American Express · Chargeback reason codes
American Express F14 chargeback: Multiple ROCs explained
Checked
American Express reason code F14, Multiple ROCs (Records of Charge), means the Cardmember admits an earlier genuine purchase at your business but says additional charges were fraud. The issuer must report the fraud first. Answer with proof that each transaction is valid. Separate departments, recurring billing, deposits and delayed or split shipments are excluded. Stripe's table labels F24 as Multiple ROCs; in the Amex rules F14 is Multiple ROCs.
- Category
- Fraud
- 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
- Proof each charge is a separate, valid transaction
- Can it be prevented?
- Yes: itemise charges and explain split shipments
- Who usually wins
- The merchant who proves each charge is valid
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC writes the product description, delivery address, buyer email and IP address onto every Stripe payment at checkout, then adds the carrier and tracking number when the parcel ships. When a fraud dispute opens it stops the subscription behind the order, and its response states the buyer's IP, billing and shipping address, what was bought and that the customer never asked the store for a refund. With "Answer a chargeback automatically" switched on, it sends the response to the bank for you before the deadline.
What it means
One purchase is admitted; the others on the same card at your business are disputed as fraud.
Why customers file it
Split shipments or follow-on charges the Cardmember does not connect to the original order.
Evidence that wins
For every Amex code, a credit that directly offsets the disputed charge is also an accepted response.
- Proof each transaction is valid: separate orders, items and fulfilment records
- Proof the charges are an excluded type (recurring billing, deposits, delayed or split shipments)
How to prevent it
- Tell the customer when an order ships in parts and is charged separately
- Use clear receipts for every charge
For developers
On Stripe the dispute object arrives with reason "fraudulent" 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
- Why is F14 missing from Stripe's table?
- Stripe's table does not list F14 and labels F24 "Multiple ROCs". In the American Express Merchant Rules F14 is Multiple ROCs and F24 is No Valid Authorization / Invalid or Expired Card.
- Are split shipments excluded?
- Yes. Delayed or split shipments are excluded from F14.
Sources
Related
- F24 — A fraud claim on a charge with no valid authorization, or on an invalid or expired card.
- F29 — The Cardmember says they did not make an online, phone or mail order purchase.
- F30 — A counterfeit chip card was used where the chip was not read.
- F31 — A lost, stolen or never-received chip card was used where the chip was not read.
- FR2 — Amex placed the merchant in Fraud Full Recourse, so any fraud dispute can be charged back.
- FR4 — The merchant is in Amex's Immediate Chargeback Program, so disputes skip the inquiry stage.
- FR6 — Disputes below a set amount are charged back immediately with no inquiry first.