Accepting Liability on a Chargeback

Modified on Thu, Apr 23 at 10:30 AM

This article explains what accepting liability means, when it may be the right choice, and how to do it in DealerWorks.

This Action Is Permanent

Accepting liability on a chargeback cannot be undone. Once submitted, the dispute closes immediately and cannot be reopened. No defense can be submitted after the fact. Make sure this is the right decision before proceeding.

What It Means to Accept Liability

When you accept liability on a chargeback, you are telling the card network that the dealership is not contesting the dispute. DealerWorks submits no defense on your behalf. The case closes immediately, the chargeback stands, and the disputed funds are not recovered.

Accepting liability may make sense when the customer's dispute is valid, when the amount is not worth the effort of contesting, or when the dealership does not have documentation to support a defense. It is a deliberate business decision — not a default.

Steps

1
Go to Accounting → Disputes in the left sidebar.
2
Locate the dispute and click it to open the detail page.
3
Review the dispute details — confirm the customer name, amount, and dispute reason match what you expect before proceeding.
4
Click Accept Liability in the actions bar at the top of the page.
5
Confirm the action when prompted. The dispute closes immediately and the status updates to Accepted.

Before You Accept

Check the deadline. If time remains and you have supporting documentation, consider submitting a defense instead.
Double-check that the dispute matches the transaction you expect. Accepting the wrong dispute cannot be reversed.
If you're unsure whether to accept or defend, contact your manager or DealerWorks support before acting.