Chargeback Reason Codes: What Visa and Mastercard Codes Mean

A chargeback reason code tells you why a cardholder is disputing a transaction. The issuer, which is the cardholder’s bank, assigns the code to explain the dispute. It also helps determine what evidence you’ll need to submit, how much time you have to respond, and whether you can challenge the chargeback at all

Visa and Mastercard each have their own dispute codes and evidence requirements. Knowing how they work makes it easier to understand what a code means and what information you need to include in your response.

Sourced from the Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, the Visa Dispute Management Guidelines, and the Mastercard Chargeback Guide.

Last updated: October, 2026. 

The Differences Between Visa and Mastercard Reason Codes

Visa rebuilt its dispute system in April 2018, introducing a format that uses a category and a subcode. Mastercard kept its four-digit numbers. 

As these networks developed their systems separately, their codes don't match, and there's no direct way to translate one into the other.

Visa 10.4 and Mastercard 4837 both apply when a cardholder disputes a purchase made without the physical card, claiming they didn't authorize it. But the rules and evidence requirements differ between the two networks. You can't reuse the same response for both.

Visa Chargeback Reason Codes Explained by Category

Visa sorts every dispute into Fraud (10), Authorization (11), Processing Errors (12), and Consumer Disputes (13). Visa calls each of these codes a dispute condition, so you may see both terms. 

Here is the current list by code and name:

12.1, Late Presentment, was combined with 11.3 (section 11.8.3) for transactions dated after April 13, 2024. 

Allocation vs. Collaboration

This difference affects how you can respond to a dispute.

Allocation covers fraud and authorization disputes (10.x and 11.x). Visa reviews the transaction data and assigns liability. Merchants can respond only under specific conditions.

Collaboration covers processing errors and consumer disputes (12.x and 13.x). The issuer asks a question, and you answer it with relevant documents.

Check eligibility in the Visa Core Rules before you gather any evidence.

The Visa Reason Codes You Will See Most

10.4, Other Fraud: Card-Absent Environment 

The cardholder says they never made the online or phone purchase. This is common in friendly fraud, when a customer forgets about a purchase or changes their mind and asks for a refund. 

Strong fraud detection signals at checkout matter more here than anything you send later. Visa's Compelling Evidence 3.0 standard applies only to 10.4.

13.1, Merchandise or Services Not Received 

The buyer paid and says nothing arrived. Digital goods can be harder to prove because there is no delivery scan.

For digital orders, your proof looks different:

• Access logs

• Download timestamps

• Login records

Those records can help show that the buyer received the product or service.

13.3, Not as Described or Defective 

The buyer says the item does not match the listing or is defective. Issuers compare what you promised with what the customer reports. That makes the product page as it appeared on the purchase date your strongest piece of evidence.

13.2, Canceled Recurring 

The customer says they canceled a subscription but was charged again. This is a common dispute for subscription businesses. 

The dispute usually turns on one date: when the cancellation request reached you, if it ever did.

11.3, No Authorization 

There’s no valid transaction approval. Or the settled transaction fell outside the authorization window. Either way, this is a data argument, not a customer-service argument.

Mastercard Chargeback Reason Codes and What They Cover

Mastercard organizes disputes into authorization, cardholder disputes, fraud, and point-of-interaction errors. 

Current codes from the 2026 Merchant Edition:

Mastercard has grouped several reason codes under broader categories. Codes 4855, 4841, 4860, and 4859 now fall under 4853 as sub-types, while 4863 is no longer a standalone code. 

The Mastercard Reason Codes You Will See Most

4837, No Cardholder Authorization

The cardholder denies the purchase. This is similar to Visa 10.4, but the evidence requirements are different.

This code also often comes up in friendly fraud. If you use the same response for both codes, it can lead to a lost dispute.

4853, Cardholder Dispute

This code covers four types of disputes:

• Goods or services not received

• Canceled recurring billing

• Credit not processed

• Misrepresentation

Check the sub-type listed in the notice. One set of documents can’t answer four different questions.

4834, Point-of-Interaction Error

This code covers processing errors, such as duplicate charges, incorrect amounts, or currency mix-ups. You need to show that the transactions were separate or that you already issued a refund.

4808, Authorization-Related Chargeback

Approval missing, expired, or mismatched. As with Visa 11.3, you should check the authorization records rather than customer emails.

Legacy Codes You Might Still See

Even though the networks have updated reason codes, you may still see some old numbers in templates, gateway exports, or finance spreadsheets. Here is the quick decoder:

Matching Platform Labels with Reason Codes

Many merchants never see a code at all, just a label on a dashboard:

Stripe's dispute documentation notes that its Compelling Evidence 3.0 automation applies only to Visa 10.4. Its protection programs cover a narrow set of fraud codes. Keep in mind that the platform may not handle the case for you.

How to Win Each Dispute

For each reason code, focus on what the issuer needs to verify. Don’t submit every document related to the transaction. Choose evidence that answers that specific question.

Based on Visa’s Dispute Management Guidelines and Mastercard’s Chargeback Guide, as of October 2026.

How to Read Your Chargeback Reason Code and Respond

Here’s what you should do step by step:

Step 1. Confirm the network and the exact code. 

Brand first, then the full code including the subcode. 13.1 and 13.3 are not interchangeable.

Step 2. Note your processor's deadline, not the network's. 

Your processor, or acquirer (the bank or company that handles your card payments), usually gives you 7 to 21 days to respond. This is less time than the card network allows because the processor needs time to submit your response. Always follow the earlier deadline.

Step 3. Check the code against the facts. 

Banks choose reason codes based on what the customer tells them, but customers don't always know the rules. If the code doesn't match what happened, you may have a strong reason to challenge the dispute.

Step 4. Decide if the case is worth fighting. 

Consider your chances of winning, the order value, and the time it takes to respond. For example, if a $40 order has no proof of delivery, fighting the dispute may not be worth it. 

Accepting cases you can't prove gives you more time to focus on disputes you have a real chance of winning.

Step 5. Build the response around the code. 

Collect only the documents that help answer the issuer’s question. Submit everything together once. Too many unrelated screenshots can make it harder for the reviewer to understand your argument. 

This process is part of dispute resolution and representment (sending your evidence to fight a chargeback is called representment). 

Step 6. Track outcomes by code. 

Look for patterns in your disputes. If you keep losing 13.2 cases, the problem is probably with your cancellation process, not the way you respond to disputes.

Looking Beyond the Reason Code

The bank chooses the reason code, and you can't change it. For example, a customer forgets about a $29 monthly charge and tells their bank, "I don't recognize this payment." The bank files the dispute under 10.4, which covers fraud. But the real issue may be a subscription the customer thought they had canceled, which falls under 13.2.

You still need to respond using the rules for code 10.4. However, you can explain what actually happened by providing signup records, usage details, and billing history. 

Reason Codes and Your Chargeback Threshold

Visa's Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) combines reported fraud and disputes into one ratio, including disputes with 10. x codes. This means merchants must calculate their ratios differently than under the older VDMP and VFMP programs. Since sources may list different start dates and limits, check Visa's current VAMP materials for the correct details. 

One important thing to know: even if you're winning most of your cases, your chargeback threshold can still increase.

Your prevention steps should depend on the reason code: 

• For 10.4, use checkout with AVS, CVV, and 3D Secure, backed by fraud detection rules that match your risk profile. 

• For 13.1, use tracked delivery with proof of arrival at the billing address. 

• For 13.2, make cancellation easy and timestamp every request.

How MobiusPay Helps

Our team covers both high-risk payment consulting and ongoing dispute resolution. We review each dispute based on the card network and reason code before preparing a response. 

For Visa fraud cases, we check whether the dispute qualifies for allocation. For Mastercard code 4853, we identify the correct sub-type and gather evidence that answers the issuer’s question. Over time, the reason codes you see most often can help identify a problem in your process that needs fixing. 

Ready to look at your own code mix? Request a consultation and bring last quarter's dispute report.