What it means
The cardholder says you charged them after they cancelled their subscription. On Stripe the dispute shows the reason Subscription canceled, with codes such as Visa 13.2 (Canceled Recurring), Mastercard 4841 or American Express C28.
These disputes are only valid for genuinely recurring payments. If the disputed payment was one instalment of a single purchase, say so: some networks don't allow this reason for instalments.
Why SaaS and membership customers file it
- They meant to cancel but never did, then disputed the renewal.
- They cancelled after the renewal date, and expected a refund for the new period.
- They stopped using the product and assumed the subscription had ended.
- They did cancel, and the renewal went through anyway. If that's what happened, refund it.
What wins it
Stripe's guidance is to show that the subscription was still active, and that the customer knew your cancellation process and didn't follow it:
| Evidence | Stripe field |
|---|---|
| Your cancellation policy, as the customer saw it | cancellation_policy |
| How and when the customer saw it, before paying | cancellation_policy_disclosure |
| Why the subscription wasn't cancelled, or why this payment is still valid | cancellation_rebuttal |
| Renewal reminders you sent, or messages showing continued use | customer_communication |
| Use after the renewal, and anything else that answers the claim | uncategorized_text, uncategorized_file |
What makes the case for a subscription business:
- No cancellation on record before the charge. State the date the payment was taken, and that your records, and Stripe's, show no cancellation before it.
- Use after the renewal. Logins, projects created or lessons completed after the disputed charge show the customer kept getting what they paid for.
- The policy, accepted at checkout. The relevant clause only (when renewal happens and how to cancel), plus how they agreed to it, such as a required checkbox.
- The renewal reminder. For annual plans especially, an email before the renewal date.
What doesn't work, and when to accept
- Your whole terms of service. Send the cancellation clause, not 20 pages.
- Arguing after a real cancellation. If the customer cancelled before the charge and it went through anyway, the claim is correct. Refund it and fix the cause.
Accept when the customer did cancel in time, or when you can't show the policy or any use after the renewal.
How Flatfight handles it
Flatfight reads the subscription from Stripe (when it renewed, and whether and when it was cancelled), adds your product activity after the renewal, and quotes the cancellation clause from your policies with how customers accept it at checkout. If your support inbox is connected, it also finds the customer's messages, so a "please cancel" email sent after the renewal date is visible to you before you submit.
FAQ
The customer cancelled after the renewal. Can I win?
Often, yes, if your policy says renewals aren't refunded and the customer agreed to it. Show the cancellation date, the renewal date and the policy.
Do I need to have sent a renewal reminder?
It isn't required for every plan, but it's strong evidence, especially for annual renewals.