How to Allow Customers to Submit Disputes Through a Portal in NetSuite

📌 If your AR team is overwhelmed by email-based dispute tracking or back-and-forth communications, enabling customers to raise disputes through a self-service portal in Oracle NetSuite can transform your collections process. By configuring the Customer Center, you can offer structured case submission while maintaining control through roles, permissions, and workflows.

Here’s a step-by-step, finance-friendly guide to make it happen.

Steps to Allow Customers to Submit Disputes

Step 1: Enable Customer Access

To get started, navigate to Setup > Company > Enable Features. Under the Web Presence subtab, check the box labeled Customer Access. This setting is essential — it allows customers to log into their portal and interact with their account, including viewing transactions and initiating support cases.

Step 2: Configure the Customer Center Role

Next, go to Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles. You can either customize the existing Customer Center role or create a new one. In the role settings, head to the Permissions > Lists tab and add the following permissions:

• Cases – Edit (to let customers submit disputes),
  
  
• Customer – View (optional),
  
  
• Documents – View (optional).

To assign the role to a customer, go to Lists > Relationships > Customers, edit the desired customer record, and open the Access subtab. Check Give Access, assign the customized role, and check Send New Access Notification Email to automatically send them login instructions.

Step 3: Customize the Portal Experience

You can tailor the look and functionality of the Customer Center using NetSuite’s SuiteBuilder or custom themes. Configure key settings such as supported payment methods, allowed currencies, and what invoices customers can see. You can also set up automated notifications for key customer events like case submission acknowledgments, resolution updates, and payment confirmations.

Step 4: Allow Customers to Submit Disputes

Once logged into the portal, customers can navigate to the Support Case or Help section and fill out a dispute form. They’ll provide details like the invoice number, the amount in question, and the reason for the dispute. They can also attach supporting documents, such as proof of delivery or screenshots.

In NetSuite, each submission creates a case record. Your internal team can then review the dispute, add internal comments, assign the case to a collections owner, and even trigger workflows for faster resolution and communication tracking — all from one place.

Step 5: Manage Chargebacks and Adjustments

If your payment processor (like Stripe or Adyen) is integrated with NetSuite, you can manage chargebacks more efficiently. For more robust tracking, use the Chargeback Workflow SuiteApp, which helps you create chargeback records, track all related communication, and apply disputed amounts directly to invoices. When needed, credit memos or payment reversals can be issued, with everything tracked under the same case record to maintain a clear audit trail.

Pro tip: Pairing NetSuite with Growfin’s customer self-service portal can help customers raise disputes, track resolution status, and even chat with collections—all from one place. Growfin’s native NetSuite integration ensures every dispute is logged, synced, and visible to your AR team in real-time.