Visa 12.4 - Incorrect Account Number
- You charged the wrong card. Not the wrong amount, the wrong account
- Almost always your side. A keyed digit, a bad token map, a card they didn't pick
- Auth record and settled account match? You win. They don't? Pay it
- The window is 120 days
The charge landed on a card the customer didn't use. That's 12.4.
When This Code Applies
- Transaction posted to the wrong card
- Wrong number keyed by hand
- System error posting to the wrong account
- Digits transposed
- Tokenization mapped to the wrong card
Conditions for Valid Dispute
The issuer checks three things. The cardholder's account was charged, they didn't use that card here, and your records point at different credentials.
Common Scenarios
| Scenario | Cause |
|---|---|
| Multi-card customer | Charged wrong saved card |
| Manual keyed entry | Digit transposition |
| Token confusion | Wrong token used |
| Copy/paste error | Wrong credentials copied |
Time Frames
| Scenario | Dispute Window |
|---|---|
| Standard | 120 days from transaction date |
Representment Options
1. The Right Account Was Charged
Evidence required:
- Transaction records matching the card
- Last four digits match
- Auth record with the correct account
- Customer confirmation
2. The Cardholder Picked This Card
Evidence required:
- Order showing this payment method
- Record of the customer selecting it
- Account profile records
- IP and device at time of selection
3. System Error, Not Yours
Evidence required:
- Processor error documentation
- System logs showing a correct submission
- Third-party confirmation
Win Rate Expectations
| Defense Type | Expected Win Rate |
|---|---|
| Correct account proven | 85-95% |
| Customer selected this card | 70-85% |
| Wrong account charged | Under 10% |
Where This Breaks
Checkout is where most of these start. A customer with four saved cards sees four near-identical rows, and can't tell which one they're picking. Print the last four digits and the brand.
Silent defaults are worse. You auto-select a card, nobody notices, and the charge hits an account they'd stopped using. Make the customer pick.
Keying is the other half. Read the number back before you submit it. It costs ten seconds, and nothing else reliably catches a transposed digit.
One rule covers the rest. Authorize and capture against the same account, because if those two disagree you have no defense worth filing. Pay it and fix whatever caused the mismatch.
Related Codes
- 12.2 - Incorrect Transaction Code
- 12.5 - Incorrect Amount
- 12.6 - Duplicate Processing