Mastercard Chargeback Reason Codes: A Plain Guide
A chargeback lands with a four-digit code on it. Here is what each major Mastercard reason code means, how Mastercard groups them, and what you can send back.
A chargeback notice arrives at your shop. On it sits a four-digit number. That number is the reason code, and it tells you why the issuer took the money back. This page walks through the major Mastercard chargeback reason codes, the groups Mastercard sorts them into, and what you can send in reply. It draws on Mastercard's own chargeback guide for merchants throughout.
What reason codes are and why they exist
A reason code is a shared label. The issuer picks one when it files the chargeback, and the code tells the merchant and the acquirer what the claim is about. Without codes, every dispute would arrive as a blank envelope. With them, you know what evidence to gather before you answer.
The code also sets the rules of the fight. Some codes let the merchant send one kind of proof. Others bar certain replies. Reading the code first, before reacting, is the whole job.
How Mastercard groups its codes
Mastercard sorts its reason codes into families. Authorization-related codes deal with sales the issuer says were never properly approved. Point-of-Interaction Error codes deal with claims about the details of the sale, such as a double charge. Fraud-related codes cover claims that the cardholder never made the purchase. Cardholder Dispute codes cover fights about the goods or services themselves. Mastercard-Initiated Disputes are the group Mastercard names for a Europe acquirer and a non-Europe issuer.
Each family below gets its own section, with the codes you are most likely to meet.
Authorization-related codes: 4808
Mastercard reason code 4808 is the Authorization-related Chargeback. Authorization-related disputes usually come from an issuer saying a transaction was not properly authorized.
There is a gate on this one. Before using this chargeback, the issuer must first try to honor the transaction. So the issuer cannot leap straight to taking the money back.
The acquirer can respond by showing the transaction was authorized and presented within the chargeback protection period. If your records show a clean approval and a timely presentment, that is your answer.
Older codes 4807 and 4812 may still label an Authorization-related case filing, but Mastercard says they will eventually be eliminated.
Point-of-Interaction Error: 4834
Mastercard reason code 4834 is Point-of-Interaction Error. These disputes usually come from a cardholder claim about a problem with the details of the transaction. The classic case is a double charge. This chargeback can claim the cardholder paid twice for the same purchase or was billed the wrong amount.
The reply depends on the claim. Against a double charge claim, the merchant can send records showing two valid, separate transactions. If the customer really did buy twice, your receipts for both sales are the proof.
For an ATM dispute case filing, the issuer may give the reason as 4834 or 4859.
Fraud-related codes: 4837, 4849, 4870, 4871
Mastercard groups these four codes with its fraud-related chargebacks.
4837, No Cardholder Authorization. Mastercard lists reason code 4837 as a fraud-related chargeback. The acquirer may respond when the AVS result was X or Y and the goods were shipped to the address AVS confirmed. The acquirer may also respond when the transaction was authenticated, or with compelling evidence for airline, recurring, online or phone orders. We go deeper on this one in our chargeback reason code 37 mastercard guide.
4849, Questionable Merchant Activity. Mastercard groups reason code 4849 with its fraud-related chargebacks. It applies when Mastercard lists the merchant for breaking QMAP rules or finds it made coercive transactions. The acquirer can respond if the merchant was not listed in a Mastercard Announcement. Against a coercion claim, the acquirer can respond if Mastercard did not find the claim against the merchant substantiated.
4870, Chip Liability Shift. Mastercard lists reason code 4870 as a fraud-related chargeback. It covers fraud where a counterfeit card was used at a POS or ATM terminal that was not a hybrid chip terminal. The cardholder must say they did not authorize the charge and still had all their valid cards. The chargeback is invalid if the card was not a valid chip card or the sale was a technical fallback.
4871, Chip Liability Shift-Lost/Stolen/Never Received Issue (NRI) Fraud. Mastercard groups reason code 4871 with its fraud-related chargebacks. Here the cardholder denies the charge, the card was a PIN preferring chip card, and the terminal could not take a PIN. It applies only when both the issuer and the acquirer are in a country or region in the chip/PIN liability shift. The acquirer can respond if DE 55 was provided in the first presentment, or if a refund was already issued.
Cardholder Dispute codes: 4850, 4853, 4854
Cardholder disputes are fights about what was bought, not about who bought it.
4850, Installment Billing Dispute. Mastercard places reason code 4850 under its Cardholder Dispute Chargeback. It is only for domestic transactions in participating countries where the cardholder agreed to installment billing. One rule links it to the fraud family. If the first installment was charged back under 4837, later installments must be charged back under this code. The acquirer can respond by showing the correct number of installments and the correct amount were processed.
4853, Cardholder Dispute. Mastercard reason code 4853 is the Cardholder Dispute Chargeback. Cardholder disputes usually come from a cardholder claim about the goods or services they bought. It covers claims that goods or services were not as described, were defective, or were not provided. For a not as described claim, the cardholder must have contacted or tried to contact the merchant first. Against a not provided claim, the merchant can send documents showing the goods or services were provided. Our chargeback reason code 53 page covers the evidence in more detail.
4854, Not Elsewhere Classified. Mastercard reason code 4854 is Cardholder Dispute-Not Elsewhere Classified for United States domestic transactions. Reason code 4854 may be used only when no other reason code applies. The cardholder must have tried and failed to settle with the merchant, and both banks must be in the U.S. region. The acquirer can respond if the merchant fixed the problem or otherwise resolved the complaint.
Mastercard-Initiated Disputes and regional codes
The first three codes here do not start with the cardholder. Mastercard calls 4804, 4809 and 4811 Mastercard-Initiated Disputes, for a Europe acquirer and a non-Europe issuer.
4804, Transaction Multiple Processing. Mastercard itself uses 4804 when a sale between a Europe acquirer and a non-Europe issuer was already presented and matched. No second presentment is allowed, but the acquirer may fix the details and submit a new first presentment.
4809, Transaction Not Reconciled. Mastercard uses 4809 when it cannot reconcile the clearing presentment with the authorization details of a sale.
4811, Stale Transaction. Reason codes 4804, 4809 and 4811 are Mastercard-Initiated Disputes for a Europe acquirer and a non-Europe issuer.
4999, Domestic Chargeback Dispute. Mastercard reason code 4999 is Domestic Chargeback Dispute, used in the Europe region only. It is used when a domestic rule allows a chargeback that cannot be processed under a different reason code. Arbitration of these domestic disputes is handled domestically.
So which codes apply only in certain regions? 4854 is U.S. domestic only. 4871 needs both banks inside the chip/PIN liability shift region. 4999 is Europe only. The Mastercard-Initiated codes need a Europe acquirer and a non-Europe issuer.
What merchants can do for each code
The acquirer's answer is a second presentment, and the proof it can send depends on the code.
The proof follows the code. For 4808, show the sale was authorized and presented in time. For 4834 double charges, show two separate valid sales. For 4837, the acquirer may respond with an AVS match and shipment to the confirmed address. An authentication record, or compelling evidence for some order types, may also work. For 4853 not provided claims, send documents showing the goods or services were provided. For 4854, show the complaint was fixed.
One habit beats all others. Match your reply to the exact code on the notice. Sending delivery proof against an authorization claim wastes the window you have. Read the code, check what it allows, then gather that evidence and nothing else.
Where to go next
This page is the map. For single codes in depth, start with our chargeback reason code 37 mastercard guide for 4837, or our mastercard chargeback reason code 08 page. For the full set across networks, see our chargeback reason code list. Each one breaks the evidence down line by line.