Complete Guide to Chargeback Reason Codes: Stripe, Visa & Mastercard 2026

Why Reason Codes Matter

Every year, merchants face 238 million chargebacks globally. That number hits 337 million by 2026. A 42% increase in just 3 years.

Each chargeback comes with a reason code. That code explains why the customer disputed the transaction.

Understanding these codes isn't academic. It's financially critical.

Consider what each chargeback actually costs. As we detailed in The $400+ Problem Hiding Behind Every $100 Chargeback, a single $100 dispute costs over $400 when you factor in fees, staff time, and lost merchandise.

The data shows:

• Merchants win only 45% of chargeback disputes
• Each chargeback costs $78 on average in processing alone
• Fraud-coded chargebacks have a 36.5% win rate
• Non-fraud chargebacks: 56.6% win rate
• Friendly fraud represents 70-75% of all chargebacks

And it's not just individual costs. Your dispute ratio affects your payment processing capability. Visa's VAMP program drops its threshold to 0.9% in April 2026. Cross that line and your account faces termination risk.

The right strategy starts with understanding exactly what you're dealing with. This guide provides the complete breakdown of chargeback reason codes across Visa, Mastercard, and Stripe.

How Card Networks Organize Reason Codes

Visa's Structure

Visa reorganized its reason codes in 2018 under the Visa Claims Resolution (VCR) initiative. Codes now follow a two-digit.one-digit format like 10.4 or 13.2.

They're organized into four categories:

• 10.x = Fraud
• 11.x = Authorization
• 12.x = Processing Errors
• 13.x = Consumer Disputes

Mastercard's Structure

Mastercard consolidated its codes in 2018. They moved to four-digit codes that all begin with 48XX.

Common codes include:

• 4808 = Authorization-related
• 4834 = Point-of-Interaction Errors
• 4837 = No Cardholder Authorization (Fraud)
• 4853 = Cardholder Disputes
• 4855 = Goods/Services Not Provided

Stripe's 7-Category System

Stripe simplifies hundreds of network codes into 7 merchant-friendly categories:

1. Credit Not Processed

2. Duplicate

3. Fraudulent

4. General

5. Product Not Received

6. Product Unacceptable

7. Subscription Canceled

This guide shows you both the network codes and Stripe's categories.

Complete Visa Reason Code List

Category 1: Fraud (10.x)

Key Stats:

• Fraud-coded chargebacks: 25-30% of total disputes
• Average win rate: 36.5%
• Cost with Stripe's new counter dispute fee: $30 if you lose

Best Defense:

• Use EMV chip readers for card-present transactions
• Implement 3D Secure for CNP transactions
• Match AVS and CVV codes
• Collect IP address and device data
• Document all customer communications

Category 2: Authorization (11.x)

Key Stats: Authorization errors are 8-10% of disputes. Highly preventable. Win rate typically under 30%.

Category 3: Processing Errors (12.x)

Key Stats: Processing errors are 12-15% of disputes. Among the most winnable at 50-60% average win rate.

Category 4: Consumer Disputes (13.x)

Key Stats: Consumer disputes are the largest category at 45-50% of all chargebacks. 75% are friendly fraud where customer received goods but disputes anyway. Win rates: 35-65% depending on evidence.

Complete Mastercard Reason Code List

Authorization-Related (4808)

Description: Merchant failed to obtain proper authorization.

Win Rate: 25-35%

Point-of-Interaction Errors (4834)

Description: Errors at point of transaction. Duplicate charges. Incorrect amounts. Technical issues.

Win Rate: 45-55%

Fraud Codes (4837, 4840, 4863, 4870, 4871)

Other Major Codes

How Stripe Organizes Reason Codes

Stripe maps all network codes into 7 simplified categories. This makes dispute management easier for merchants.

Win Rates by Dispute Category

Based on aggregated industry data from Accertify, Chargeflow, and Stripe merchant data:

Key Finding: Processing and administrative errors have the highest win rates (50-65%). Fraud disputes have the lowest (30-40%). This is why prevention is critical. Fraud chargebacks are expensive to fight and hard to win.

Response Timeframes & Requirements

Stripe Processing: Stripe notifies you within 24 hours of a chargeback. The $15 dispute fee hits immediately. Fight and lose? That's another $15 counter dispute fee. Learn more in our complete Stripe fee breakdown.

Quick Reference: Most Common Codes

Codes by Win Rate (Best to Worst)

Prevention Strategies by Code Type

For Fraud (10.x, 4837, 4863)

For Product Not Received (13.1, 4855)

For Subscription Canceled (13.2, 4841)

For Not as Described (13.3, 4853)

How Presolve Prevents Chargebacks Before They Happen

Traditional chargeback management focuses on fighting disputes after they're filed. By then the damage is done.

You've already lost:

• $15 dispute fee (non-refundable)
• $15 counter dispute fee if you fight and lose
• Impact on dispute ratio (processor penalties risk)
• Operational time (20+ minutes per dispute)

How It Works

1. Risk Scoring

• Analyzes every transaction for chargeback probability
• Uses ML trained on millions of disputes
• Scores based on YOUR data patterns

2. Proactive Intervention

• Flags high-risk transactions for review
• Recommends proactive refund when risk exceeds threshold
• Cost: $100 refund vs. $130+ chargeback

3. Cross-Processor Intelligence

• Works with any payment processor (Stripe, Adyen, PayPal, Square)
• Platform-agnostic
• Sees patterns across your entire payment stack

4. Reason Code Intelligence

• Identifies which reason codes YOU are most vulnerable to
• Tailors prevention strategies to your risk profile
• Tracks win rates by code to optimize fight vs. accept decisions

Real Impact: Prevention ROI

Scenario: E-commerce merchant with 1,000 transactions/month, 1.2% chargeback rate

Without Presolve:

• 12 chargebacks/month
• 12 × $15 = $180 in dispute fees
• Fight 50% (6 disputes) × $15 counter fee = $90 additional
• Win 45%, lose 6 × $130 = $780 in lost revenue
• Total monthly cost: $1,050

With Presolve (70% prevention rate):

• 8.4 chargebacks prevented with proactive refunds = $840 in refunds
• 3.6 chargebacks still occur × $15 = $54 in dispute fees
• Fight 50% (1.8 disputes) × $15 = $27 counter fees
• Total monthly cost: $921
• Monthly savings: $129 ($1,548 annually)
• Plus: Protected dispute ratio, reduced operational burden

Learn more about how dispute ratios affect your business in our guide: Understanding Dispute Ratios and Risks.

Conclusion: Know Your Codes, Prevent Your Disputes

Chargeback reason codes are more than administrative labels. They're intelligence data that reveals:

• Where your vulnerabilities are (which codes you receive most)
• How winnable disputes are (category-specific win rates)
• What prevention works (eliminating specific code triggers)

The data is clear:

• 45% win rate means fighting is expensive and inconsistent
• 70-75% friendly fraud means most disputes are preventable
• $130 average cost per chargeback makes prevention 10x more valuable

Smart merchants are shifting from reactive fighting to proactive prevention. They're cutting chargeback costs by 70% in the process.

For more on chargeback prevention, read our complete guide: Understanding Chargebacks: Prevention Guide.

Data Sources: This guide compiled data from Stripe Official Dispute Documentation (January 2026), Visa Claims Resolution Framework (VCR 2018-2026), Mastercard Chargeback Guide (2025-2026 Edition), American Express Dispute Guidelines, Chargeflow 2025 Chargeback Statistics Report, Accertify Merchant Win Rate Study, Chargebacks911 Industry Statistics, Ethoca 2026 Chargeback Outlook, PayCompass Merchant Survey Data, and Sift 2025 Trust and Safety Report.