What evidence wins a credit card chargeback

Last updated: 2026-05-01

Chargebacks are won by matching the right evidence to the right reason code. Banks don't grade your story — they grade whether you supplied the specific document the network rules require for the code you filed under. A "cancelled recurring" case turns on the cancellation timestamp; "goods not received" turns on the tracking record; "unauthorized" turns on possession of the card. Submit a wall of unrelated screenshots and the bank flags the case as weak even when you're factually right.

Quick answer

1. Identify the reason code first — Visa 13.1 (goods not received), 13.2 (cancelled recurring), 13.3 (not as described), 10.4 (card-absent fraud) all need different evidence.
2. Provide the one document the code requires — cancellation date for recurring, tracking number for goods, written merchant communication for service disputes, ID/location proof for fraud.
3. Add a timeline of events with timestamps, written in plain language. One paragraph, dated.
4. Attach the merchant-contact attempt — every network expects you to have contacted the merchant first unless it's pure fraud.
5. Screenshot every artifact with the URL bar visible and the date legible. Banks discard undated screenshots.

Why "evidence" depends on the reason code

When the bank submits your dispute, it goes to the card network (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) with a specific reason code attached. Each code maps to a written rule about what the cardholder must demonstrate and what the merchant has to rebut. The merchant then has a representment window — typically 30 to 45 days — to send evidence countering the specific claim. If your evidence doesn't address the code's required element, the merchant wins by default in the second cycle, even if your underlying complaint is legitimate.

Network rule books (Visa Core Rules, Mastercard Chargeback Guide, Amex Merchant Reference Guide) publish the evidence expectations for each code. The structure is consistent: every code has one or two pieces of "primary evidence" that decide the case, plus secondary supporting documents. Send the primary evidence, label it clearly, and your dispute moves through. Send a flood of secondary documents without the primary one, and the case stalls.

Evidence hierarchy by reason code

The table below maps the most common cardholder-initiated reason codes to the primary evidence each one needs. Visa codes use the current Visa Claims Resolution framework; Mastercard uses four-digit codes; Amex uses the carrier-letter format from its Merchant Reference Guide.

Dispute type	Visa code	Mastercard code	Amex code	Primary evidence required	Secondary support
Cancelled recurring billing	13.2	4853 (cardholder dispute)	C28	Proof of cancellation before the disputed billing date — confirmation email, in-app cancellation screenshot with timestamp, or written notice with delivery receipt.	Bank statement showing the post-cancellation charge; merchant-communication record.
Goods not received	13.1	4855	C08	Tracking number with carrier-confirmed non-delivery, or merchant statement that order never shipped, or screenshot of order status showing "not yet shipped" past the promised date.	Order confirmation; expected-delivery promise; merchant-contact attempt.
Goods or service not as described / defective	13.3	4853 (variant)	C31	Original listing screenshot or order page plus photo or description of what arrived. The contrast is the proof.	Inspection result or expert opinion (for high-dollar); merchant-contact record showing they refused remedy.
Defective service / not provided	13.1 or 13.3	4855 / 4853	C08 / C31	Timeline of events with dates plus written communication record (email, chat transcript, support ticket) showing the service failure and the merchant's response or non-response.	Contract or terms of service; cancellation request and merchant reply.
Credit not processed	13.6	4860	C02	Merchant's written promise of refund (email, return-merchandise authorization, store credit memo) plus statement showing credit not posted within the merchant's stated window.	Return shipping receipt or proof goods were returned.
Unauthorized — card-absent fraud	10.4	4837	F24 / F29	Statement that the cardholder was in physical possession of the card at the time of the disputed transaction; for online fraud, location/IP mismatch or evidence the device used was not the cardholder's.	Police report (large-dollar); identity-verification documents on request.
Cardholder does not recognize	—	4863	—	Statement and confirmation that descriptor lookup did not identify the merchant. Often resolves into 10.4 (fraud) or 13.x once identified.	Descriptor lookup screenshot; bank's merchant-name expansion.
Counterfeit / not authentic goods	13.3	4853	C31	Authentication report or written statement from the brand or an authorized dealer that the item is counterfeit, plus the original listing.	Photos with serial numbers; comparison to authentic product.

One pattern across all of these: the cancellation date, tracking event, or listing screenshot is the single artifact the bank's underwriter looks for first. Everything else is supporting. If you don't have the primary artifact, get it before filing — the dispute is much weaker without it.

Cancelled recurring: cancellation date is everything

For Visa 13.2 / Mastercard 4853 (recurring) / Amex C28, the entire case turns on whether you cancelled before the disputed billing date. The bank wants one of these, in order of strength:

1. Confirmation email from the merchant — "Your subscription has been cancelled effective [date]." Gold standard because it comes from the merchant's own systems.
2. Screenshot of the merchant's account page showing cancellation status, with URL and date visible. App stores (Apple, Google Play) and most SaaS providers show this.
3. Written cancellation notice you sent with delivery receipt — email with read receipt, certified mail return slip, or chat transcript with timestamps. Fallback when the merchant doesn't auto-confirm.

What loses: "I called and cancelled" with no reference number, no follow-up email, no transcript. Networks treat verbal cancellation claims as unprovable unless the merchant's own records back them up. If you cancel by phone, send a follow-up email the same day asking for written confirmation — that email becomes your evidence even if the merchant's system later "doesn't show" the cancellation.

Goods not received: tracking is everything

For Visa 13.1 / Mastercard 4855 / Amex C08, the underwriter is looking for the carrier's tracking record. Three scenarios, in order of strength:

• Tracking shows the package never shipped — merchant generated a label but never handed off to the carrier. Carrier "label created" status with no scan events for 14+ days is strong evidence.
• Tracking shows delivered to a wrong address — delivery confirmation to a city or zip that isn't yours. Pull the carrier's full tracking history; the discrepancy is in the destination scan.
• Merchant cannot produce a tracking number — you contacted them, they admitted no tracking, no shipment. The email saying "we'll look into it" without producing tracking is the evidence.

For digital goods, the analog is the merchant's delivery log: did they email the code, did access activate, did the download link work? Screenshot the empty inbox, broken link, or "access denied" page with timestamps.

Defective service: timeline plus communication record

Service disputes are messy because there's no single artifact. The case is built from a sequence: what was promised, what was delivered, when you complained, what the merchant did or didn't do. The bank wants a written timeline and the back-and-forth with the merchant.

Build the timeline as a dated paragraph at the top of your dispute submission:

"On [date] I purchased [service] for [amount]. On [date] I noticed [defect]. On [date] I contacted [merchant] via [email/chat/phone] requesting [remedy]. On [date] the merchant responded with [response or non-response]. On [date] I cancelled and requested a refund. The merchant has not refunded as of [date]."

Attach email or chat transcripts that map to each timeline entry. Dates in the narrative must match dates in the attachments — if they don't, the merchant's representment will exploit the gap.

Unauthorized: physical possession and location

For Visa 10.4 / Mastercard 4837 / Amex F24, the magic phrase is "the card has been in my possession at all times." That single statement triggers the network's fraud track and shifts the burden to the merchant. Supporting material:

• Location mismatch — if the charge is from a city or country you weren't in, banks can pull merchant location from the transaction record.
• Device mismatch — for online fraud, access logs from your usual devices showing you weren't logged in at the disputed time can help. Most consumers don't have these, but include if available.
• ID and identity verification — the bank may ask for ID to confirm you're the cardholder, especially for newer accounts.
• Police report — required by some banks for amounts over a threshold (typically $1,000-$5,000, varies by issuer). Not needed for most small unauthorized charges.

What does not work: "I would never have bought this." The bank doesn't evaluate purchase plausibility — it evaluates whether the card was used without authorization. Frame everything in terms of authorization and possession.

Why screenshot timestamps matter

The merchant's representment will sometimes claim "the cardholder cancelled after the billing date" or "the cardholder received the goods but is now disputing." Your timestamps are the rebuttal. Practical rules:

• Take screenshots with the URL bar and system clock visible — full-window, not cropped to the content area.
• For mobile screenshots, the system clock at the top of the screen is your timestamp.
• Save screenshots immediately. File metadata embeds the creation date — if challenged, the file's filesystem timestamp is corroborating evidence.
• For cancellation confirmations sent by email, keep the original — full headers include a timestamp from the merchant's mail server, harder to dispute than a screenshot.

Anti-misconception: what people get wrong

• "More evidence is always better." Not true. Banks evaluate primary evidence first; piling on irrelevant screenshots makes the case look weaker because it suggests you don't know what code you're filing under. Send the primary artifact, the timeline, and the merchant-contact record. Stop there unless the bank asks for more.
• "A verbal complaint to the merchant counts as 'attempted resolution.'" Not for chargeback purposes. Networks want written merchant contact (email, chat, support ticket). Phone calls without a follow-up email don't count even if you remember the call clearly.
• "The merchant's terms say no refunds, so I can't dispute." Wrong. Merchant terms don't override card-network rules. If the goods weren't delivered or the service was defective, you have a chargeback right under network rules regardless of what the receipt says.
• "I can dispute any charge any time." Each network has time limits. Visa and Mastercard generally allow 120 days from the transaction or expected-delivery date for most reason codes; Amex allows similar windows. Wait too long and the dispute is rejected for timing alone, regardless of merit.

FAQ

What evidence wins a chargeback most often?

The piece of primary evidence that maps to the reason code: cancellation timestamp for recurring, tracking record for goods not received, original listing plus photo for not-as-described, statement of card possession for unauthorized. Add a dated timeline and the written merchant-contact attempt. That package wins most legitimate disputes.

Do I need a police report to dispute fraud?

Usually not for small charges. Most banks process unauthorized-charge disputes on the cardholder's statement alone for amounts under roughly $1,000. Larger amounts or repeat fraud may trigger a request for a police report — provide it if asked, but don't delay filing the dispute waiting on one.

How do I find out which reason code my bank used?

Ask the bank rep directly: "What reason code is this dispute filed under?" Some banks share it; some don't. If they won't tell you, describe your case in code-specific terms ("cancelled recurring billed after cancellation," "goods not received," "card not in my possession") so the bank's system maps to the right code internally.

What if the merchant sends fake evidence in their representment?

Counter with your original artifacts and request a second-cycle dispute (pre-arbitration). If the merchant fabricated documents (a fake delivery confirmation, an altered cancellation date), report it to your bank in writing and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Banks take fabrication seriously and will usually side with the cardholder once it's flagged.

More on disputing charges: full chargeback walkthrough · escalate with a CFPB complaint · first-24-hours fraud playbook · recurring-subscription disputes · decode an unfamiliar charge · request a refund from the merchant first · start a guided dispute