Preventing Disputes
Payment disputes are a risk when accepting payment cards. The following guidelines may help you reduce the likelihood of disputes and be prepared in the event that you do receive one.
Take a moment to learn about best practices for accepting payment cards and how to prevent fraud.
Present Your Refund, Return and Cancellation Policies on Your Receipts
Present written return, refund and cancellation policies on your receipts or any other agreements made at the point of sale. Presenting a no returns/refunds/cancellation sign at the point of sale is not sufficient notice of your business's policies.
Make the Name on Your Customer's Bank Statements Recognisable
Make sure your business name is saved correctly within the Square Dashboard and reflects the type of goods or services you provide (if not already recognisable). If you
don't have a business name, use your service type followed by the name of the city where you provide this service (e.g. Taxi – Dublin). Do not use your personal name as your business name. Customers may not recognise your name when it appears on their statement.
Communicate with Your Customers
Initiate and maintain open communication channels with your customers via Square Feedback. Clearly communicate expectations around pricing, sales tax, delivery, shipping and services provided.
Keep in mind that you can always resend a receipt from your mobile device or from the Square Dashboard.
Attach a Contract
One of the best ways to avoid misunderstandings or late payment is to put a contract in place. Contracts allow you and your customer to understand exactly what is expected from your transaction, minimise your chance of a dispute and help ensure that you get paid.
You may also consider using one of our contract templates to develop your own set of terms. Using contracts can help to build good customer relationships and avoid disputes by setting expectations with your customer at the outset. Take a look at the contracts we have available in the Square Contracts feature.
If you are using Square Invoices to get paid, you can attach a contract right to your customer’s invoice. While contracts aren’t appropriate for every business, they can be invaluable to businesses who work in wholesale or on a project basis.
Using Square Invoices, you can attach a copy of your contract directly to your customer’s invoice. If you aren’t familiar with creating a contract, our team has created two templates that you can use.
Learn more on how to Attach a Contract to your Invoices or Estimates Online.
If you are using Square Appointments to get paid for your services and/or items, you can attach a contract right to your client’s appointnent. While contracts aren’t appropriate for every business, they can be invaluable to businesses who work in wholesale or on a project basis.
Learn more on how to Send Digital Customer Contracts with Square Appointments.
If you need help attaching a contract or file to your Invoice or Appointment, our Support Centre can help.
Note: Square is not a law firm, a solicitor or a professional advisor in any industry. Square provides this template to individuals who choose to prepare their own contractual documents and it does not constitute legal advice.