American Express · Chargeback reason codes
American Express A01 chargeback: Charge Amount Exceeds Authorization explained
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American Express reason code A01, Charge Amount Exceeds Authorization Amount, means the amount you submitted was higher than the amount approved at authorization. The chargeback is limited to the unauthorized difference, and the issuer usually has 120 days to file. Answer with proof one approval covered the full amount on the transaction date, or that Amex's estimated or variable authorization rules were followed.
- Category
- Authorization
- Time limit for the bank to file
- Usually 120 days from the network processing date
- Time limit to respond
- 20 days from the Amex chargeback or inquiry in the US (your processor's deadline may be earlier); no reply means a "No Reply" chargeback
- Typical evidence
- Approval covering the full amount; estimated-authorization records
- Can it be prevented?
- Yes: re-authorize when the total goes up
- Who usually wins
- The merchant with an approval for the full amount
What PlatformDTC does
For a "refund not received" dispute, PlatformDTC reads the refund history from Stripe: if the money was already returned it sends each refund's amount, date and acquirer reference number (ARN) and asks the bank not to pay twice; if not, it quotes the store's published refund policy. With "Answer a chargeback automatically" switched on, it sends the response to the bank for you before the deadline.
What it means
You charged more than American Express approved. The chargeback covers only the difference. Offline chip approvals and some transit contactless transactions are excluded.
Why customers file it
Tips, shipping or upgrades added after authorization, or a final amount captured above an estimate.
Evidence that wins
For every Amex code, a credit that directly offsets the disputed charge is also an accepted response.
- Proof one approval covered the full amount on the transaction date
- Proof the variable or estimated-amount authorization rules were followed
- Proof the transaction is an excluded type
How to prevent it
- Authorize the final amount, or re-authorize when it rises
- Follow Amex's estimated-authorization rules for variable amounts
For developers
On Stripe the dispute object arrives with reason "credit_not_processed" and the card network's own code in payment_method_details.card.network_reason_code; listen for charge.dispute.created and read evidence_details.due_by for the deadline.
American Express uses one letter plus two digits for US and Canada merchants; elsewhere it uses four-digit ISO codes, and each letter code sits under one.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the whole charge refunded on an A01?
- No. American Express limits an A01 chargeback to the amount above the authorization.
- Why does Stripe show A01 as credit not processed?
- Stripe groups each network's codes into its own categories by the evidence needed; it files A01 under credit not processed.
Sources
Related
- A02 — The charge was submitted although the authorization was declined, reversed or never obtained.
- A08 — The charge was submitted more than 7 days after approval, or with a different merchant category code.
- C02 — The Cardmember says a credit you owed them never reached their account.
- C04 — The Cardmember returned or refused the goods and did not get a credit.
- C05 — The Cardmember cancelled the order or service and did not get a credit.
- C08 — The Cardmember says the order never arrived or only part of it did.