Payment Reason Codes
Search chargeback reason codes and payment decline codes to understand why a transaction was disputed, declined, reversed, or flagged for review.
Payment Defender explains what each code commonly means, why it may occur, what merchants should review, and which next steps may help protect revenue, strengthen evidence, or improve payment performance.
Reason Code Lookup
Enter a complete code, partial code, code title, or payment-related keyword. Search terms may include fraud, authorization, duplicate processing, insufficient funds, expired card, item not received, or recurring billing.
Card Network
Category
84 Chargeback Reason Codes
84 Chargeback Reason Codes
Visa Fraud
10.1
Visa reason code 10.1 applies when a counterfeit card was used in a card-present environment and the transaction was processed in a way that shifted fraud liability to the merchant or acquirer under Visa's EMV chip liability rules.
View Reason CodeVisa Fraud
10.2
Visa reason code 10.2 applies to fraud involving a lost, stolen, or never-received card used in a card-present environment where the EMV liability shift places responsibility on the acquiring side.
View Reason CodeVisa Fraud
10.3
Visa reason code 10.3 identifies a dispute in which the cardholder claims they did not authorize a card-present transaction that does not fall under the specific EMV liability-shift conditions.
View Reason CodeVisa Fraud
10.4
Visa reason code 10.4 identifies a dispute in which the cardholder claims they did not authorize a card-absent transaction, such as an online, phone, or mail-order purchase.
View Reason CodeVisa Fraud
10.5
Visa reason code 10.5 applies to disputes tied to transactions that Visa identified through the Visa Fraud Monitoring Program, which flags merchants exceeding fraud-activity thresholds.
View Reason CodeVisa Authorization
11.1
Visa reason code 11.1 applies when a transaction was completed without authorization on a card that was listed in the Card Recovery Bulletin, which identifies accounts that should not be approved.
View Reason CodeVisa Authorization
11.2
Visa reason code 11.2 applies when a transaction was completed after the authorization request was declined, or after receiving a pick-up or other non-approval response.
View Reason CodeVisa Authorization
11.3
Visa reason code 11.3 applies when a transaction was completed without obtaining required authorization, or when a transaction was presented for settlement outside the required timeframe. This condition also carries the context previously handled under the retired Condition 12.1 (Late Presentment), which applied to transactions completed through April 12, 2024.
View Reason CodeVisa Processing Errors
12.2
Visa reason code 12.2 applies when a transaction was processed using an incorrect transaction code, such as a debit processed as a credit or a transaction type that does not match the actual activity.
View Reason CodeVisa Processing Errors
12.3
Visa reason code 12.3 applies when a transaction was processed in an incorrect currency, or when currency conversion or dynamic currency conversion was handled improperly.
View Reason CodeVisa Processing Errors
12.4
Visa reason code 12.4 applies when a transaction was processed against an incorrect account number, so the charge posted to an account other than the one intended.
View Reason CodeVisa Processing Errors
12.5
Visa reason code 12.5 applies when the transaction amount settled does not match the amount authorized or the amount the cardholder agreed to pay.
View Reason CodeVisa Processing Errors
12.6
Visa reason code 12.6 is a single canonical condition covering two related situations: duplicate processing, where the same transaction was submitted more than once, and paid by other means, where the cardholder paid for the same purchase using a different payment method. It consolidates the contexts previously described under Condition 12.6.1 (duplicate processing) and Condition 12.6.2 (paid by other means).
View Reason CodeVisa Processing Errors
12.7
Visa reason code 12.7 applies when a transaction was authorized using invalid or incorrect data, so the authorization did not accurately reflect the transaction.
View Reason CodeVisa Merchandise or Services
13.1
Visa reason code 13.1 applies when a cardholder claims they did not receive the merchandise or services they paid for, or did not receive them by the agreed date or location.
View Reason CodeVisa Recurring Payments
13.2
Visa reason code 13.2 applies when a cardholder claims a recurring transaction was charged after they cancelled the recurring agreement or withdrew permission to bill.
View Reason CodeVisa Merchandise or Services
13.3
Visa reason code 13.3 applies when a cardholder claims the merchandise or services received were not as described, were defective, or did not match what was agreed.
View Reason CodeVisa Merchandise or Services
13.4
Visa reason code 13.4 applies when a cardholder claims the merchandise received was counterfeit, meaning it was not genuine and infringed the rights of the legitimate brand owner.
View Reason CodeVisa Consumer Disputes
13.5
Visa reason code 13.5 applies when a cardholder claims the terms of a purchase were misrepresented, so the goods or services were materially different from what the merchant represented at the time of sale.
View Reason CodeVisa Refunds and Credits
13.6
Visa reason code 13.6 applies when a cardholder claims they were owed a credit or refund that the merchant did not process, or a cancellation credit that was not issued.
View Reason CodeVisa Merchandise or Services
13.7
Visa reason code 13.7 applies when a cardholder claims they cancelled or returned merchandise or services and are owed a credit that was not issued under the merchant's terms.
View Reason CodeVisa Refunds and Credits
13.8
Visa reason code 13.8 applies when an original credit transaction, which pushes funds to a cardholder, was not accepted because it did not meet the recipient's requirements or was otherwise ineligible.
View Reason CodeVisa ATM or Cash Disputes
13.9
Visa reason code 13.9 applies when a cardholder claims they did not receive the cash, or received less cash than dispensed, from an automated teller machine while their account was charged.
View Reason CodeMastercard Processing Errors
4804
Mastercard reason code 4804 identifies a dispute in which a single cardholder transaction appears to have been processed and settled more than once, resulting in duplicate charges to the account.
View Reason CodeCommon Payment Issues
Understand reason codes involving unauthorized transactions, cardholder fraud claims, and account misuse.
Browse Fraud CodesExplore codes involving declined authorization, invalid approval, expired authorization, or processing outside permitted conditions.
Browse Authorization CodesReview codes involving duplicate processing, incorrect amounts, late presentment, or transaction-processing errors.
Browse Processing CodesUnderstand claims involving non-receipt, damaged goods, canceled services, or products not matching expectations.
Browse Product DisputesExplore disputes involving canceled subscriptions, trial conversions, recurring charges, and customer recognition.
Browse Recurring DisputesUnderstand common decline codes involving insufficient funds, card restrictions, expired cards, suspected fraud, or issuer decisions.
Browse Decline CodesChargeback Reason Codes
A chargeback reason code identifies the category and basis of a cardholder dispute. The code helps merchants understand what the issuer or cardholder is claiming, which records should be reviewed, and what evidence may be relevant.
Payment Defender reason-code pages should explain the code in plain language, identify common causes, outline the available merchant response, and connect the dispute to chargeback prevention, friendly fraud, representment, and evidence guidance.
Browse Chargeback CodesChargeback Code Anatomy
Decline Code Anatomy
Payment Decline Codes
A payment decline code may provide context about why a transaction was not approved. The response may come from an issuer, card network, processor, gateway, fraud system, or merchant configuration.
Because decline-code meanings and retry guidance can vary by payment environment, each Payment Defender decline-code page should separate the common interpretation from the actions a merchant should confirm with its processor or gateway.
Browse Decline CodesNeed Help With a Payment Issue
Tell Payment Defender which chargeback reason code, decline response, processor, gateway, or payment issue you are dealing with. We will help identify the right next step.
