Can I contact the customer while there is a chargeback open?

1. Yes. Shopify's help says customers are expected to contact you before filing a dispute, and it lists customer communications as evidence.
2. If the customer agrees it was a mistake, only they can reverse it, by contacting their bank. Shopify says to also submit their statement as evidence.
3. You cannot fix it by refunding through Shopify once the chargeback has started. Keep every message with dates.

claiming item not received, but it's still in transit

Quoted from a public merchant forum, name removed.

• Shopify's responding article: "Customers are expected to contact you before filing a dispute. If they went straight to their bank without giving you a chance to resolve the issue, then include evidence that they never reached out." source
• "Evidence of customer contact: ... Evidence that no support request was received. Your accessible contact information and resolution process. A note that you would have resolved the issue if given the opportunity." source
• "If you communicate with your customer and they agree to cancel the dispute, then they need to contact their bank and inform them that they want to drop the chargeback." source
• "An order's payment can't be refunded through Shopify after a chargeback process has been started." source
• Stripe's documentation, for Stripe accounts: contacting the account owner "might give you insight to better understand the complaint", and "Be sure to keep a record of all communication with your customer during this process, as it provides evidence to submit with your response." It also suggests offering a store credit or a replacement item. source
• PayPal's pages say a dispute in the Resolution Center is a conversation between you and the buyer, and PayPal's help says continuing to engage positively with the buyer may encourage them not to escalate. source

Sources: Shopify Help: Responding to chargebacks and inquiries; Shopify Help: Managing chargebacks in the admin; Stripe Documentation: Respond to disputes; PayPal UK Help Centre: respond to Item Not Received and Significantly Not As Described disputes, read 4 October 2026.

Whether talking leads to a withdrawal depends on the customer and their bank, and none of the pages promise it. The due date does not wait. Where you see it: the chargeback banner on the order in your Shopify admin shows the reason, status and due date, and the issuer claim, when available, may explain why the dispute was opened.

1. Write one short message: what the order status is, what you can do, and what you will not do. Offer only what you are willing to do.
2. Send it from the same channel the customer used, and save it with its date.
3. Keep your evidence work going. Do not wait for a reply.
4. Do not promise a refund through Shopify. The bank has already taken the money.

• The product not received reason page: evidence list and response template
• The fraudulent or unrecognized reason page: evidence list and response template
• The free evidence picker: pick your reason and see what is missing

Will contacting the customer hurt my case?

Shopify's pages do not say it does. They list your communication with the customer as evidence, so keep it factual and dated.

What if they never contacted me first?

Shopify says to include evidence that no support request was received, your accessible contact information, and a note that you would have resolved it.

Can they drop it after I talk to them?

Only the customer can, by telling their bank. Submit their statement to the bank as evidence if you have it.

Does this apply to PayPal disputes?

PayPal's Resolution Center is built around that conversation and has its own 20 day stage. See the PayPal pages.

• Is the chargeback fee refunded if I win?
• My customer says they withdrew the chargeback. What now?
• I refunded them and they still filed a chargeback. How?
• How long until I hear back after I submit chargeback evidence?
• What counts as proof of delivery for a chargeback?
• I missed the chargeback due date. What happens now?
• Chargeback versus inquiry: what is the difference?
• All chargeback help

General information from the public sources above, read 4 October 2026. It is not legal advice, and nobody can promise how a bank or payment provider will decide. Rules and fees can change, so check the page on your own dispute. Pro Skill Packs is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Shopify Inc., Stripe, PayPal, Klarna or Affirm.