Visa Dispute Guide
Your comprehensive guide to reason codes, modifiers, time limits,
and compelling evidence for Visa transactions.
Visa Reason Codes (Expire April 2018)
Visa uses the four main categories to organize its reason codes: Authorization, Card Member Disputes (which Visa refers to as Consumer Disputes), Fraud, and Processing Errors. Take a look at the following Visa chargeback reason codes.
Code | Description | Transaction Modifiers | Category | How to Win |
---|---|---|---|---|
57 | Fraudulent Multiple Transactions | None | Fraud | |
62 | Counterfeit Transaction | None | Fraud | |
81 | Fraud – Card-Present Environment | Airline Transaction, Below-Floor Limit, CP and Key-Entered, Digital Goods Merchant assigned MCC 5815-5818 | Fraud | |
83 | Fraud – Card-Absent Environment | Airline Transaction, CP and Key-Entered, Digital Goods Merchant assigned MCC 5815-5818, Secure Electronic Commerce Transaction (US Domestic) | Fraud | |
93 | Visa Fraud Monitoring Program | None | Fraud | |
70 | Card Recovery Bulletin or Exception File | None | Authorization | |
71 | Declined Authorization | None | Authorization | |
72 | No Authorization | Authorization Data Invalid, Exceeds Floor Limit | Authorization | |
73 | Expired Card | None | Authorization | |
78 | Service Code Violation | None | Authorization | |
74 | Late Presentment | None | Point-of-Interaction Error | |
76 | Incorrect Currency or Transaction Code | Credit Refund, DCC Selected by Merchant, DCC Unknown/Refused, Incorrect Transaction Code, Transaction Currency Mismatch | Point-of-Interaction Error | |
77 | Non-Matching Account Number | None | Point-of-Interaction Error | |
80 | Incorrect Transaction Amount or Account Number | Transaction Amount Altered, Transaction Amount Incorrect | Point-of-Interaction Error | |
82 | Duplicate Processing | ATM Transaction, Telephone Service Transaction - Unattended Cardholder-Activated Terminal | Point-of-Interaction Error | |
86 | Paid by Other Means | None | Point-of-Interaction Error | |
30 | Services Not Provided or Merchandise Not Received | Airline Transaction | Consumer Disputes | |
41 | Cancelled Recurring Transaction | None | Consumer Disputes | |
53 | Not as Described or Defective Merchandise | Counterfeit Merchandise, Misrepresented Terms of Sale, Not as Described | Consumer Disputes | |
75 | Transaction Not Recognized | None | Consumer Disputes | |
85 | Credit Not Processed | None | Consumer Disputes | |
90 | Non-Receipt of Cash or Load Transaction Value at ATM | None | Consumer Disputes |
VCR Dispute Reason Codes (Effective April 2018)
Visa’s process introduces four dispute categories and associated numerical labels (Fraud – 10, Authorization – 11, Processing Errors – 12, Consumer Disputes – 13) under which the renamed reason codes will be placed. Take the time to note the following dispute reason codes for Visa.
Visa Time Limits to Respond
Time limits are for the acquiring bank. Merchants will typically be given half the amount of time the acquiring bank is given to accommodate for the time they need to process internally. The time limit has recently been decreased. As of April 2018 the time to respond to a chargeback was reduced by 15 days from 45 to 30.
Visa Transaction Modifiers
A transaction modifier (or modifier) represents specific circumstances associated with a card sale that change what compelling evidence is required to overturn the chargeback.
Airline Transaction
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide evidence showing that the cardholder name is included in the manifest for the departed flight and matches the cardholder name provided on the purchased itinerary
ATM Transaction
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide a copy of the ATM Cash Disbursement Transaction or Load Transaction record containing at least the following:
- Account Number, Transaction time or sequential number identifying the individual Transactions, or the Indicator that confirms that the ATM Cash Disbursement or Load Transaction values were successful
Authorization Data Invalid
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide the V.I.P. System Authorization record and the clearing record of the first presentment
Below Floor Limit
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide an internal record or log with explanation of fields to prove that the transaction was a magnetic stripe-read transaction, a chip-initiated transaction, or a contactless transaction
- For an Unattended Transaction, provide evidence of PIN or CDCVM
Counterfeit Merchandise
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Your response needs to include documentation to support your claim that the merchandise was not counterfeit
CP and Key-Entered
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide all of the following when you see one of these Visa codes:
- Evidence that all card transactions occurred during the same stay, trip, or rental period
- Show evidence of a valid imprint and signature, PIN, or CDCVM for the initial Card Present environment transaction
Credit Refund
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide an explanation of why a credit transaction was processed instead of a reversal or an adjustment
DCC Selected by Merchant
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide all of the following:
- A copy of the transaction receipt
- Certification confirming that Dynamic Currency Conversion was chosen by the cardholder and not by the merchant
DCC Unknown/Refused
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Ask your acquirer to provide certification that you are registered to offer Dynamic Currency Conversion and a copy of the transaction receipt showing your local currency
Digital Goods Merchant (MCC 5815-5818)
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- The compelling evidence needed includes all of the following:
- Evidence that the merchant has been successfully registered into and continues to participate in the Visa Digital Commerce Program
- Evidence that the merchant is the owner of the operating system for the subject electronic device
- Evidence that the account set up on the merchant's website or application was accessed by the cardholder and has been successfully verified before or on the transaction date
- Evidence that the disputed transaction used the same device and card as any previous transactions that were not disputed
- Proof that the device ID number, IP address and geographic location, and name of device (if available) are linked to the cardholder profile on record at the merchant
- Description of the merchandise or services and the date and time goods were purchased and successfully downloaded by the cardholder
- Customer name linked to the customer profile on record at the merchant
- Evidence that the customer password was re-entered on the merchant's website or application at the time of purchase
- Evidence that the merchant validated the card when the cardholder first linked the card to the customer profile on record at the merchant
Exceeds Floor Limit
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide all of the following:
- The transaction receipt and certification of the date the transaction was initiated, completed
- The dates, authorized amounts, and authorization codes of the approved authorizations
Incorrect Transaction Code
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide a transaction receipt or other record that proves that the transaction code was correct
Misrepresented Terms of Sale
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Your response needs to include documentation to prove that the terms of the sale of the goods or services were not misrepresented
Not as Described
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide any of the following:
- Documentation to prove that the goods or service matched what was described
- A rebuttal addressing the cardholder's claims
- Documentation to prove that the cardholder did not attempt to return the merchandise
Secure Electronic Commerce Transaction (US Domestic)
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide the Verified by Visa Authentication history log proving that the cardholder was authenticated
Telephone Service Transaction - Unattended Cardholder-Activated Terminal
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide documentation to demonstrate that the time of the call is different for each transaction
Transaction Amount Altered
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Supply documentation to prove one of the following:
- The transaction receipt was not altered
- The cardholder agreed to the altered amount
- The merchant is permitted or required to alter the transaction amount
Transaction Amount Incorrect
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide a transaction receipt or other record to prove that the transaction amount or the account number was correct
Transaction Currency Mismatch
Applies to Reason Codes
How to Respond
- Provide a transaction receipt or other record that proves that the transaction currency was correct

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