Mastercard · Chargeback reason codes
Mastercard 4837 chargeback: No Cardholder Authorization, and how to win it
Checked
Mastercard reason code 4837, No Cardholder Authorization, means the cardholder says they did not authorize the transaction. The issuer must report it as fraud to Mastercard's Fraud and Loss Database and has 120 days from the Central Site Business Date to file. You can win with Identity Check (3-D Secure) authentication, an AVS-confirmed delivery address, or compelling evidence such as undisputed purchases from the same registered account, device and IP.
- Category
- Fraud
- Time limit for the bank to file
- 120 days from the Central Site Business Date
- Time limit to respond
- Your processor's deadline (on Stripe usually 7–21 days); Mastercard gives the acquirer 45 days from the chargeback for a second presentment
- Typical evidence
- 3-D Secure authentication, AVS-matched delivery, compelling evidence from a registered account
- Can it be prevented?
- Largely: 3-D Secure on risky payments, AVS and CVC2 checks, refunding early fraud warnings
- Who usually wins
- The cardholder unless you prove authentication or send compelling evidence
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. It also refunds actionable early fraud warnings (which include Mastercard SAFE reports) by default, before the bank files.
What it means
The cardholder tells their bank they did not make the purchase. Mastercard requires the issuer to report the transaction as fraud on or before the chargeback date and to support it with a cardholder letter or form.
The chargeback is invalid, among other cases, for account takeover, when the issuer's fraud chargeback count for the card exceeds Mastercard's threshold, for PIN transactions, or when it was not reported to the Fraud and Loss Database.
Why customers file it
A stolen card number was used online, someone in the household used the card, or the cardholder does not recognise the charge on their statement.
Evidence that wins
Any second presentment can also show that a refund was already issued, or that the chargeback was invalid (late, a duplicate, or missing the required documents).
- The transaction was authenticated with Mastercard Identity Check (3-D Secure)
- AVS returned a match and the goods went to the AVS-confirmed address
- Registered account (password, one-time code or biometric login) plus other undisputed purchases before or after, the same registered device and IP, signed proof of delivery, or proof the goods were used
- Emails, SMS or chat showing the cardholder took part
- Store address where an online order was picked up
- Recurring payments: a description, the start date and original authorization, CVC2 match and proof of agreement such as a click-to-accept
How to prevent it
- Use 3-D Secure on risky card payments
- Check AVS and CVC2
- Refund payments flagged by early fraud warnings before a chargeback is filed
- Use a statement descriptor customers recognise
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.
The acquirer answers with a second presentment within 45 days; the Central Site Business Date of the chargeback counts as day zero. For cardholder disputes the issuer may then file pre-arbitration within 30 days, and the acquirer has 30 days to accept or reject it.
Mastercard documents a US-only "First-Party Trust" path where Mastercom rejects a 4837 using Identity Check Insights and Ethoca Consumer Clarity data; the issuer can only re-file with a cardholder affidavit or attestation.
Frequently asked questions
- Does compelling evidence work for guest checkout?
- Mastercard's registered-account compelling evidence does not apply when the cardholder purchased as a guest. Other evidence, such as messages showing the cardholder took part, still counts.
- Does 3-D Secure stop a 4837?
- An authenticated e-commerce transaction is a valid second presentment ground for 4837 in Mastercard's Chargeback Guide.
Sources
- Chargeback Guide — Merchant Edition (13 May 2025) — Mastercard
- Respond to disputes: best practices — Stripe
- How disputes work — Stripe
- Dispute categories and network reason codes — Stripe
Related
- 4863 — Legacy code: the cardholder does not recognize the transaction and suspects fraud.
- 4870 — A counterfeit copy of a chip card was used at a terminal that did not read the chip.
- 4849 — Mastercard listed the merchant in its Questionable Merchant Audit Program or confirmed coercion.
- 4853 — The umbrella cardholder dispute: not received, not as described, refund missing, cancelled subscription.
- 4808 — A required authorization was missing, expired or declined, or the charge cleared too late.
- 4834 — A processing error at the point of sale: charged twice, wrong amount, currency conversion or surcharge.
- 4871 — A lost, stolen or never-received PIN chip card was used at a terminal that could not take a PIN.