Mastercard · Chargeback reason codes
Mastercard 4871 chargeback: Chip Liability Shift – Lost/Stolen/Never Received
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Mastercard reason code 4871, Chip Liability Shift – Lost/Stolen/Never Received Issue Fraud, means a lost, stolen or never-received PIN-preferring chip card was used in person at a terminal that was not PIN-capable. The issuer has 120 days to file. Answer with proof the chip data was sent, a technical fallback or offline chip approval, or that the card was not a valid chip card. PIN-capable chip terminals prevent it.
- Category
- Fraud (card present)
- Time limit for the bank to file
- 120 days
- 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
- Chip data sent, technical fallback, offline chip approval
- Can it be prevented?
- Yes: PIN-capable chip terminals
- Who usually wins
- The merchant with PIN-capable, chip-read evidence
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC's in-store point of sale sends every card payment to a Stripe Terminal card reader on the store's own Stripe account, and online checkout orders are card-not-present, so this chip liability code cannot arise on an online order. Online card fraud claims are handled under 4837 with PlatformDTC's evidence and early-fraud-warning refunds.
What it means
The real card, preferring PIN, was lost or stolen and used at a terminal that could not verify the PIN, so the liability shifts to the merchant.
Why customers file it
A thief uses a stolen chip card where PIN is not checked.
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 chip data was provided, or no online authorization was required
- The card was not a valid chip card
- A technical fallback or offline chip authorization
- The fraud was not reported or the issuer's fraud count was exceeded
How to prevent it
- Use PIN-capable chip terminals
- Never bypass PIN entry
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.
Frequently asked questions
- How is 4871 different from 4870?
- 4870 is a counterfeit copy of a chip card. 4871 is the real PIN chip card, lost or stolen, used where no PIN could be checked.
- How long does the bank have?
- 120 days, per Mastercard's Chargeback Guide.
Sources
Related
- 4870 — A counterfeit copy of a chip card was used at a terminal that did not read the chip.
- 4837 — The cardholder says they did not authorize the purchase. Mastercard's main fraud chargeback.
- 4849 — Mastercard listed the merchant in its Questionable Merchant Audit Program or confirmed coercion.
- 4999 — A domestic chargeback allowed by local rules in Europe that fits no other code.
- 4855 — Legacy "goods or services not provided" code; the claim now sits under 4853 Cardholder Dispute.
- 4860 — Legacy "credit not processed" code; the claim now sits under 4853 Cardholder Dispute.
- 4841 — Legacy code for cancelled recurring billing or digital goods; now under 4853.
- 4831 — Legacy "transaction amount differs" code; now a 4834 Point-of-Interaction Error claim.