Understanding Chargeback Reason Codes
By Justt Staff
December 2, 2021
- What is a reason code?
- Four reason code categories
- Authorization
- Consumer Disputes
- Fraud
- Processing Errors
- Reason codes used in friendly fraud
- Get proactive
- Chargeback Reason Codes FAQs
When preventing and fighting chargebacks, it’s important merchants know their cause. If merchants don’t understand the reason for a chargeback, they cannot determine whether to fight it and what evidence to submit or whether to let it go.
This is where reason codes come to the rescue. While reason codes don’t give all the details about a chargeback, they are crucial in fighting chargebacks successfully, and merchants should become familiar with them.
What is a reason code?
A reason code is an alphanumeric string of text an issuing bank attaches to a chargeback dispute to explain its cause. Major card networks including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express have different reason code systems. Some payment service providers like PayPal and Stripe have their own reason codes as well. However, issuing banks categorize disputes based on the card network.
Four reason code categories
Reason code categories have evolved over the years, and more changes are expected in the future. The two largest card networks,Visa and MasterCard, group theirs into four:
- Authorization
- Consumer Disputes
- Fraud
- Processing Errors
American Express and Discover include other categories as well, such as “Inquiry/Miscellaneous” and “Service Dispute.”
Authorization
Authorization disputes are associated with authorization problems. For instance, in transactions where authorization was needed but wasn’t received. This category also includes disputes cases where authorization requests got a decline response, but the merchant completed the transaction.
| AMEX (American Express) | Discover | Visa | MasterCard |
|---|---|---|---|
| A01 – Charge Amount Exceeds Authorization Amount | AT – Authorization Noncompliance | 11.1 – Card Recovery Bulletin | 4807 - Warning Bulletin |
| A02 – No Valid Authorization | 11.2 – Declined Authorization | 4808 – Authorization-Related Chargeback | |
| A08 – Authorization Approval Expired | 11.3 – No Authorization | 4812- Account Number Not On File |
Consumer Disputes
This category represents chargebacks a cardholder initiates regarding merchant, service, or product issues. Consumer Disputes are also known are Card Member Disputes, Service Chargebacks, and Cardholder Disputes. Reasons for filing a dispute under this category vary but may include canceled recurring billing and goods not received.
| AMEX (American Express) | Discover | Visa | MasterCard |
|---|---|---|---|
| C02 – Credit Not Processed | 05 – Good Faith Investigation | 13.1 – Services/Merchandise Not Received | 4853 – Cardholder Dispute |
| C05 – Goods/Services Cancelled | AP – Recurring Payments | 13.3 – Not as Described or Defective Merchandise/Services | 4854 – Cardholder Dispute – Not Elsewhere Classified (U.S. Region Only) |
| C08 – Goods/Services Not Received or Only Partially Received | AW – Altered Amount | 13.4 – Counterfeit Merchandise | 4855 – Goods/Services Not Provided |
Fraud
Disputes in this category are associated with fraudulent transactions. Reason codes for EMV, no cardholder authorization, card present and card not present fraud are under this Fraud category.
| AMEX (American Express) | Discover | Visa | MasterCard |
|---|---|---|---|
| F10 – Missing Imprint | UA01 Fraud – Card Present Transaction | 10.1 - EMV Liability Shift Counterfeit Fraud | 4837 - No Cardholder Authorization |
| F14 - Missing Signature | UA02 Fraud – Card Not Present Transaction | 10.2 - EMV Liability Shift Non-Counterfeit Fraud | 4840 - Fraudulent Processing of Transactions |
| F29 - Card Not Present | UA06 Fraud – Chip and PIN Transaction | 10.4 Fraud – Card-Absent Environment | 4863 - Cardholder Does Not Recognize—Potential Fraud |
Processing Errors
Also known as Point-of-Interaction Errors, Processing Errors includes disputes related to duplicate processing, late presentment, invalid card numbers, incorrect charge amounts and credit processed as a charge.
| AMEX (American Express) | Discover | Visa | MasterCard |
|---|---|---|---|
| P01 - Unassigned Card Number | IN - Invalid Card Number | 12.1 - Late Presentment | 4834 - Point-of-Interaction Error |
| P03 - Credit Processed as Charge | LP - Late Presentation | 12.2 - Incorrect Transaction Code | 4831 - Transaction Amount Differs |
| P04 - Charge Processed as Credit | 12.3 - Incorrect Currency | 4842 - Late Presentment |
Reason codes used in friendly fraud
Reason codes were created to help merchants better understand why their customers file disputes. In theory, this works, but the codes don’t necessarily give the whole story in reality.
This is because some customers abuse the chargeback process to commit friendly fraud. When a customer is honest about a dispute, the reason code is relevant. But in the case of friendly fraud, the reason code is a disguise for the real motive.
Some reason codes that don’t paint a clear picture and cardholders can hide behind include:
- 13.1 (Merchandise Not Received) – does this mean the package got lost in shipping? Or is the cardholder cyber shoplifting?
- 4837 (No Cardholder Authorization) – did the cardholder forget the transaction? Or did a fraudster break through security defenses?
- 13.7 Cancelled Services/Merchandise – is the merchant cancellation policy difficult to locate? Or did the cardholder forget to cancel?
Get proactive
Chargeback reason codes can be confusing and complicated. As such, it’s best to work with a professional chargeback mitigation company. Justt offers an end-to-end solution to help you identify the true causes behind chargeback reason codes, and fight false chargebacks.
Chargeback Reason Codes FAQs
It’s an alphanumeric string of text provided by an issuing bank following a chargeback that describes the reason for the dispute. Different card networks have different dispute code systems.
Between the four major card networks, there are 151 unique reason codes.
Different chargeback reason codes need different evidence. The most common compelling evidence used include:
- Purchase receipts
- Shipping records and confirmation of deliveries
- IP address
- Communication with the customer
- Record of identity verification methods the customer used
If a merchant doesn’t respond, the issuing bank issues a chargeback, resulting in lost revenue and costly chargeback fees.
It’s the final stage of chargeback resolution where the losing party (the merchant or cardholder) challenges the issuing bank’s decision by submitting more evidence to the card network. Although card networks have similar regulations for chargeback arbitration, the steps, terminologies, and time frames vary.
