# What is a retrieval request?

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/what-is-a-retrieval-request
Type: Guide
Published: 2026-09-02 · Updated: 2026-09-02
Summary: A retrieval request asks for transaction documentation before a dispute is opened. How to respond, and why it is your cheapest chance to avoid a chargeback.

**A retrieval request is the cardholder''s bank asking you for documentation about a transaction before deciding whether to open a dispute.** No money has moved. It is a question, and it is the last cheap opportunity you get to prevent a chargeback.

## Summary

It is a request for information, not a reversal. Responding well and fast often stops a chargeback entirely. Missing the deadline is usually treated as conceding. Most processors charge a handling fee either way — $12 at Paydude.

## Why banks send them

Usually a cardholder has queried a charge they do not recognise. Before starting a formal dispute — which is expensive and slow for everyone — the bank asks the merchant to explain what the transaction was.

That makes an unrecognised charge the most common trigger, which in turn makes your [billing descriptor](https://www.paydude.io/resources/what-is-a-descriptor) the single most effective thing to fix if you receive them often.

## How to respond

1. **Respond inside the window** — Usually 10–30 days. Late is treated as no response, and a chargeback typically follows automatically.
2. **Send the order record** — Date, amount, items, and the billing descriptor exactly as it appeared on the statement.
3. **Prove delivery or use** — Tracking and delivery confirmation for goods; login and usage logs for software.
4. **Include your terms** — Particularly the refund and cancellation policy the customer agreed to.
5. **Add any correspondence** — Evidence the customer contacted you, or evidence you tried to reach them.

> **The cheapest dispute you will ever handle:** A retrieval request costs a handling fee and some documentation. A chargeback costs the sale, the goods, the processing fee, a larger dispute fee, and a mark against your chargeback ratio. Treating retrievals as urgent is straightforwardly good economics.

## If you get a lot of them

A rising retrieval rate is an early warning, and it usually points at one of a small number of causes.

- **An unrecognisable descriptor** — the most common cause by a distance.
- **Subscriptions renewing without warning**, particularly annual ones.
- **A long gap between order and delivery**, so the charge is forgotten before the goods arrive.
- **Genuine card fraud**, which needs a fraud-prevention response rather than a documentation one.

**$12 retrieval fee, published up front** Every situational fee listed on the rate card, with no surprises. — [See the fees](https://www.paydude.io/pricing)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a retrieval request the same as a chargeback?

No. A retrieval request is a request for information; the money has not moved. A chargeback is the reversal itself. Handled well, a retrieval request is the step that prevents the chargeback.

### How long do I have to respond?

Usually 10 to 30 days depending on the network and your processor. Missing the deadline is generally treated as conceding, and a chargeback tends to follow automatically.

### Does a retrieval request cost money?

Most processors charge a fee — commonly $10 to $15, and $12 at Paydude. It is charged for the handling, not as a penalty, and applies whether or not a dispute follows.

### What should I send?

Whatever proves the transaction was legitimate and delivered: the order record, delivery or usage evidence, the billing descriptor as it appeared, your terms, and any relevant customer correspondence. Be complete and be quick.