> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.waffo.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Customer Issues > What happens when a customer reports a problem through the Consumer Portal or an e-wallet, and what you need to do within 72 hours. > [card] A customer issue means the customer came to you first > > The customer clicks **Report an issue** in the Consumer Portal, and you reply and resolve it on the [Risk](https://docs.waffo.ai/dashboard/risk.md) page in your Dashboard. Handle it well and it never turns into a chargeback. *** ## Customer Issues vs. Chargebacks | | Customer issue | Chargeback | | - | - | - | | Who opens it | The customer, through the Consumer Portal or an e-wallet | The cardholder, through their issuing bank | | Where you handle it | The Risk page in your Dashboard | The Risk page in your Dashboard | | Response time | Portal issues: first response within 72 hours | The response deadline set by the acquiring channel | | Funds | You decide whether to refund, and how much | The principal and chargeback fee are deducted from your balance first | | Fees | None | See [Chargebacks](https://docs.waffo.ai/mor/chargebacks.md) | | Metrics | Counts toward the **Customer issue rate** on the Risk page | Counts toward the **Chargeback rate** on the Risk page | *** ## Where Customer Issues Come From The customer signs in to the [Consumer Portal](https://pancake.waffo.ai/consumer/portal/login) with the email they bought with, clicks **Report an issue** on a payment or subscription, picks a topic, describes what happened, and submits. | Topic the customer picks | Reason you see on the Risk page | | - | - | | Product / Service | Product issue | | Billing & Refunds | Billing / refund | | Can't reach the merchant | Merchant not responding | | Other | Other | Customers may also complain through an e-wallet's own complaint channel (WeChat Pay, for example). Those issues appear on the Risk page too and are handled the same way; the response deadline is the one shown in the issue details. * A payment can have only one open issue at a time. For subscription issues, the limit applies per subscription. * When a customer enters the portal through a link on your site (such as a **Manage orders** button), **Report an issue** is not shown. Those customers contact you directly, or sign in to the portal with their purchase email and report it there. * The conversation is shared three ways: your store, the customer, and Pancake Support all see the same thread. There is no private channel. Customers see this notice before they submit. *** ## How an Issue Is Handled **1. The customer submits it and you see it immediately** The issue appears on the Risk page right away with status **Needs action**. The response deadline is the submission time plus 72 hours. You also receive a customer issue email. **2. Respond within 72 hours** Replying to the customer or marking the issue as resolved both count as a response. Once you respond, the deadline is no longer shown. **3. Resolve the problem** Reply, refund, or mark as resolved — see the table below. **4. The customer accepts or reopens** After you mark the issue as resolved, the customer can reopen it within 7 days. A reopened issue goes back to **Needs action** with a fresh 72-hour deadline. After 7 days it cannot be reopened; the customer has to report a new issue. ### Three things you can do | Action | Where | What happens next | | - | - | - | | Reply to customer | The reply box at the bottom of the issue details, up to 2,000 characters | Status becomes **Waiting for customer**; if the customer replies, it becomes **Customer replied** | | Refund | The **Payment** card in the issue details → payment details → refund. Partial refunds are allowed | The issue status does not change on its own. After refunding, reply to the customer or mark the issue as resolved | | Mark as resolved | **Mark as resolved** in the issue details, with an optional note for the customer (up to 2,000 characters) | Status becomes **Resolved**; the customer can reopen it within 7 days | * You can mark an issue as resolved without replying first. * After you reply, the issue stays in the **Needs action** group on the Risk page until you mark it as resolved. * A payment that already has a chargeback cannot be refunded. Follow the [chargeback](https://docs.waffo.ai/mor/chargebacks.md) process instead. * Resolved and closed issues cannot be replied to. Closed issues are read-only. ### If you miss the deadline If there is no first response within 72 hours, the status becomes **Overdue** and the deadline turns red. After that, the Pancake platform steps in and may refund the customer directly. > [!WARNING] > > Issues left overdue are more likely to turn into chargebacks, which carry a chargeback fee and count toward your chargeback rate. *** ## Issue Statuses | Status in the issue details | Meaning | Group on the Risk page | | - | - | - | | Needs action | Waiting for your first response | Needs action | | Overdue | No first response within 72 hours | Needs action | | Customer replied | The customer sent a new message after your response | Needs action | | Waiting for customer | You replied and are waiting for the customer | Needs action | | In progress | You have responded and the issue is still open | Needs action | | Refund failed | The linked refund failed and needs your attention | Needs action | | Refund in progress | The linked refund is processing; the issue resolves when it completes | Under review | | Resolved | Marked as resolved by you or Pancake Support | Resolved | | Closed | Closed by Pancake Support; read-only | Resolved | *** ## Notifications * For every new issue, Pancake Support sends you a customer issue email with the issue details and the response deadline. It goes to the **Support Email** in your store settings (or your account email if none is set), with the customer in CC. This email is always sent and is not affected by your notification settings. * Replies to the email are not synced into the conversation on the Risk page. Reply on the Risk page so the customer and Pancake Support see the same thread. * After a refund succeeds, the customer receives a refund confirmation email. * There are no webhook events for customer issues. *** ## FAQ > [accordion] Do customer issues cost anything? > > No. Fees only apply if an issue turns into a chargeback. > [accordion] Where are issues submitted in test mode? > > Test-mode and live-mode issues are kept apart. Switch to test mode and the Risk page shows only issues submitted in test mode. > [accordion] Does a refund close the issue automatically? > > No. A refund does not change the issue status. Reply to let the customer know the refund is on its way, or mark the issue as resolved. *** ## Related > [card] [Risk](https://docs.waffo.ai/dashboard/risk.md) > > View and handle customer issues and chargebacks in your Dashboard. > [card] [Chargebacks](https://docs.waffo.ai/mor/chargebacks.md) > > What happens when a cardholder goes straight to their bank: process, fees, and evidence. > [card] [Refunds](https://docs.waffo.ai/features/refunds.md) > > Refund rules and timing. > [card] [Customer Portal](https://docs.waffo.ai/features/customer-portal.md) > > What customers can do in the portal. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.