How can I defend a chargeback for Sofort?

Sofort chargebacks are not defendable. The disputes are considered lost immediately upon receipt and the funds are deducted from your account.

We advise you to contact the shopper directly to resolve disputes on Sofort payments.

What are the alternatives if I want to avoid Sofort chargebacks?

Klarna offers a payment method similar to Sofort (Klarna Pay Now) where they take the chargeback risk. Note that there are downsides to using Klarna Pay Now (higher costs, lower authorisation rates, and more integration effort) due to the addition of shopper data and invoice lines.

Another alternative is to use direct online banking schemes Giropay and EPS, which are guaranteed payment methods.