the payment, and lays it out as a dated access log with IP addresses and devices. The summary leads with when access was granted and the first use after it.
FAQ
What if the customer never logged in?
Then the case is weak. If your product was available and you can show the access email was sent, it can still be worth a response, but it's usually cheaper to refund.
Does a Mastercard "not received" claim show up here?
Usually not. Mastercard files most of these under 4853, which Stripe shows as Product unacceptable. The evidence is the same: proof of access and use.