How to find your own chargeback causes
- Export recent disputesThe last three to six months, from every processor.
- Match each code to a causeFraud, confusion, or a service failure.
- Fix the biggest group firstScreening, a clearer descriptor, tracking emails, accurate product pages or faster refunds.
- Check again each monthThe mix changes with seasons, products and processors.
Cause, code and fix
- Stolen cards → Visa 10.4, Mastercard 4837. Fix: screen orders before they ship. Evidence: proof the cardholder took part.
- Unrecognized charges → also fraud codes. Fix: a recognizable descriptor and receipts.
- Not received → Visa 13.1. Fix: tracking emails and fast replies. Evidence: the carrier delivery scan.
- Not as described → Visa 13.3. Fix: accurate product pages and photos.
- Refund not processed → Visa 13.6. Fix: refund fast and say when.
- Subscriptions → Visa 13.2. Fix: reminders and easy cancellation.
- Duplicate charges → Visa 12.6.1. Fix: accept it and correct the cause.
Why online stores see more
Online sales are card-not-present: the store can't check the physical card, so a fraud chargeback usually falls on the merchant unless liability shifts, for example after a successfully authenticated 3-D Secure payment. Shipping adds time between payment and delivery, which is where "not received" disputes come from. Shopify says card networks expect customers to contact the merchant first, so fast support catches many disputes before they are filed.
Example: 50 disputes sorted
A store sorts its last 50 disputes: 22 are Visa 10.4, 15 are 13.1, 8 are 13.3 and 5 are 13.6. Fraud is the biggest group, so order screening comes first; tracking emails and a faster support reply come second. The reason codes, not guesses, set the order of the fixes.
Reason codes this answer covers
- Visa 10.4: Other Fraud: Card-Absent Environment: sometimes winnable
- Visa 13.1: Merchandise/Services Not Received: often winnable
- Visa 13.3: Not as Described or Defective Merchandise/Services: sometimes winnable
- Visa 13.6: Credit Not Processed: often winnable
- Visa 13.2: Cancelled Recurring Transaction: sometimes winnable
- Visa 12.6.1: Duplicate Processing: sometimes winnable
More questions
Can good customer service prevent chargebacks?
It prevents the ones that start as questions. Shopify says card networks expect customers to try to resolve problems with the merchant first, so a fast reply to "where is my order" or a refund paid on time keeps many disputes from being filed. It doesn't stop stolen-card fraud; screening does.
Why do ecom stores get more fraud chargebacks than shops?
Because online payments are card-not-present: nobody checks the physical card, so stolen card details are easier to use, and the merchant usually carries the fraud loss unless liability shifts, for example with a successfully authenticated 3-D Secure payment.
See it on your own orders.
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Sources
- Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules (18 April 2026), Chapter 11 Dispute Resolution (checked October 5, 2026)
- Visa: Fraud schemes in retail and ecommerce (checked October 5, 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Chargeback process (checked October 5, 2026)
- Stripe Docs: Authenticate with 3D Secure (Disputes and liability shift) (checked October 5, 2026)
Last reviewed by Verdikx Research.