Chargeback reason code
What is chargeback reason code?
Chargeback reason code is a numeric or alphanumeric code that identifies why a was filed. Each code maps to a single dispute type, such as unauthorized card-absent , goods that never arrived, or a duplicate charge.
each publish their own code set, so the same complaint carries a different label depending on which network processed the payment. The picks the code when the files the dispute, and that choice follows the case through the whole . It sets the filing window, the liability rules, and the type of evidence the issuer will accept in a response.
Key facts
- Also known as: dispute reason code, chargeback code
- Assigned by: the issuing bank, from the code set published by the network
- Visa format: two-part decimal codes in four groups – 10.x fraud, 11.x authorization, 12.x processing errors, 13.x consumer disputes
- Mastercard format: standalone four-digit codes, including 4837, 4853, 4855 and 4863
- Other networks: American Express and Discover maintain separate alphanumeric code sets
- What it determines: the response deadline, which party carries liability, and the evidence the issuer accepts
Types
Visa groups its codes into four numbered categories; Mastercard uses standalone four-digit codes that cover the same underlying dispute types.
| Dispute type | Visa | Mastercard |
| Fraud | 10.x, including 10.4 other fraud, card-absent environment | 4837 no cardholder authorization, 4863 cardholder does not recognize |
| Authorization | 11.x | 4808 authorization-related chargeback |
| Processing errors | 12.x, including 12.6 duplicate processing or paid by other means and 12.7 invalid data | 4834 point-of-interaction error |
| Consumer disputes | 13.x, including 13.1 merchandise or services not received | 4853 cardholder dispute, 4855 goods or services not provided |
Reason code 55, which still appears in some acquirer reports and legacy processor documentation, means goods or services not provided – the same dispute type Mastercard now files under 4855.
Why it matters
- The code decides what counts as a winning response. A 13.1 non-receipt dispute turns on delivery confirmation, while a 10.4 card-absent fraud dispute turns on transaction evidence such as an AVS and CVV match or prior undisputed orders from the same account. assembled for one code doesn't satisfy another.
- Deadlines and rights differ by code. Filing windows and the right to respond vary by network and reason code, so the same underlying complaint can be answerable under one code and effectively closed under another.
- Code patterns expose root causes. A cluster of 12.6 duplicates points at a retry or double-capture bug; a cluster of consumer-dispute codes for cancelled recurring billing points at a cancellation flow customers can't complete.
- Fraud codes absorb . A cardholder who forgot a subscription charge is often filed under a fraud code, which places a legitimate transaction under fraud liability rules and a fraud-grade evidence standard.
