Retrieval Request

A retrieval request is the cardholder's bank asking you for records about a specific transaction. It is not a chargeback. No money moves and your balance is not debited. Stripe shows this stage as an inquiry, sometimes called a request for information.

How a retrieval request works

The issuing bank asks for proof that the charge was legitimate, such as an order confirmation, a delivery record, or the terms the customer accepted. You can send records or give a refund. The goal is to clear up the customer's question before it becomes a dispute.

If you don't respond in time, or your records are incomplete, the inquiry can turn into a chargeback. In some cases you can no longer contest that chargeback.

Retrieval request vs chargeback

• Retrieval request or inquiry. A warning. No funds are taken. You send records or refund.
• Chargeback. The funds are already reversed. You accept the loss or fight it through representment with dispute evidence.

Card networks use retrieval requests differently. Visa and Mastercard now mostly expect merchants to resolve issues with the cardholder directly. American Express and Discover are the networks most likely to send a formal inquiry.

Why it matters

Answer quickly with clear records or a refund and you can often stop a chargeback before it starts. That saves you the dispute fee and keeps the case out of your dispute ratio.