How can P2P sellers avoid chargeback scams
You see the money hit your bank account. You release the crypto. Then days later, the bank pulls the funds back and the buyer disappears with your coins.
That is the chargeback scam. It works because bank transfers and card payments can be reversed long after they appear to clear, while crypto transactions cannot. Once you send, you are done.
This page is for the seller who thinks "money in the bank" means "safe." It does not.
Why screenshots prove nothing
A buyer can send you a photo of a payment confirmation, or show you a bank app screenshot with the correct amount and your name on it. None of this means the payment will stick.
Screenshots are not settlement. Banks do not honour screenshots; they honour the actual transfer, and they can undo it. Do not release crypto based on a picture. Wait until the funds are yours, not just visible.
Payment method risk ranking
Not all payment methods are equal. Some are nearly irreversible. Others are chargeback magnets.
Lowest risk (near-final) - Cash in person. No intermediary can reverse it. - Stablecoin transfer on a blockchain. Same rules as crypto - no chargeback mechanism exists. - Wire transfer from a verified bank account in the same country. Reversals are possible but rare and slow.
Medium risk - Domestic bank transfer (ACH, Faster Payments, etc.). These can be reversed for up to several weeks, though the seller has some protection if they hold proof of delivery and the buyer's real identity. - PayPal "Goods and Services." Built-in buyer protection means chargebacks are frequent, and PayPal usually sides with the buyer.
High risk - Credit and debit cards. The chargeback window is typically 120 days, and some card issuers allow up to 540 days. The buyer can claim fraud, and the card network will pull the money first, ask questions later. - PayPal "Friends and Family." Many sellers accept this thinking it is safe because PayPal does not offer purchase protection. It is not safe. The buyer can dispute through their bank or card issuer, triggering a chargeback that PayPal will pass to you. You lose the crypto and the funds. - International wire transfers. Cross-border payments have longer dispute windows and weaker seller protections.
Extreme risk - Cryptocurrency payment to an address that a third party controls. Not relevant here - but worth knowing that any reversible payment method is a risk. Crypto itself is not reversible. The problem is always the payment method used to buy it.
The chargeback window by method
This is the period during which a buyer can reverse a payment.
- Credit/debit cards: 120 days from the transaction date. Some banks extend to 540 days.
- PayPal: 180 days for a dispute, though most claims must be filed within 30 days of the transaction.
- Bank transfers (domestic): Varies by country. In the US, ACH reversals are possible for up to 5 business days. In the UK, Faster Payments are generally final, but bank-initiated recalls can happen for 14 months if the bank decides the transfer was fraudulent.
- Wire transfers: Typically 30 days for domestic, longer for international.
The pattern is clear. Most chargeback windows are measured in weeks or months, while your crypto release happens in seconds.
Release-timing strategy
Never release crypto the moment a payment appears in your account. That appearance can be a pending transaction, not a settled one. A pending transaction means the bank has not yet made the funds available and the sender can still cancel it. Wait for "cleared" or "settled."
Here is a practical approach:
- Domestic bank transfers: Wait 24 hours after the funds show as available. For large amounts, wait 3 business days.
- Card payments: Do not accept cards for P2P trades unless you use a dedicated merchant processor that handles chargeback risk. If you must accept cards, hold the crypto for 30 days minimum.
- PayPal: Do not accept PayPal at all for P2P crypto trades. The risk is too high and the dispute process too buyer-friendly.
- Wire transfers: Wait for the funds to be fully credited and confirmed by your bank. That can take 2 to 5 business days.
What to do when a chargeback happens
You will likely lose the money. The crypto is gone and your options are limited.
You can provide evidence to the bank or payment processor that the buyer received the goods and agreed to the terms. This may help in arbitration, but it is not a guarantee. You can report the buyer to local law enforcement if you have their real identity, though this rarely recovers funds. You can also blacklist the buyer's wallet address and username on any platforms you use.
The best defence is prevention. Verify the buyer's identity. Use payment methods with short or no chargeback windows. Hold crypto until you are certain the payment is final.
The one rule
If you can still lose the money, do not send the crypto.
That rule is simple. Following it is hard when a buyer pressures you. Do it anyway.
As of August 31, 2026, the conviction token (CONVICTION) trades at $0.00000665 with a market cap of $3,989 and 24-hour volume of $9.78. The token has been live since May 8, 2026, on Solana DEX pumpswap. Liquidity is $7,548.68. These numbers confirm it is a small market, and small markets attract scammers who assume sellers are desperate or inexperienced. Do not prove them right.
Not financial advice. convictiononsol.xyz publishes market data and general information about conviction. Crypto assets are volatile and you can lose everything you put in. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold, and we make no price predictions.
Prices are sourced from third parties and may be delayed or wrong. Verify anything you intend to act on against a primary source.