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Chargeback reason codes

American Express chargeback reason codes: what each one means and how to win

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American Express uses one letter and two digits for US and Canada merchants: A for authorization, C for Cardmember disputes, F and FR for fraud and fraud programs, P for processing errors, and M and R for miscellaneous and inquiry codes. Amex often sends an inquiry before a chargeback, and US merchants must respond within 20 days or receive a "No Reply" chargeback. Pick a code for its evidence checklist.

CodeMeaning
A01The amount charged was higher than the amount American Express approved.
A02The charge was submitted although the authorization was declined, reversed or never obtained.
A08The charge was submitted more than 7 days after approval, or with a different merchant category code.
C02The Cardmember says a credit you owed them never reached their account.
C04The Cardmember returned or refused the goods and did not get a credit.
C05The Cardmember cancelled the order or service and did not get a credit.
C08The Cardmember says the order never arrived or only part of it did.
C14The Cardmember says they paid for the purchase another way.
C18The Cardmember says they were wrongly billed for a guaranteed reservation or advance deposit.
C28The Cardmember says a subscription kept billing after they cancelled.
C31The Cardmember says the goods or services did not match the description or quality promised.
C32The Cardmember says the goods arrived damaged or defective.
M10The Cardmember disputes a car rental charge for damage, theft or loss of use.
F29The Cardmember says they did not make an online, phone or mail order purchase.
F10The Cardmember denies an in-person charge and there is no card imprint or swipe record.
F14The Cardmember admits one real purchase but disputes other charges from the same merchant.
F24A fraud claim on a charge with no valid authorization, or on an invalid or expired card.
F30A counterfeit chip card was used where the chip was not read.
F31A lost, stolen or never-received chip card was used where the chip was not read.
FR2Amex placed the merchant in Fraud Full Recourse, so any fraud dispute can be charged back.
FR4The merchant is in Amex's Immediate Chargeback Program, so disputes skip the inquiry stage.
FR6Disputes below a set amount are charged back immediately with no inquiry first.
P01The card number submitted does not belong to any American Express account.
P03A refund was processed as a charge, so the Cardmember was billed instead of credited.
P04A charge was processed as a credit by mistake.
P05The amount charged differs from the amount on the Cardmember's receipt.
P08The same charge was processed more than once.
P22The charge was submitted with a card number that does not match the Cardmember's account.
P23The charge was submitted in a different currency from the one the Cardmember agreed to.
M01The merchant itself told Amex to charge the transaction back, in reply to an inquiry.
R13The merchant did not answer an Amex inquiry in time.
R03The merchant's reply to an Amex inquiry was illegible or incomplete.

Codes that changed

In the October 2026 American Express Merchant Rules, late presentment has an ISO code (4536) but no letter code; the older P07 Late Submission is not in the current table, though Stripe still lists it. Stripe also labels F24 "Multiple ROCs"; in the Amex rules F14 is Multiple ROCs and F24 is No Valid Authorization / Invalid or Expired Card.

From 24 October 2026, C08 can be filed within 120 days of the expected delivery date, capped at 540 days, and A08 also covers a merchant category code mismatch.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to answer an Amex chargeback?
20 days in the US under the American Express Merchant Rules. Your processor may set an earlier deadline.
Does Amex need a delivery signature?
No. Proof of delivery does not need the Cardmember's signature, and compelling evidence is accepted in response to inquiries.

Sources

Payments library