You paid. The item never showed up. Of all dispute reasons, non-receipt is one of the most straightforward to evidence — the question is binary and the answer usually lives in a carrier's database. This guide walks through exactly what to gather: delivery proof, the expected delivery date, how the filing window works, and what to do about digital goods, where there is no box and no doorstep.
Answer one question and get a prioritized, printable evidence checklist for non-receipt — must-have vs nice-to-have.
In a non-receipt dispute, the tracking history is usually the centerpiece of your file. What helps you:
Save the tracking page as a screenshot or PDF now — carrier records can age out, and the page you see today may not be there months from now. Pair it with your order confirmation (proving the purchase and the shipping address) and you've covered the two questions a reviewer asks: did you buy it, and did it arrive?
The date you were supposed to receive the item matters more than most people realize. Some networks measure the dispute window from the expected delivery date rather than the purchase date — which can extend your filing window for pre-orders, backorders, and custom work. Gather:
If no delivery date was ever set, note that too. Under Visa's rules for goods not received, issuers generally must wait at least 15 days after the transaction before filing — a short cooling-off period that assumes ordinary shipping time.
Before filing, contact the seller about the missing item — and keep the thread. Many issuers expect you to have tried resolving the problem directly, and the correspondence doubles as evidence: it shows when you first reported the problem and how the merchant responded. A simple email works: order number, date ordered, expected delivery date, and a clear statement that the item hasn't arrived. For the full non-receipt documentation list, the evidence checklist builder walks you through each item.
Non-receipt disputes have one of the more generous filing windows in the card world — but it's still a window. Under Visa's rules for merchandise or services not received, issuers generally have 120 days from the date you expected delivery, with an absolute cap of 540 days from the original transaction date. The 120-day clock typically starts when delivery was expected, not when you paid — which is why documenting that expected date matters. The 540-day cap is the outer boundary for cases like event tickets or furniture bought far in advance.
Practical takeaway: don't treat the long window as a reason to wait. File as soon as the expected delivery window clearly passes and the merchant can't give you a straight answer. Evidence is freshest early, and your own issuer may have internal deadlines shorter than the network maximum. Check your deadline before you start gathering documents.
No box, no doorstep — but the same principle applies: prove you paid, prove what was promised, prove you never got it. The digital equivalents of a tracking scan:
Digital merchants sometimes argue that access was granted; timestamped records from your own account are usually the most persuasive counter.
Tracking says "delivered" but you have nothing. This is a harder case — a delivery scan to your correct address generally supports the merchant — but it's not unwinnable. Gather the scan detail (address, time, signature if any) and check with household members and neighbors. If the scan shows a different address, a locker you never used, or a signature that isn't yours, you may have a genuine misdelivery case. Be honest with yourself about which situation you're in before filing.
The merchant provided no tracking. Your file then rests on the order confirmation, the promised delivery date, and your correspondence. The lack of any shipment record usually works in your favor — but document your attempts to get a tracking number from the seller, since "they never gave me one" is stronger when you can show you asked.
Get the non-receipt evidence list as a printable checklist — tick items off as you gather them.
The strongest proof is usually the carrier's own tracking history: scans that stop mid-transit, no delivery scan at all, or delivery to a different address. Your order confirmation and your messages asking the merchant where the item is complete the picture.
It's harder, but not impossible. A delivery scan to your correct address generally supports the merchant. Gather anything showing the scan is wrong: delivery to a different address on the scan detail, your absence that day, or a pattern of misdeliveries. Be aware this is a tougher case than a package that clearly never shipped.
It depends on the card network and your issuer. Under Visa's goods-not-received rules, issuers generally have 120 days from the date you expected delivery, with an absolute cap of 540 days from the original transaction. Don't wait — file as soon as the expected window clearly passes.
Your case then rests on the order confirmation, the promised delivery date, and your correspondence with the merchant. The lack of tracking itself can support you — a seller who can't show any shipment record has little to rebut your claim with.
Yes, with different evidence: account login records, download or access logs, license activation emails, or records showing the service was never performed. Screenshots of an empty account or an unredeemed code are the digital equivalent of a missing tracking scan.
