# The language of disputes (https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/start-here/language-of-disputes)



You keep meeting terms like **representment**, **reason code**, and **RDR** and want one page that defines them all. This is that page. Each entry is one or two lines; where a concept deserves depth, the entry links to its canonical page.

## The core event [#the-core-event]

* **Dispute** - the umbrella term for a cardholder contesting a charge, at any stage. The Chargeflow API models everything as a dispute with a status.
* **Chargeback** - a dispute that has been formally filed: the issuer provisionally reverses the charge and the merchant must respond or forfeit. See [Chargeback lifecycle](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/concepts/chargeback-lifecycle).
* **Pre-chargeback alert** - an early warning (via Ethoca or Verifi) that a cardholder has complained, sent before the chargeback posts. See [Alerts model](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/concepts/alerts-model).
* **Reason code** - the network-assigned code stating **why** the cardholder disputes the charge (fraud, product not received, and so on). See [Reason codes](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/concepts/reason-codes).

## The parties [#the-parties]

* **Cardholder** - the customer who paid and is now disputing.
* **Issuer (issuing bank)** - the cardholder's bank; it files the dispute and makes the final ruling.
* **Acquirer (acquiring bank)** - the merchant's bank; it receives the chargeback and forwards the merchant's response.
* **Card network** - Visa, Mastercard, and peers; they route the case and set the rules and timelines.
* **PSP (payment service provider)** - Stripe, PayPal, and peers; the merchant-facing layer Chargeflow connects to.

## Fighting a dispute [#fighting-a-dispute]

* **Representment** - the merchant's formal rebuttal: evidence plus a narrative, submitted through the acquirer to the issuer. See [Representment and evidence](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/concepts/representment-and-evidence).
* **Evidence** - the documents and signals backing the rebuttal: receipts, delivery proof, authentication logs, customer communications.
* **Enrichment** - adding targeted signals (order data, communications, subscription history) to a dispute so the evidence is stronger. See [Enrich a dispute](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/merchants/automation/enrich-a-dispute).
* **Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE 3.0)** - a Visa program that lets qualifying prior transactions prove a disputed one was legitimate. See [CE 3.0 eligibility](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/concepts/ce-3.0-eligibility).
* **Arbitration / pre-arbitration** - the escalation path when a ruling is contested; the network itself adjudicates. Rare and slow.

## Preventing a dispute [#preventing-a-dispute]

* **Deflection** - resolving a cardholder complaint (usually by refunding) inside the pre-chargeback window so no chargeback ever posts.
* **Ethoca** - Mastercard's alert network, covering fraud and customer-dispute alerts across brands. See [Ethoca](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/integrations#mastercard-ethoca).
* **Verifi CDRN** - Visa's Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network: alerts routed to the merchant for action.
* **Verifi RDR** - Rapid Dispute Resolution: eligible Visa disputes auto-resolve against merchant-defined rules, no manual action. See [Verifi RDR](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/integrations#visa-verifi-rdr).
* **Chargeflow Network** - Chargeflow's own matching layer that links alerts to transactions and automates the resolution flow.

## Fraud vocabulary [#fraud-vocabulary]

* **Third-party fraud** - the card or identity was actually stolen; the cardholder is a victim.
* **First-party ("friendly") fraud** - the cardholder made the purchase but disputes it anyway.
* **Dispute ratio** - disputes as a share of transactions; networks monitor it and penalize merchants who exceed thresholds.

## Chargeflow vocabulary [#chargeflow-vocabulary]

* **Prevent / Alerts / Automation / Connect** - the four products. See [Product model](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/start-here/product-model).
* **Dispute status** - where a dispute sits in Chargeflow's state machine. See [Dispute state machine](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/reference/concepts/dispute-state-machine).
* **EaaS (Evidence-as-a-Service)** - the Connect model where your workflow stays yours and Chargeflow generates the evidence. See [What is EaaS?](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/platforms/eaas/introduction)
* **Co-Branded** - the Connect model where Chargeflow's interface carries your logo, colors and domain. See [Co-Branded](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/platforms/overview#co-branded).
* **White-Label** - the Connect model (BETA, previously "Chargeflow Embedded") where the dispute product carries your own name, UI and pricing. See [White-Label](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/platforms/chargeflow-embedded/overview).
* **AaaS (Alerts-as-a-Service)** - **Soon.** The Connect model where Chargeflow sends the alerts and your platform issues the refund. See [Platforms overview](https://docs.chargeflow.io/docs/platforms/overview#alerts-as-a-service-aaas).