Reading the reason code first tells you which battle you are fighting. Matching your evidence to the specific code is the difference between a won and lost dispute.
Each card network publishes its own list of chargeback reason codes, so the same problem is coded differently at Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. The codes fall into a few broad groups: fraud (the cardholder says they did not make the purchase), authorization issues, processing errors such as duplicate charges, and customer disputes such as goods not received or not as described.
Processors and dispute tools often show their own short labels, such as "NC" for not received or "PM" for paid by other means, alongside the network code. The network code on the chargeback notice is the one that sets what evidence counts.
Common questions
- What are chargeback reason codes?
- They are short codes a card network attaches to every chargeback to say why the cardholder disputed the charge. The code tells the merchant which rules apply and what evidence they need to send to fight it.
- Where do I find the reason code on a chargeback?
- It is on the chargeback notice from your processor, usually with a short description next to it. Most processor dashboards also list it on each dispute.
- Do reason codes affect what evidence I send?
- Yes. A fraud code calls for proof the real cardholder made the purchase, such as matching address and device details. A not-received code calls for tracking and delivery confirmation. A not-as-described code calls for the product description and your communication with the customer.