How to handle a Klarna dispute
- Act during the inquiryContact the customer; they can withdraw the inquiry in the Klarna app.
- Refund returns that arrivedIf the item is on its way back or arrived, refund within the 21 days; refunding the full disputed amount then avoids the dispute fee.
- Prepare evidence before day 21Tracking, carrier, ship date and customer messages, ready before the inquiry escalates.
- Submit onceWithin 12 calendar days of escalation, or 5 for fraud. Only one round of evidence is accepted.
- Read the loss reasonIf you lose, the loss reason (for example inadequate proof of delivery) tells you what to fix.
Klarna disputes compared with card disputes
- Who decides: Klarna, not a card issuer.
- Customer window: up to 180 calendar days from capture.
- Inquiry first: Klarna disputes start as an inquiry, except fraud and a few other cases Klarna lists. Klarna accepts no evidence then, and pauses the customer's repayments.
- Refunds: refunding the full disputed amount during the inquiry avoids a dispute fee; after it escalates you can't refund.
- Fee on Stripe: a single fee, charged when the chargeback is created and returned if you win.
- One round of evidence: 12 calendar days from escalation, 5 for fraud. Miss it and Klarna rules for the customer.
Return inquiries
Customers use Klarna inquiries to pause repayments while they return physical goods, and Stripe shows a return inquiry once the customer has given proof of the return, such as a tracking ID. Check that the return is in transit or has arrived, then refund within the 21 days so it never becomes a chargeback.
Example: a parcel at the neighbor's
A customer files a "goods not received" complaint in the Klarna app for a $140 order, and it opens as an inquiry. The merchant sends the tracking link and the carrier's delivery scan; the customer finds the parcel with a neighbor and withdraws the inquiry in the app. Had it escalated, the merchant would have had 12 days to submit the tracking, carrier details and the customer's messages.
More questions
Can I submit evidence during a Klarna inquiry?
No. Klarna doesn't accept evidence at the inquiry stage: you resolve it with the customer or refund. Evidence goes in only after the inquiry escalates to a chargeback, and only once, within 12 calendar days (5 for fraud) on Stripe.
Who pays the Klarna dispute fee?
On Stripe, the merchant pays a single fee for a lost Klarna dispute: it is assessed when the chargeback is created and returned if you win. Refunding the full amount during the inquiry avoids the fee entirely.
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Sources
- Stripe Docs: Klarna disputes (checked October 16, 2026)
- Stripe Docs: How disputes work (inquiries, timing, unchallengeable disputes) (checked October 5, 2026)
Last reviewed by Verdikx Research.