Quick Answer
Late refund handling means customers wait too long for money to be returned after a valid issue. Stripe reads that as a direct path from dissatisfaction to dispute.
What Stripe Is Likely Comparing
- refund request date vs completion date
- support tickets vs refund latency
- late refunds vs later dispute volume
Operational Fix Sequence
- Measure true refund turnaround by cohort.
- Remove approval and support bottlenecks.
- Prioritize cohorts already close to dispute escalation.