Chargeback evidence checklist for Australian Shopify stores

Most chargebacks are not lost because the merchant was wrong. They are lost because the proof was missing, buried in an inbox, too big to upload, or sent in the wrong shape. You did the work, you shipped the parcel, and you still cannot show it.

This chargeback evidence checklist covers every item an Australian Shopify store should collect, what Shopify Payments adds for you, what only you can add, and the file limits that catch people out. Use it on the order in front of you, and use it before the next dispute so the proof already exists.

This checklist is for you if:

You have a dispute open and want to know exactly what to attach, and what to leave out.
You have lost a dispute you believed you should have won and suspect the evidence was the problem.
You want to set up your store now, so that the proof for any future dispute is already saved.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. Written by the ChargeFix team. Reviewed against sources on 9 October 2026.

The 30-second answer (TL;DR)

A chargeback evidence checklist has two halves: what Shopify attaches for you, and what only you can add.
Shopify collects order details, addresses, IP data, fulfilment and tracking, refund records, and prior orders and disputes.
You add the rest: customer messages, delivery photos, policies, and access logs for digital goods.
Shopify dispute evidence must be PDF, JPEG or PNG, up to 2 MB each and 4 MB in total, with one file per evidence type.
No links, audio, video or "please contact me" requests. Reviewers will not follow them.
What matters most depends on the dispute reason. A "product not received" case needs delivery proof. A "fraudulent" case needs fulfilment and identity signals.
Edit your evidence until the due date. After you click Submit now, nothing can change.

Quick note: Chargeback evidence is not about volume. A short pack that answers the exact reason the customer gave beats a long pack that answers a different question. Start with the reason on the order, then build the pack around it.

The checklist at a glance

Evidence item	Added by	Matters most for
Order details, billing and shipping addresses	Shopify	All reasons
IP address and country	Shopify	Fraudulent, unrecognized
Fulfilment date, time and tracking	Shopify	Product not received, fraudulent
Refund records	Shopify	Credit not processed, duplicate
Prior orders and prior disputes	Shopify	Fraudulent, unrecognized
Customer messages (emails, chat, DMs)	You	Product unacceptable, credit not processed, general
Delivery photo or signature	You	Product not received
Product listing, photos and descriptions	You	Product unacceptable
Refund, return and cancellation policies	You	Credit not processed, subscription canceled
Access logs and download records	You	Digital goods, subscriptions
Proof the customer was told (emails, notices)	You	Subscription canceled, credit not processed
Bank withdrawal letter	Customer's bank	General, fraudulent where the customer agrees

What is a chargeback evidence checklist, and why use one?

A chargeback evidence checklist is a fixed list of the records you gather for a dispute, ordered so that nothing important is forgotten and nothing irrelevant is added. It turns a stressful, one-off scramble into a routine you can run in under an hour.

A chargeback evidence checklist helps for three reasons.

It stops you missing the obvious. Under pressure, people attach the tracking number and forget the customer's own email saying the parcel arrived. The checklist has a line for it.

It protects you from the two common failures. The first is too little: one screenshot and a sentence. The second is too much: twenty files that bury the one that matters. A list forces you to decide, item by item.

It makes the deadline manageable. Good Shopify dispute evidence takes time to gather. Your Shopify chargeback deadline is usually 7 to 21 days after the dispute is filed. If you know where each record lives, assembling the pack is an hour of work, not a week of searching.

The reviewer at the card issuer is not a friend or an enemy. They are working through a case file with limited time, and they are looking for a clear answer to one question: did the merchant deliver what the customer paid for, and can they show it? Your chargeback evidence checklist should help them reach "yes" quickly.

What does Shopify add to your evidence automatically?

Shopify Payments builds part of your Shopify dispute evidence for you. According to Shopify's Help Center, the information it collects and includes automatically covers:

order details
billing and shipping addresses
the customer's IP address
fulfilment and tracking information
refund records
the customer's prior orders and prior disputes

For "product not received" disputes, Shopify also auto-uploads a PDF of all the fulfilment events on the order, which gives the reviewer a timestamped trail of what happened and when.

This matters in two ways. First, you do not need to retype or re-upload what Shopify already attaches. Second, you should still open the order and look at what is there. If the tracking shows a wrong address, or the fulfilment date is later than you remember, you want to know that before the reviewer does.

Shopify's page is clear on one point: it does not add everything. Customer messages, delivery photos, policies and access logs are yours to supply. These are often the items that turn a close case into a win, because they are the ones the card network cannot see for itself.

The master chargeback evidence checklist

Work through the list in order. Tick what exists, note what is missing, and decide whether the missing items can still be obtained before the due date.

1. The order record

Order number, date and time, and the amount in A$
Product names, quantities and the price the customer saw
The customer's name and the email used at checkout
Billing address and shipping address
The payment method and the last four digits shown on the order

Shopify supplies most of this. Your job is to confirm it matches what the customer is claiming. If the dispute says A$180 and the order says A$120 plus A$60 shipping, make sure your explanation covers both.

2. Customer identity and fraud signals

IP address and country at checkout (Shopify adds this)
Whether the billing and shipping addresses match
Whether the customer has ordered before without dispute
Any email or phone contact where the customer confirmed the purchase

Prior undisputed orders from the same customer are some of the strongest "this is the real cardholder" signals, and Shopify includes the history for you. If you have extra proof, such as the customer replying to an order confirmation or a support email on the same address, add it.

3. Fulfilment and delivery

Fulfilment date and time (Shopify adds this)
Carrier name and tracking number
A tracking page screenshot showing the delivered status, date and delivery address
Proof of delivery from the carrier: signature, photo, or a safe-place note, if the carrier provides one
Any "authority to leave" instruction the customer gave

Delivery proof is the heart of any "product not received" case. The details differ by carrier, and we cover courier proof in a separate post in this series, so here the rule is simple: show the date, the address, and the delivered status, and make sure all three are readable.

4. Communication with the customer

Order confirmation and shipping confirmation emails, with timestamps
Any emails, chats or messages from the customer about the order
Your replies, including offers to refund, replace or investigate
Any message where the customer says the item arrived or is being used

Messages are powerful because they show behaviour. A customer who says "thanks, it arrived" on 14 October and disputes on 20 October is in a very different position from one who never made contact.

5. Policies and what the customer agreed to

Refund and returns policy, as it stood on the order date
Shipping policy and delivery estimates
Cancellation policy for subscriptions
Terms and conditions the customer saw
Proof the customer was shown them (checkout wording, order confirmation links)

A policy only helps if it is clear, was visible at the time, and is consistent with Australian Consumer Law. A "no refunds" policy will not defend a faulty product claim, and the ACCC says relying on such terms for faulty goods is illegal. We explain this properly in the post on whether to accept or fight a dispute.

6. The product itself

Product page as it appeared at the time of sale (screenshot with date)
Product photos and any specifications
Photos of the item as packed, if you keep them
Any returns or replacement offered

For "product unacceptable" disputes, the reviewer compares what was advertised with what the customer says they received. A dated screenshot of your listing is far better than "it's on our website".

7. Digital goods and subscriptions

Access logs, login times, download records
Usage data showing the product was used after purchase
Cancellation requests and the dates they were received
Notices sent about renewals and charges

If the customer says they cancelled and you kept charging, this is where it is settled, one way or the other. If you did charge after a genuine cancellation, Shopify's guidance is to accept the dispute.

8. Refunds and adjustments

Any refund already issued, with the date and amount
Partial refunds and the reason
Store credit or replacement shipments

Shopify attaches refund records. If you refunded the customer and they still disputed, that is a strong fact, but only if the dates and amounts are visible and the refund went to the same card.

What are the Shopify dispute evidence rules and file size limits?

The evidence file size and format rules are strict, and they cause more avoidable losses than people realise. From Shopify's Help Center:

Accepted formats: PDF, JPEG and PNG.
PDF/A: must be under 50 pages.
Size: 2 MB per file and 4 MB in total.
Quantity: one file per evidence type.
Not allowed: links, audio, video, and requests that the reviewer contact you.

Two of these evidence file size rules deserve a closer look.

One file per evidence type means you cannot attach ten separate screenshots of messages under "customer communication". You combine them into a single PDF. This is where most merchants stumble, so we cover how to do it below.

No links means a Google Drive URL or a tracking link in your notes will not be followed. If the proof is on a website, take a screenshot that shows the date, the page and the content, and attach the screenshot.

Illustration: a 4 MB budget for a A$180 order

Imagine a dispute on a A$180 order, reason "product not received". You plan these files:

File	Content	Target size
1	Cover note and timeline	100 KB
2	Tracking screenshot, delivered status	600 KB
3	Carrier proof of delivery (photo)	900 KB
4	Customer emails, combined PDF	700 KB
5	Shipping policy screenshot	500 KB
Total		2.8 MB

That leaves around 1.2 MB spare, enough to add a sixth file if you find something useful late on. Compare that to dropping five phone photos at 3 MB each into the upload: the first one fails the 2 MB rule, and the pack as a whole blows through the 4 MB limit.

This is an illustration with assumed sizes, not a measurement. Your own files will vary.

How do you keep evidence file size down without making files unreadable?

Evidence file size is rarely a software problem. You do not need special tools for most of this.

Screenshots: take them on a laptop at normal screen size instead of a high-resolution phone screen. Save as PNG for text, JPEG for photos.
Phone photos: share or export at medium size. A photo of a parcel on a doorstep rarely needs more than 1 MB to be clear.
Combining messages: paste the emails or chat screenshots into one document and export as PDF.
Check the size before upload: look at the file properties. If a PDF is over 2 MB, reduce the image quality in the export dialog and try again.
Check it is readable: open the compressed file at full size and read the date, address and amount. If you cannot read them, neither can the reviewer.

What evidence do you need for each dispute reason?

Shopify groups disputes under eight reasons, and its Help Center suggests different evidence for each. The reason on the order decides what your pack should look like.

Fraudulent

The customer says they did not make the purchase. Shopify suggests the fulfilment date and time, billing information, IP and country, and shipping and tracking. If the customer confirms the purchase to you, ask them to withdraw the dispute with their bank, and still submit evidence.

Pack: order record, IP and country, address match, fulfilment and tracking, prior undisputed orders, any customer contact confirming the order.

Unrecognized

The customer does not recognise the charge on their statement. The suggested evidence is the same as for fraudulent. Contacting the customer first may resolve it, because many "unrecognized" cases are genuine orders under a descriptor the customer does not connect with your store.

Pack: same as fraudulent, plus your statement descriptor and a sample order confirmation email.

Duplicate

The customer says they were charged twice. Shopify suggests evidence that the charges were for separate items, receipts, and any communication. If you did charge twice, accept the dispute.

Pack: both order records side by side, with different products or dates, both receipts, and any messages.

Subscription canceled

The customer says they cancelled but were charged. Shopify suggests your cancellation policy, notices, proof the customer was told, and access logs. If you charged after cancellation, accept.

Pack: cancellation policy, renewal notices, dated cancellation requests, and logs showing continued use.

Product not received

The customer says the item never arrived. Shopify suggests fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking, and access logs for digital goods. It also auto-uploads a PDF of all fulfilment events.

Pack: tracking with delivered status, carrier proof of delivery, delivery address match, any customer message acknowledging receipt.

Product unacceptable

The customer says the product was not as described, or was faulty. Shopify suggests fulfilment details, tracking, product descriptions and photos, and proof the customer did not try to return the item or that a replacement was sent.

Pack: product page at time of sale, photos, message history, return or replacement offers, and a timeline.

Credit not processed

The customer says they were promised a refund that did not arrive. Shopify suggests refund and return policies, proof the customer was informed, emails, an explanation of why they were not entitled to a refund, or proof of an earlier refund. Shopify also notes that refunds generally cannot be issued after a chargeback but can for an inquiry.

Pack: the refund record with date and amount, the policy, and emails showing what the customer was told.

General

The bank has not given a specific reason. Shopify says to contact the customer. If they agree to drop the dispute, request the bank withdrawal letter and submit it as evidence. Otherwise, submit proof the charge was valid.

Pack: the order record, delivery proof, communication, and any withdrawal letter.

If the reason is vague or you cannot tell which pack applies, the guide to responding to a Shopify Payments dispute walks through the steps in order.

How do you write the cover note?

A cover note is a one-page PDF that tells the reviewer what happened, in order, and points to each attached file. It is the first thing they read, so it should be short and factual.

A good cover note has five parts:

The claim: one line stating what the customer said.
The facts: the order date, amount, delivery date and address.
The timeline: each key event with a date.
The evidence list: file names and what each shows.
The request: one line asking for the dispute to be decided in the merchant's favour.

A template you can adapt

Dispute reference: [order number] Customer claim: Product not received. Order: Placed [date], A$[amount], [product]. Fulfilment: Shipped [date] via [carrier], tracking [number]. Delivery: Carrier records show delivered on [date] to [address], which matches the shipping address on the order. Contact: The customer emailed on [date] and wrote "[short quote]". We replied on [date]. Evidence attached: (1) Tracking screenshot. (2) Proof of delivery. (3) Email thread. (4) Shipping policy. Request: The order was fulfilled as described, and we ask that the charge be upheld.

Keep it under one page. Avoid emotion, accusation and long paragraphs. If a fact is not known, leave it out rather than guess. A cover note that says "the customer is lying" will read worse than one that says "tracking shows delivery to the address on the order".

How should you present customer messages?

Messages are often the deciding evidence, and they are often presented badly.

Do:

Include the date and time on every message.
Show the customer's email address or name so the reviewer can match it to the order.
Combine them in order into a single PDF.
Highlight the one or two lines that matter, and keep the rest visible for context.

Do not:

Crop out the date, the sender or your own replies.
Include unrelated messages from other orders.
Send a photo of a phone screen when a screenshot is available.
Edit or retype messages. Anything that looks altered damages the whole pack.

If the conversation happened by phone, write a short dated note describing what was said and by whom, and label it clearly as a record of a call. It carries less weight than a written message, but it is better than silence.

Delivery proof: what actually counts?

For physical goods, delivery proof is the centre of the pack. A strong delivery record shows four things:

A date: when the parcel was delivered.
An address: that it went to the shipping address on the order.
A status: that the carrier recorded it as delivered.
Some form of confirmation: a signature, a photo, a safe-place note, or the customer's own acknowledgement.

A tracking number alone shows that a parcel moved. A tracking page that says "Delivered, 14 October 2026, left in a safe place at [address]" shows that it arrived. A photo of the parcel at the door shows where it was left. The more of these you have, the less room there is for doubt.

What the carrier provides varies by service, and the options and formats for the main Australian couriers are covered in the post on proof of delivery for common couriers. We have not verified what each carrier's standard service includes, so check yours.

If tracking says "delivered" and the customer says it never arrived, the case becomes a question of address, authority to leave, and the carrier's records. This is common enough that it has its own post on tracking says delivered, but the customer says no.

What goes wrong with chargeback evidence?

These are the mistakes we see most often, and each is avoidable.

Sending the wrong evidence for the reason

A delivery photo does nothing for a "credit not processed" claim. A refund record does nothing for "fraudulent". Read the reason first.

Attaching too many files

There is a one file per evidence type rule, and a 4 MB cap. A pile of small screenshots fails both. Combine, then upload.

Including links

Links are not followed. If the proof is online, capture it as an image or PDF.

Missing dates

A screenshot with no date is hard to trust. Whenever you capture a page, include the date and time in the frame, or add it to the file name and cover note.

Using today's policy for yesterday's order

If you changed your refund policy last month, the version that applies is the one the customer saw. Keep dated copies of every policy you publish.

Arguing instead of showing

"The customer is trying it on" is an opinion. "The customer emailed on 14 October to confirm receipt" is a fact. Stick to facts.

Waiting until the last day

Evidence can be edited until the due date, but you cannot fix a problem you find at 11:55 PM. Aim to submit at least two business days early.

Skipping the evidence entirely

If you add nothing, Shopify Payments still submits on the due date with the information it collected. That is better than nothing, but it is rarely enough for a case that depends on a message, photo or policy.

What should you leave out of your Shopify dispute evidence?

Not everything you have helps your Shopify dispute evidence. Leaving things out is part of the skill.

Internal notes and chat with your team. They can contradict the story or raise doubts.
Unrelated customer history. Complaints on other orders do not help and can look like a pattern.
Long legal text. If the policy is 40 pages, attach the relevant page.
Anything you cannot prove. If you cannot show it, do not claim it.
Personal or sensitive data that is not needed. Include only what the reviewer needs to see.

How do you build your chargeback evidence checklist before a dispute happens?

The best chargeback evidence checklist is the one you finish before the dispute arrives. A few habits make the difference.

Save the order confirmation and shipping confirmation emails. They carry timestamps and are easy to produce later.

Keep tracking and proof of delivery on file. If your carrier only keeps records for a limited time, download them while they are available. We have not verified retention periods for Australian carriers, so do not assume they are long.

Photograph high-value parcels before they leave. A dated photo of the item, the packing and the label costs thirty seconds and can settle a "not as described" claim.

Date-stamp your policies. Keep a folder with each version of your refund, shipping and terms pages, and note when each went live.

Keep customer messages in one place. If support sits across email, social media and chat, collect them in a single log so you are not hunting through five tools.

Use a recognisable statement descriptor. Shopify's prevention guidance recommends one, along with sending receipts. It reduces "unrecognized" disputes before they start.

If you are building these habits from scratch, the complete guide to Shopify chargebacks in Australia shows how the whole process fits together.

How long should you keep evidence?

Chargeback timing has several layers. The dispute window for cardholders in Australia is often up to 120 days, depending on the provider and the reason, and can run from the expected delivery date. Consumer Affairs Victoria gives limits from 45 to 120 days by provider. CHOICE reports that some limits can extend further in specific cases, up to 540 days for certain Visa disputes.

Because of that, keeping evidence for at least several months after the sale makes sense, and longer for high-value or custom orders. We cannot give you a tax or legal retention period from these sources, so check your accountant's guidance for business records. For disputes, think in terms of the cardholder's window plus the time the bank takes to decide, which can be up to 75 days after you submit.

What's different for Australian merchants?

Most evidence advice online is written for US stores. A few local points change the checklist.

Amounts and dates. Use A$ amounts and day-month-year dates in your cover note. A reviewer looking at 04/10/2026 could read it as April or October. Write "4 October 2026".

Timezones. Shopify applies the due date in your store's timezone. Check which timezone your admin is set to, and make sure your timestamps match.

Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC says a failed consumer guarantee means you must offer a repair, replacement or refund, and you cannot send the customer to the manufacturer. For a major problem the customer chooses between a refund and a replacement. For a minor one you can repair first. Change of mind is not covered, but if you offer a change-of-mind policy, you must honour it. These rules shape which policies you can rely on in a dispute.

Couriers. Australian stores often ship with Australia Post and other local couriers, each with its own proof of delivery. The format and detail vary.

The card network decides. Your bank, Shopify and the ACCC do not decide the outcome. The customer's card issuer does, and Shopify says the decision comes up to 75 days after submission with no appeal. Strong evidence at the first attempt matters because you get one attempt.

Escalation routes. Consumer Affairs Victoria notes that customers can go to AFCA if their bank rejects a chargeback request. That is a customer-to-bank matter, but it is one more reason to keep clean records.

A worked example: two packs for the same A$180 order

Illustration: weak pack versus strong pack

A customer orders a A$180 item on 12 October 2026. It ships on 13 October and tracking shows delivery on 16 October. On 28 October the bank files a "product not received" chargeback. The A$180 and a A$25 fee leave the payout.

The weak pack contains a tracking number typed into a text box and a sentence saying "item was delivered". There are no screenshots, no address confirmation, and no messages.

The strong pack contains:

A one page cover note with the timeline.
A tracking screenshot showing "Delivered, 16 October 2026" and the address.
A proof of delivery photo from the carrier.
An email thread where the customer replied to the shipping confirmation on 17 October asking about returns policy for a different item, from the same address.
A screenshot of the shipping policy as it stood on the order date.

Shopify adds its own record of the order, addresses, IP and fulfilment events. The two packs describe the same facts, but only one lets the reviewer verify them without taking the merchant's word.

We cannot promise the outcome. The issuer decides. But the strong pack removes the usual reasons for losing: no proof of the address, no proof of delivery, and no sign the customer was in contact.

The money at stake is A$180 plus the fee. Add the roughly 45 minutes it takes to build the pack, at A$40 an hour, so about A$30 of your time. Spending A$30 of time against a A$205 exposure is a sensible trade whenever your evidence is real. The post on whether to accept or fight explains how to decide when it is not.

A 15-minute routine to complete the chargeback evidence checklist

If you have a dispute open and need to move fast, this order keeps your chargeback evidence checklist on track.

Minutes	Task
0 to 2	Read the reason and the due date on the order
2 to 5	Open the order and see what Shopify has already attached
5 to 8	Capture the tracking page and carrier proof of delivery
8 to 11	Export customer messages into one PDF
11 to 13	Screenshot the policy and product page, with dates
13 to 15	Write the cover note, check file sizes, upload

Then save the pack as a draft and review it again the next day with fresh eyes. If you want the surrounding steps, our guide to the first 24 hours after a chargeback email covers what to do before you start.

Common questions about specific evidence

Do screenshots count as evidence?

Yes, if they are clear and show the date, content and source. A screenshot is a reasonable way to capture a tracking page, a policy or an email. Make sure it is readable, and note what it shows in the cover note.

Can you include a photo of the parcel?

If you have one, yes. A dated photo of the parcel before it ships can show condition and contents. A carrier's delivery photo can show where it was left. Keep each file within the 2 MB evidence file size limit.

Does a policy help if the customer never read it?

It can, if it was visible and clear when the order was placed. We could not verify how much weight a card issuer gives to checkout acceptance versus a policy link, so treat the policy as supporting evidence, not as the whole case.

Frequently asked questions

What should be in a chargeback evidence checklist?

Include the order record, customer identity signals, fulfilment and tracking, proof of delivery, customer messages, your policies, product pages and photos, access logs for digital goods, and any refunds. Shopify adds some of these automatically. You supply messages, photos, policies and logs.

What file types does Shopify accept for dispute evidence?

Shopify accepts PDF, JPEG and PNG files. PDF/A files must be under 50 pages. Each file can be up to 2 MB, with 4 MB in total, and you can upload one file per evidence type. Links, audio and video are not accepted, so capture web content as an image.

Does Shopify attach evidence for me?

Yes, partly. Shopify includes order details, addresses, IP, fulfilment and tracking, refund records, and prior orders and disputes. For product not received claims it also uploads a PDF of fulfilment events. You still add customer messages, delivery photos, policies and access logs yourself.

Can I attach more than one file per evidence type?

No. Shopify allows one file per evidence type, so combine related items into a single PDF. For example, put all customer emails in one document, and all policy screenshots in another. Keep each file under 2 MB and the whole pack under 4 MB.

What evidence wins a product not received dispute?

Delivery proof carries the most weight: the delivered status with date, the matching address, and a signature, photo or safe-place record. Add any customer message that acknowledges receipt. Shopify also auto-uploads a PDF of fulfilment events. Nothing guarantees a win, because the card issuer decides.

Should I include my refund policy?

Include it when the dispute involves refunds, returns or cancellations, and when the policy was visible on the order date. It will not defend a faulty product claim, because Australian Consumer Law applies regardless of a "no refunds" sign. Attach only the relevant page.

Can I edit my evidence after I submit it?

No. You can edit evidence until the due date, but once you click Submit now it is locked. If you do nothing, Shopify Payments submits automatically on the due date. Check your files carefully first, and aim to submit at least two business days early.

What if I cannot find any evidence?

Submit what you have rather than nothing, and be factual. Shopify still includes the order, address, IP and fulfilment data. If the claim looks valid, consider accepting the dispute instead of spending time on a pack that cannot answer the reason. Accepting means you lose the amount and the fee.

How long should I keep records for possible disputes?

Keep them at least as long as the cardholder's dispute window, which is often up to 120 days and sometimes longer, plus the time the bank takes to decide. We could not verify a legal retention period, so ask your accountant about general business record rules.

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