Skip to main content
A case’s status field represents its current state in the dispute lifecycle. The status changes as the case progresses through filing, card network interactions, and resolution. For a conceptual overview of each stage, see What Are Disputes?.

​
Status Values

Cases can have the following statuses:

​
Active Statuses

  • created - Case has been created but not yet filed
  • chargeback_filed - Chargeback has been filed with the card network
  • chargeback_represented - Merchant has responded with evidence to the chargeback
  • prearb_received - Merchant has challenged the dispute via pre-arbitration (Visa allocation flow)
  • prearb_filed - Pre-arbitration has been filed with the card network
  • prearb_rebutted - Merchant has rebutted the pre-arbitration
  • arbitration_filed - Arbitration has been filed with the card network

​
Terminal Statuses

Terminal statuses indicate that a case has reached a final state and no further action will be taken:
  • won - Cardholder has won the dispute
  • lost - Cardholder liable for the transaction
  • accepted - Issuer accepted liability
  • rejected - Case was rejected and not filed to the card network
  • expired - Case expired before being filed
  • withdrawn - Case was withdrawn by the cardholder
  • merchant_credited - Merchant issued a refund or credit to the cardholder

​
Checking Case Status

You can check a case’s current status by retrieving it from the API:
The response includes the current status:

​
Visa Dispute Flows

Visa disputes follow one of two flows depending on the dispute reason: Allocation flow (fraud, invalid_authorization): Visa automatically assigns liability at filing time. There is no representment phase. If the acquirer challenges the dispute, a pre-arbitration is initiated directly (prearb_received). The case transitions chargeback_filed -> prearb_received -> prearb_filed (if rebutted) or a terminal status. Collaboration flow (all other Visa reason codes): The acquirer responds with evidence, similar to the Mastercard flow. The case goes through chargeback_represented before any pre-arbitration. The case transitions chargeback_filed -> chargeback_represented -> prearb_filed (if escalated) -> prearb_rebutted -> arbitration_filed.

​
Status Change Notifications

Each status change triggers a corresponding webhook event. See the Webhooks documentation for details on subscribing to status change events.