What Visa 13.5 means
The terms of sale were misrepresented by a merchant in a listed category, or the cardholder was not clearly told that a trial, promotional or one-off purchase would lead to further billing.
Common causes
- Free or discounted trials that convert to paid subscriptions without clear disclosure
- Marketing that implies income or outcomes the product cannot deliver
- Tech-support or software sales using misleading ads
- Investment platforms that block withdrawals
Evidence that answers it
- Checkout screens showing the full terms, price and future billing
- Proof the cardholder expressly agreed to future transactions
- Proof you notified the cardholder at least 7 days before the transaction date (card-absent trial or introductory offers)
- For investment products: evidence there were no funds available to withdraw
How to prevent it
- Disclose trial length, renewal price and billing date next to the pay button
- Collect an explicit checkbox for recurring billing
- Email a reminder at least 7 days before the first paid charge
- Avoid income or outcome claims in marketing
Time limits and caveats
Collaboration workflow. Issuer time limit: 120 days from processing or receipt of the goods or services (or 60 days from the first cardholder notice where negotiations were ongoing), never beyond 540 days. Return policies have no bearing on this condition.
How Verdikx helps with 13.5
Verdikx maps 13.5 to its not-as-described playbook. For trial and subscription cases, signup and billing history can come from Recharge, Skio, Bold, Recurly or Chargebee (all beta), and reminder emails or chats from connected helpdesks (beta). The AI draft focuses on disclosure and consent for you to review.
Frequently asked questions
What does Visa reason code 13.5 mean?
Visa 13.5 means the cardholder says the terms of sale were misrepresented. It targets specific merchant types, such as debt relief, tech support, income opportunities and investment platforms, and trial or one-off purchases that turned into unexpected billing. Win by proving clear terms, express agreement and a reminder at least 7 days before billing.
Is Visa 13.5 worth fighting?
Our reference rates 13.5 (Misrepresentation) sometimes winnable, depending on the evidence you have. The evidence that answers it starts with checkout screens showing the full terms, price and future billing. The cardholder's bank decides the outcome.
How long does a cardholder have to file a Visa 13.5 chargeback?
Usually 120 days from the later of the transaction and the (expected) delivery date, never more than 540 days after the transaction, under the network's issuer time limits. Your processor gives you far less time to respond, so work from the due date on the case.
Answer your next 13.5 with the right evidence.
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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)
Last reviewed by Verdikx Research.