All Visa codes (25)
| Code | Name | Category | Worth fighting? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.1 | EMV Liability Shift Counterfeit Fraud | Fraud | rarely winnable |
| 10.2 | EMV Liability Shift Non-Counterfeit Fraud | Fraud | rarely winnable |
| 10.3 | Other Fraud: Card-Present Environment | Fraud | rarely winnable |
| 10.4 | Other Fraud: Card-Absent Environment | Fraud | sometimes winnable |
| 10.5 | Visa Fraud Monitoring Program | Fraud | usually accept |
| 11.1 | Card Recovery Bulletin | Authorization | usually accept |
| 11.2 | Declined Authorization | Authorization | usually accept |
| 11.3 | No Authorization/Late Presentment | Authorization | sometimes winnable |
| 12.1 | Late Presentment | Processing Errors | usually accept |
| 12.2 | Incorrect Transaction Code | Processing Errors | sometimes winnable |
| 12.3 | Incorrect Currency | Processing Errors | sometimes winnable |
| 12.4 | Incorrect Account Number | Processing Errors | rarely winnable |
| 12.5 | Incorrect Amount | Processing Errors | sometimes winnable |
| 12.6.1 | Duplicate Processing | Processing Errors | sometimes winnable |
| 12.6.2 | Paid by Other Means | Processing Errors | sometimes winnable |
| 12.7 | Invalid Data | Processing Errors | usually accept |
| 13.1 | Merchandise/Services Not Received | Consumer Disputes | often winnable |
| 13.2 | Cancelled Recurring Transaction | Consumer Disputes | sometimes winnable |
| 13.3 | Not as Described or Defective Merchandise/Services | Consumer Disputes | sometimes winnable |
| 13.4 | Counterfeit Merchandise | Consumer Disputes | rarely winnable |
| 13.5 | Misrepresentation | Consumer Disputes | sometimes winnable |
| 13.6 | Credit Not Processed | Consumer Disputes | often winnable |
| 13.7 | Cancelled Merchandise/Services | Consumer Disputes | sometimes winnable |
| 13.8 | Original Credit Transaction Not Accepted | Consumer Disputes | usually accept |
| 13.9 | Non-Receipt of Cash at an ATM | Consumer Disputes | usually accept |
How Visa disputes work
Visa calls its chargeback process Visa Claims Resolution (VCR). The issuer (the cardholder's bank) files a dispute under a numbered dispute condition, such as 10.4 or 13.1. Your acquirer passes it to you through your processor, you either accept it or send evidence, and the case can escalate to pre-arbitration and then arbitration, where Visa decides.
Verdikx is a fraud, chargeback and dispute platform for e-commerce and SaaS merchants, operated by Verdikx LLC. This reference summarizes the public Visa Rules; your acquirer agreement and processor terms also apply.
The two VCR workflows
Allocation: Fraud (10) and Authorization (11)
There is no separate "dispute response" step. The issuer files the dispute, and if you have a remedy (for example Compelling Evidence 3.0 on a 10.4, or proof of authorization on an 11.x), your acquirer makes a pre-arbitration attempt within 30 calendar days of the dispute processing date. The issuer has 30 days to accept or decline, and the acquirer may file for arbitration within 10 days of the issuer's response.
Collaboration: Processing Errors (12) and Consumer Disputes (13)
- The issuer files the dispute.
- Your acquirer sends a dispute response (your evidence) within 30 calendar days.
- The issuer may make a pre-arbitration attempt within 30 days, but only with new information, a valid change of condition, or certification that the cardholder reviewed your evidence and still disputes.
- Your acquirer has 30 days to accept or decline pre-arbitration.
- The issuer may file for arbitration within 10 days; Visa rules on it and the losing side pays the fees.
Time limits for filing
- 120 calendar days from the transaction processing date for most conditions (10.1 to 10.4, 12.2 to 12.6, 13.2, 13.8, 13.9).
- 75 calendar days for 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 and 12.7.
- 10.5: 120 days from the date of the Visa fraud monitoring report.
- Consumer disputes with a delivery or service date (13.1, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5, 13.7): up to 120 days from the date the cardholder received or expected the goods or services, capped at 540 days from the transaction.
- Waiting periods: before filing 13.3, 13.6 or 13.7 the issuer generally waits 15 days after the return, cancellation or credit receipt date; 13.1 has a 15-day wait when no delivery date was given.
Work out the last filing date for a specific order, and when your evidence is due, with the chargeback time limit calculator. Not sure which network a card is on? The card network lookup names it from the first digits.
How to read a Visa reason code
- The number before the dot is the category: 10 Fraud, 11 Authorization, 12 Processing Errors, 13 Consumer Disputes.
- The number after the dot is the specific condition. 12.6 has two sub-conditions: 12.6.1 Duplicate Processing and 12.6.2 Paid by Other Means.
- Processors often show their own label (Stripe's "fraudulent", Adyen's "Fraud (visa 10.4)"). The Visa condition inside it decides what evidence counts.
- Old two-digit Visa reason codes (such as 30 or 83) were replaced by VCR in 2018. If you still see them, ask your processor which condition applies.
Recent rule changes worth knowing
- 12.1 Late Presentment applies only to transactions completed through 12 April 2024. Late presentment is now part of 11.3 No Authorization/Late Presentment.
- 11.1 Card Recovery Bulletin is marked in the April 2026 rules as effective for disputes processed through 23 October 2026.
- 13.2: effective for disputes processed on or after 18 April 2026, a dispute is invalid when the cardholder cancelled after the transaction date.
- 10.4: Compelling Evidence 3.0 lets a merchant shift liability with two prior undisputed transactions from 120 to 364 days before the dispute that share matching identifiers with the disputed sale. See Compelling Evidence 3.0.
When to accept instead of fighting
Authorization and processing-error disputes are technical. If your processor's records show the transaction really was declined, unauthorized, duplicated or keyed wrong, a response will not win; accept, fix the cause, and save the effort for consumer disputes where evidence matters. If you already refunded, send the refund date and amount, which resolves most conditions.
How Verdikx helps
Verdikx reads the Visa condition on each case (from Shopify Payments, Stripe, other processors or forwarded notices), applies the matching reason-code playbook with an evidence checklist, assembles the packet and drafts a response you review. For 10.4 it lists qualifying prior undisputed transactions for Compelling Evidence 3.0 when it has them. Banks and card networks decide outcomes; Verdikx does not guarantee them. See chargeback management and the Visa RDR glossary entry (card-network alerts are coming soon to Verdikx).
Frequently asked questions
How long does a cardholder have to dispute a Visa charge?
For most conditions the issuer must file within 120 calendar days of the transaction processing date. Authorization codes 11.1 to 11.3 and 12.7 have 75 days. Disputes about goods or services delivered later can run 120 days from the expected or actual delivery date, but never beyond 540 days from the transaction.
How long do merchants have to respond to a Visa chargeback?
Visa gives the acquirer 30 calendar days to respond or make a pre-arbitration attempt. Your processor needs part of that window, so merchant deadlines are usually shorter and vary by processor. Use the due date on the dispute in your processor dashboard and submit a day or two early.
What is the difference between Allocation and Collaboration?
Allocation covers Fraud (10.x) and Authorization (11.x): Visa's systems check eligibility up front and there is no separate dispute response, so the merchant's remedy goes straight to a pre-arbitration attempt. Collaboration covers Processing Errors (12.x) and Consumer Disputes (13.x): the merchant sends a dispute response first, and the issuer can then pursue pre-arbitration.
Which Visa reason codes are most common for online stores?
Card-absent merchants mostly see 10.4 (fraud in a card-absent environment), 13.1 (merchandise not received), 13.3 (not as described or defective), 13.2 (cancelled recurring), 13.6 (credit not processed) and 13.7 (cancelled merchandise or services). Card-present codes such as 10.1 to 10.3 and 13.9 rarely apply to e-commerce.
Is Visa reason code 12.1 still used?
Not for new transactions. Visa's merchant guidelines list 12.1 Late Presentment as effective through 12 April 2024, and the April 2026 Visa Rules no longer include it. Late presentment on transactions completed on or after 13 April 2024 is disputed under 11.3 No Authorization/Late Presentment.
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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: Dispute Management Guidelines for Visa Merchants (June 2024) (checked October 5, 2026)
- Stripe Docs: Dispute reason codes (checked October 5, 2026)
Last reviewed by Verdikx Research.