Library · Chargebacks · Guide
Reason codes that matter
GuideReason codes that matterOpen pairing manual
21 codes · fight / write-off / refund-to-deflect. Not the complete Visa or Mastercard catalog.
| Code | Family | Default move | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
10.4 Visa · Other fraud — card-absent | Fraud | Fight | Fight when 3DS succeeded (liability shift), AVS/CVV matched, and fulfillment is logged. Write off small tickets. Refund-to-deflect if unshipped. |
10.1 Visa · EMV liability shift | Fraud | Write off | Card-present EMV. If the MID was not chip-capable, this is usually a lose. Not a consumer dispute. |
10.5 Visa · Visa fraud monitoring | Fraud | Write off | Program-driven. Treat as a MID-health signal, not a representment hobby. |
11.3 Visa · No authorization | Authorization | Write off | Auth was missing or did not cover the amount. Fix the cascade; do not fight the case. |
11.2 Visa · Declined authorization | Authorization | Write off | You captured after a decline. Processing error, not fraud theater. |
12.6 Visa · Duplicate processing / paid by other means | Processing | Refund to deflect | If the customer actually paid twice, refund. Cheap. Fighting duplicates burns the window. |
12.5 Visa · Incorrect amount | Processing | Refund to deflect | Credit the difference. Representment is for when the amount on the receipt is the amount you captured. |
13.1 Visa · Merchandise / services not received | Consumer | Fight | Fight with carrier scan + delivery photo / digital access logs. Refund-to-deflect if still in the warehouse. |
13.2 Visa · Cancelled recurring | Consumer | Cancel + refund | Cancel the MIT path, refund unused cycles, do not keep billing. Fight only if they used the service after the cancel request. |
13.3 Visa · Not as described or defective | Consumer | Fight | Needs the offer page, the SKU they got, and the return policy they clicked. Friendly-fraud pile; still lose if the landing lied. |
13.6 Visa · Credit not processed | Consumer | Refund to deflect | If CS already promised a refund, post it. Fighting a missing credit is how you get a second presentment and a worse issuer. |
13.7 Visa · Cancelled merchandise / services | Consumer | Cancel + refund | Same family as 13.2 for one-shot cancels. Stop shipment if you still can. |
4837 MC · No cardholder authorization | Fraud | Fight | Mastercard’s core CNP fraud code. 3DS Identity Check liability shift, AVS, and fulfillment logs are the packet. |
4863 MC · Cardholder does not recognize | Fraud | Fight | Often descriptor failure as much as stolen-card. Order Insight / clear DBA matters more than a novel here. |
4840 MC · Fraudulent processing of transactions | Fraud | Write off | Issuer alleges the merchant processed fraudulently. Treat as MID-risk, not a routine representment. |
4808 MC · Authorization-related | Authorization | Write off | Auth missing, expired, or amount mismatch. Fix acquiring. Do not argue the story. |
4834 MC · Point-of-interaction error | Processing | Refund to deflect | Duplicates, incorrect account, processing addenda. Credit and close. |
4841 MC · Cancelled recurring or digital goods dispute | Consumer | Cancel + refund | Cancel the subscription, refund unused time. Same operational move as Visa 13.2. |
4853 MC · Cardholder dispute — defective / not as described | Consumer | Fight | Mastercard consumer-quality code. Evidence is the offer, the SKU, and what actually arrived. |
4855 MC · Goods or services not provided | Consumer | Fight | Delivery or access proof. Refund-to-deflect if unshipped. Do not fight empty boxes. |
4860 MC · Credit not processed | Consumer | Refund to deflect | Post the credit you already promised. Same as Visa 13.6. |
Read the network code. Do not use the reseller nickname. Put the case in a family. Then pick fight, write-off, or refund.
Filters stay on this page. They do not make extra URLs. The sheet also sits in the Chargebacks article.
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