Industries
Factoring Companies Merchant Cash Advance Alternative Lenders B2B Buy Now Pay Later Marketplaces
Platform
Why Brief Arbitration Rules
Get Free Clause Request Demo →
For B2B Buy Now Pay Later Platforms

When a buyer disputes a charge, you need a resolution path that's as fast as your checkout.

Your platform delivers net terms in seconds. When a buyer disputes a payment, the resolution shouldn't take 18 months in court. Brief resolves B2B payment disputes entirely online, in ~45 days, with a legally binding outcome.

Trusted by Upwork at scale. No upfront fees. Claims up to $500K.

Platform Dispute Flow
Net Terms Extended
Dispute Filed
Brief Platform
Binding Award in ~45 days
Platform Accounting Resolved

B2B BNPL platforms face a dispute problem that consumer BNPL doesn't prepare you for.

Consumer BNPL chargeback rules are straightforward. B2B disputes are messier. Here's what actually shows up in your queue.

Buyer Disputes on Net Terms

The buyer claims the goods weren't received, weren't as described, or the quantity was wrong. The seller disagrees. You're caught in the middle, holding the payment, legally exposed to both parties until it's resolved.

Deduction Disputes

The buyer pays 80% of the invoice and deducts 20% for "damages," "short shipment," or "quality issues." The seller disputes the deduction. Now you have a partial payment, an open dispute, and no efficient resolution path.

🔺

Triangular Disputes

The buyer disputes the charge with you (the platform), but the underlying dispute is between buyer and seller. You need to resolve the seller-buyer dispute before you can finalize the platform-level accounting. Without defined arbitration, this takes months.

Brief is the dispute resolution layer you embed in your platform terms.

B2B BNPL platforms don't resolve individual disputes with armies of support agents. The ones that scale build dispute resolution into the platform terms from day one.

Brief gives you a defined, enforceable resolution path for every transaction. When you extend net terms, your platform agreement includes a Brief arbitration clause. When a dispute arises:

  • The claiming party files online
  • Both parties submit documentation (invoices, purchase orders, delivery records)
  • A bar-recognized E-Judge reviews the submissions
  • Binding award issued in ~45 days
  • Platform accounting is resolved based on the award

Upwork uses Brief to resolve disputes for millions of freelancers and clients worldwide.

Upwork is a global marketplace platform with millions of transactions per year. Payment disputes between freelancers and clients are a platform-level infrastructure problem, not a case-by-case customer service issue. Brief powers Upwork's dispute resolution for fixed-price contracts.

Globalscale dispute resolution
Millionsof users covered
45 daystypical resolution

Consumer BNPL chargebacks don't apply to B2B. Here's why that matters.

Consumer BNPL Logic

Chargeback rules are card-network governed
30–90 day dispute windows
Bank intermediates the dispute
Merchant absorbs the cost
No binding legal outcome (administrative reversal)

B2B BNPL Reality

No card network. You ARE the credit facility.
Disputes can go to court (1–3 years)
There's no bank to intermediate. You're the decision point.
Platform credibility depends on fair, defined resolution
Brief provides a legally binding outcome, not a policy reversal
When you extend B2B credit, you need dispute resolution with the force of law. Not a chargeback policy.

Brief covers the disputes that actually happen on B2B BNPL platforms.

📦

Non-Receipt Disputes

Buyer claims goods/services weren't delivered. Brief reviews shipping documentation, purchase orders, and acknowledgment records.

⚠️

Quality and Specification Disputes

Buyer claims goods weren't as ordered. Brief reviews product specs, order confirmations, and inspection records.

Deduction Disputes

Buyer deducts from invoice payment. Brief determines the valid deduction, if any.

💳

Partial Payment Disputes

Buyer pays part of the invoice, disputes the remainder. Brief determines the outstanding obligation.

📋

Terms Interpretation Disputes

Buyer and seller disagree on what the contract terms mean. Brief interprets and decides.

🔺

Triangular Platform Disputes

Buyer disputes with platform, which has an underlying seller dispute. Brief resolves the buyer-seller component so the platform can finalize accounting.

Brief does not handle fraud allegations as primary claims, or disputes involving regulatory compliance matters. Everything else above is squarely within Brief's scope.

Building Brief into your platform is an operational decision, not just a legal one.

🔒

Eliminate the "Who Holds the Money?" Problem

When a dispute is filed and Brief is the defined resolution path, your platform has a clear rule: hold the disputed amount pending Brief's award. No ad hoc decisions. No "we'll see how this one goes." Defined, documented, defensible.

📊

Scale Without Scaling Your Support Team

Consumer BNPL companies have 200-person trust and safety teams. B2B BNPL platforms that embed Brief into their terms offload the adjudication function. Your team handles customer service. Brief handles dispute adjudication.

🛡️

Platform Liability Protection

When your terms define a binding arbitration process, you've established that buyers and sellers resolve disputes between themselves through Brief, not through the platform as an intermediary. This reduces the platform's exposure to being dragged into buyer-seller disputes as a party.

Embed dispute resolution in your platform terms before launch, not after.

Brief's clause can be embedded in your platform's merchant terms of service, buyer agreement, or transaction-level terms.

bnpl-platform-clause.txt
DISPUTE RESOLUTION Any dispute between Buyer and Seller arising from a transaction facilitated through this Platform, including disputes regarding payment, delivery, quality, or deductions, shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by Brief (thinkbrief.com) in accordance with its Arbitration Rules. Arbitration shall be conducted online. The resulting award shall be final, binding, and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction. The Platform is not a party to disputes between Buyer and Seller and shall not be required to adjudicate such disputes directly.

Questions from B2B BNPL teams.

Yes. Either party can file a claim through Brief, provided the platform's terms include the arbitration clause and the dispute is within Brief's scope.
Brief operates in all U.S. jurisdictions. International disputes with a U.S. party and U.S. governing law may be handled by Brief depending on the specific circumstances. Contact Brief's team for international dispute scenarios.
Brief's clause creates a defined resolution path for buyer-seller disputes that doesn't involve the platform as a party. Whether this insulates the platform from specific legal liability depends on your agreement structure and applicable law. Review with your legal counsel. Brief is not a legal advisor.
Brief's typical 45-day resolution timeline gives platforms a defined hold window. Most platform agreements specify that disputed funds are held pending arbitration award. Brief's award then triggers the release.
Contact Brief's team for enterprise integration options. Brief's platform supports programmatic case filing and status updates for platforms with high dispute volume.

Checkout is instant. Disputes shouldn't take 18 months.

You've built a platform that extends credit in seconds. The dispute resolution process should match that speed. Brief gives your platform the infrastructure to resolve payment disputes in 45 days, with legally binding outcomes, without building a legal department.

Request a Demo → Get Free BNPL Clause

Used by Upwork at global scale. No upfront fees. Claims up to $500K.

Scroll to Top