Chargebacks - Reason Codes

Reason Codes

With each chargeback the issuer selects and submits a numeric reason code. This feedback may help the merchant and acquirer diagnose errors and improve customer satisfaction. Reason codes vary by bank network, but fall in four general categories:

• Technical: Expired authorization, non-sufficient funds, or bank processing error.
• Clerical: Duplicate billing, incorrect amount billed, or refund never issued.
• Quality: Consumer claims to have never received the goods as promised at the time of purchase.
• Fraud: Consumer claims they did not authorize the purchase or identity theft.

One of the most common reasons for a chargeback is a fraudulent transaction. In this case, a credit card is used without the consent or proper authorization of the card holder. In some cases, a merchant is responsible for charges fraudulently imposed on a customer. Fraudulent card transactions often originate with criminals who gain access to secure payment card data and set up schemes to exploit the data.

Chargebacks can also result from a customer dispute over statement credits. For example, a customer may have returned merchandise to a merchant in return for credit, but credit was never posted to the account. A dispute may also arise if a customer does not receive items they have paid for. In these examples, the merchant is responsible for issuing credit to its customer, and would be subject to a chargeback.

Other types of chargebacks are related to technical problems between the merchant and the issuing bank, for example when a customer was charged twice for a single transaction. Other chargebacks are related to the authorization process of a credit card transaction, for example, if a transaction is declined by its issuing bank but the account is still charged.