- Fraud codes: Visa 10.4, Mastercard 4837, Amex F29, Discover UA02—fight with 3DS, CE 3.0
- Not received: Visa 13.1, Mastercard 4853/4855, Amex C08—need delivery proof
- Cancelled recurring: Visa 13.2, Mastercard 4853, Amex C28—need original consent + terms
- Response deadlines: Amex 20 days, Visa 30 days, Mastercard 45 days
- Match your evidence to the specific code—generic responses lose
Understanding chargeback reason codes is essential for proper representment and dispute prevention.
By Network
Mastercard uses 4-digit codes:
| Code | Category | Common Issues |
|---|
| 4808 | Authorization | Auth not obtained properly |
| 4834 | Point of Interaction | Processing errors, duplicates |
| 4837 | Fraud | Cardholder denies authorization |
| 4853 | Cardholder Dispute | Goods/services issues |
| 4863 | Recognition | Cardholder doesn't recognize |
| 4870 | Chip Liability | EMV counterfeit fraud |
| 4871 | Chip Lost/Stolen | Chip card lost/stolen/NRI |
Visa uses a two-part numbering system (Category.Subcategory):
| Category | Description | Key Codes |
|---|
| 10.x | Fraud | 10.4 CNP fraud, 10.5 VFMP |
| 11.x | Authorization | 11.1-11.3 auth issues |
| 12.x | Processing Errors | 12.1-12.7 various errors |
| 13.x | Consumer Disputes | 13.1-13.9 goods/services |
Amex uses letter-number combinations:
| Series | Category | Examples |
|---|
| F | Fraud | F10, F14, F24, F29 |
| A | Authorization | A01, A02, A08 |
| P | Processing | P01-P23 |
| C | Consumer | C02-C32 |
Discover uses 2-letter codes:
| Code | Category | Description |
|---|
| UA | Fraud | Unauthorized transaction |
| AT/AW | Authorization | Auth issues |
| DP/IN | Processing | Errors |
| RM/RG/NF | Consumer | Goods/services |
Code Categories at a Glance
Fraud Codes
| Network | Primary Fraud Code |
|---|
| Mastercard | 4837 |
| Visa | 10.4 |
| Amex | F29 |
| Discover | UA02 |
Non-Receipt Codes
| Network | Not Received Code |
|---|
| Mastercard | 4853 (category) |
| Visa | 13.1 |
| Amex | C08 |
| Discover | RG |
Cancelled Recurring Codes
| Network | Recurring Code |
|---|
| Mastercard | 4853 (category) |
| Visa | 13.2 |
| Amex | C28 |
| Discover | AP |
Cross-Network Comparison
Response Time Frames
| Network | Representment Window |
|---|
| Mastercard | 45 days (varies by region) |
| Visa | 30 days |
| Amex | 20 days |
| Discover | 30 days |
Liability Shift (3DS)
| Network | Full Shift Code |
|---|
| Mastercard | SLI 1 or 2 |
| Visa | ECI 05 |
| Amex | ECI 05 |
| Discover | ECI 05 |
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