SOP: Handling a customer payment dispute

Writing sample. This is a fictional SOP I wrote for my portfolio. The roles, SLAs and systems are invented, and it isn’t based on any employer’s internal procedures.

Document details
SOP ID	OPS-DSP-004
Owner	Dispute Operations Lead
Applies to	Dispute Operations analysts handling cross-border wallet payments
Review cycle	Every 6 months, or when network rules change

1. Purpose

This SOP describes how to investigate and resolve a dispute raised by a customer or a participant wallet, so every dispute is handled consistently, within network deadlines, and with a complete audit trail.

2. Scope

In scope: disputes on completed cross-border payments, including unauthorised transactions, goods or services not received, and incorrect amounts.

Out of scope: suspected fraud rings (see OPS-FRD-001), and payments still in processing (these aren’t disputes yet).

3. Roles

Role	Responsibility
Dispute Analyst	Investigates the dispute, collects evidence and recommends an outcome.
Dispute Lead	Approves outcomes above $1,000 and handles escalations.
Compliance	Reviews any dispute that involves a sanctions or AML flag.

4. Deadlines

Stage	Deadline (from dispute creation)
Acknowledge the dispute	1 business day
Request evidence from the counterparty	3 business days
Decide the outcome	20 business days
Settle funds after the decision	2 business days

Missing a network deadline means the dispute resolves automatically in the customer’s favour, and the cost falls on us. Set reminders on the case when you open it.

5. Procedure

Step 1: Triage the case

Open the case in the dispute console and confirm the payment status is completed.
- If the status is not completed: close the case as Not a dispute and use template T-01 to tell the customer.
Check the Risk flags panel.
- If there is a sanctions or AML flag: stop, assign the case to Compliance, and don’t contact the customer about the flag.
Choose the dispute reason that best fits: Unauthorised, Not received or Incorrect amount.

Step 2: Acknowledge the dispute

Send the acknowledgement (template T-02) within 1 business day. Record the time you sent it in the case notes.

Step 3: Collect evidence

Request evidence from the counterparty wallet through the network portal. Use the checklist that matches the dispute reason.
Attach the transaction log, device and authentication data, and any customer messages to the case.

Step 4: Decide the outcome

If the evidence shows…	Outcome	Next step
The customer didn’t authorise the payment	Customer wins	Go to step 5 and refund the customer.
The counterparty proved delivery or authorisation	Merchant wins	Close the case and send template T-05.
The evidence is incomplete by day 18	Escalate	Assign to the Dispute Lead with a summary.

Outcomes above $1,000 need Dispute Lead approval before you continue.

Step 5: Settle and close

Start the settlement adjustment in the dispute console.
Confirm that the adjustment appears in the next settlement file.
Send the outcome to the customer (template T-04 or T-05) and close the case.

6. Records

Keep all case evidence and notes for 7 years. Don’t store customer data outside the dispute console.

7. Revision history

Version	Date	Change
1.1	2026-08-12	Added Compliance hand-off for AML flags.
1.0	2026-03-01	First version.

Why I wrote it this way

Decisions are tables, and actions are numbered steps. Analysts scan for “what do I do next?” during a busy shift.
Every “if” has a “then”. No branch leaves the reader guessing.
Warnings explain the cost, such as auto-resolving against us, because a stated consequence gets taken seriously.

Was this page helpful?