Potential nightmare for those who accept Credit Card payments...

So randomly I get a notification through the Square app that I have a message. Up to tonight, I had no idea there was even an option for a customer to send you a message that comes across like a text.

It literally just said "I don't recognize this at all" and came in as an SMS message as well as an app notifications from Square.

In the app, it is attached to the original transaction - which was for a $400 card swipe to purchase a BNIB E-bike I had for sale.

I remember everything about this transaction - because a lady who didn't have a large enough vehicle began by asking if I could deliver for additional payment. I explained I do not offer delivery, but I have had customers use an uber/lyft to pickup from me before. In detail, I remember this lady because I had to help her rideshare driver load this large box into his Buick Enclave.

I accept cash, Venmo, or I can swipe cards for payment through my Square account for marketplace items.

While this terrified me getting that "I dont recognize this at all" message, I responded instantly to this person saying "aren't you the lady who bought an E-Bike and helmet? I remember having to help the driver load the box into his SUV.

Its not every day you have a transaction like that so of course I remember it vividly because of the amount and the name on the card.

Her reply was only "I have identity theft that I am fighting right now".

No further replies, no confirmation like "Oh I remember now" - just the dread of this sounding like a potential "not recognized" chargeback brewing.

The worst part - I crosspost to multiple local platforms. Facebook, Craigslist, OfferUp, NextDoor. While I dont remember at all which platform this person originally contacted me from, there are no saved emails or messages from a December 19th sale. If it was Facebook, I leave all of my FB buyers positive feedback, but I do not see any way to look up "feedback left for others".

I searched my Gmail and could not find anything referencing this transaction - it would have been an instant message for communication leading up to the actual sale - and I do not keep old messages from past sales.

So if this is possible to come in as a DNR chargeback against a card swiped transaction - I literally have NOTHING to reference related to the sale other than my $400 card swipe transaction record on Dec 19th, with her name attached.

The name during her marketplace inquiry matched the card she used so nothing sounded any alarms to me there during the sale. Her card swiped and was approved, she even paid $50 cash to purchase a cheap helmet I had.

I am crossing my fingers that this lady (who seemed a bit slow in person) just genuinely couldn't recall what this $400 sale was for 3 months ago and my explanation in my reply will jog her memory and she won't file a dispute.

Now that Im paranoid, I figured out you can enable collecting a signature on your device (I just plug a USB Type-C card swiper into my phone to process card payments).

I know cash is king and all that jazz, but this is something I never even considered having to worry about since Ive swiped cards for marketplace sales for years without any issues.

Its super convenient to just swipe a card, complete the sale and customer drives off with their purchase. But realizing that if this becomes a dispute, I don't have any customer messages to look up, screenshot - nothing to reference in a DNR dispute that shows there was any communication or even an item for sale.