How breeders protect themselves in a sale: signed contracts with audit trails, invoices and receipts, pickup photos, and what to do if a buyer disputes a payment.

Almost every sale goes fine. This article is for the rare one that doesn't: a buyer who backs out, says they never agreed to the terms, or asks their bank to take a payment back. It covers what BreederPro records for you automatically, what only you can do, and what to do if a dispute lands.

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and state, and banks make their own decisions. If a sale is large or the situation is messy, talk to a lawyer.

Why animal sales get no seller protection

Programs like PayPal Seller Protection and Stripe's own dispute tools are built around shipped goods with tracking numbers. A kitten or puppy handed over in person has no tracking number, so most banks and processors treat the sale as one the seller has to prove.

When a buyer disputes a card payment (a chargeback), the bank usually asks the seller for evidence and then decides. What typically carries weight:

Proof the buyer agreed to the terms, including any non-refundable deposit.
Proof the buyer is the person who paid: matching names, email and a clear record of who signed.
Proof the animal was delivered: a dated pickup record, ideally with a photo.
A clear timeline, submitted before the deadline.

The rest of this article is about getting those four things on file before you ever need them.

What BreederPro records for you

You don't have to do anything extra for these. They are created as part of the normal workflow.

E-signed contracts and the audit trail

When you send a contract and the buyer signs, BreederPro records:

the buyer's consent to sign electronically (ESIGN/UETA), and when they gave it
the buyer's IP address and browser, with a timestamp for each step: sent, viewed, agreed, signed
the signatures, drawn or typed, placed in the contract text
a SHA-256 hash of what was signed and of the stored PDF, so a changed copy can be detected

The signed PDF ends with a Certificate of Completion listing all of this. The contract page shows the same events in its Audit trail card. Details: Certificate of Completion and audit trail.

Save your own signature once in Settings and BreederPro applies it when you send, so the contract is signed by both parties. See Signing as the seller.

If a buyer backs out after signing, rescind the contract instead of deleting it. The signed copy and its certificate stay exactly as signed, and your reason is recorded. See Rescinding a signed contract.

Invoices, payments and receipts

Every invoice keeps a history of each payment and each refund as its own record: amount, method, date, note and who recorded it. A sale paid in stages (a reservation fee, then the balance) shows as Partially paid until it is covered. BreederPro emails the buyer a receipt for every payment: automatically for online payments, and by default when you Record payment for cash, check or a bank transfer. Each receipt states the amount and what is still owed, which gives you a dated message the buyer received. Stripe can send its own card receipt as well if you turn that on in your Stripe dashboard. See Tracking Payments.

You can download an invoice as a PDF, and so can the buyer from their invoice link and the client portal.

The client portal: the buyer's own copy

With the client portal, the buyer can sign in and see their contracts, invoices and the files you share with them, any time. A buyer who has their signed contract and receipts at hand is less likely to claim they never received them.

What to do yourself

Write the deposit terms into the contract

If your reservation fee is non-refundable, say so in the contract, in plain words, for example what the fee reserves and what happens if the buyer withdraws. A buyer who signed that clause, with an audit trail showing when and from where, is in a much better position for you than one who was only told by text. Then invoice the deposit using Add reservation fee (the default percent is in Settings → Business), so the invoice line reads Non-refundable reservation fee. See Deposits and Partial Payments.

If you give the buyer a discount (a returning "fur family", a repeat-buyer percent), write it into the contract as well, so the agreed price matches the invoice. See Discounts.

Send the contract before the money moves

Get the contract signed before the buyer pays the balance, not after.

Keep names consistent

The buyer's name on the contract, the invoice and the card or bank account that pays should match. If a different person pays, make a note on the invoice or contact. A mismatch is a good reason to ask a question before handing over the animal.

Take a pickup-day photo

Photograph the buyer with the animal at pickup, with the date visible in the photo's details, and attach it to the animal or the buyer's contact record. A signed pickup receipt is the other half of this. Pickup confirmation in BreederPro, with a photo and the buyer's signature stored against the animal, contact and contract, is coming soon. Until then, attach your own photo and signed note as a file.

Prefer bank debit for large balances

Cards are the easiest payment to dispute, and a card dispute can be raised for months. Bank debit (ACH, in the US) is usually harder to reverse: a buyer's bank typically limits disputes to payments they say they didn't authorize, within about 60 days. Cash App Pay is another option. You turn these on in your own Stripe Dashboard (Settings → Billing → Open Stripe dashboard, then payment methods), and buyers then see them on the payment page. Availability depends on your country and Stripe's approval.

Use a descriptive statement descriptor

The text on the buyer's card statement is your Stripe statement descriptor. A buyer who sees an unfamiliar name is more likely to dispute. Set it in your Stripe Dashboard to something they will recognize, such as your cattery or kennel name.

Keep the conversation

Keep texts and emails where the buyer agrees to terms, confirms pickup or says they're happy. Screenshots are fine.

If a dispute happens

With BreederPro's online payments, you are the merchant of record: the payment goes to your own Stripe account, so the dispute and the evidence request arrive there, not with BreederPro.

Don't ignore it. Stripe emails you. The window to respond is limited, typically a few weeks, and an unanswered dispute is usually lost. Check the deadline in your Stripe Dashboard.
Know the cost. Stripe typically charges a dispute fee (US$15 in the US) per dispute, even if you win; check your Stripe terms for your country.
Gather the evidence from BreederPro:
- the signed contract PDF, including the Certificate of Completion
- the invoice PDF and the list of payments, with receipts sent
- proof the buyer had access: their portal activity and your emails
- your pickup photo and any signed pickup receipt
- your texts and emails with the buyer
Upload it in Stripe with a short, factual timeline: when they inquired, signed, paid, and picked up the animal.
Consider refunding early. If the buyer has a fair complaint, or you would rather end it, refunding the payment before the bank decides typically avoids the dispute. You can refund from your Stripe Dashboard and BreederPro updates the invoice. See Refunds.

For disputes of a bank debit, the same evidence applies, but the buyer's bank typically only accepts a claim that the payment was unauthorized.

Protecting Yourself as a Seller