Visa Reason Code 13.1: How to Win Merchandise/Services Not Received

Visa reason code 13.1 covers disputes where a cardholder says they paid for merchandise or a service and never received it. You win these disputes by matching the right evidence to how the order was fulfilled. This guide covers the proof Visa expects by business type, plus the merchant rights and time limits most sellers miss.

Code 13.1 sits within Visa's Consumer Disputes category, covered in full alongside codes 13.2 through 13.9 in our Visa chargeback reason codes guide. For the specific triggers behind code 13.1 and Visa's default prevention checklist, see our reason code 13.1 database entry. This page picks up from there: building the evidence that gets the chargeback reversed.

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What Merchants Are Entitled to Before a Dispute Escalates

Visa builds a handful of checks into reason code 13.1 because it's one of the codes most exploited for friendly fraud. Before a chargeback can be filed, several conditions apply:

1. The cardholder must try to resolve the issue with you first, and the issuer must certify that attempt when it files.
2. The dispute window is 120 calendar days from the transaction date or the expected delivery date, whichever applies, capped at 540 days from the original transaction.
3. If no delivery date was set, the cardholder must wait 15 calendar days from the transaction before filing. Visa lists exceptions, including insolvency or bankruptcy.
4. If the cardholder returned the merchandise because it arrived late, the wait is 15 calendar days from the return or attempted return. Visa lists exceptions and separate conditions for some cases.
5. Any cash back portion of a transaction is non refundable in a chargeback.

These limits follow Visa's broader dispute time limit rules, and knowing them matters as much as the evidence itself. Before you argue that a filing came too early, check the exceptions in Visa’s current 13.1 rules, section 11.10.2.4. The return rule only applies to late-delivery cases. A cardholder whose goods never arrived does not have to return anything first.

How to Fight a Reason Code 13.1 Chargeback

What you submit depends on when and how the order was fulfilled:

• If the order was delivered on the agreed date, submit delivery confirmation that shows the full delivery address, or a signed receipt. Visa does not accept tracking that shows only a partial address.
• If the cardholder disputed before the agreed delivery date, submit documentation showing that date.
• If the shipment cleared your systems but is still moving through the cardholder's customs agency, submit proof of that status.
• If the cardholder cancelled due to late delivery, submit evidence of a completed refund.
• If the cardholder agreed to drop the dispute after you contacted them, submit that confirmation.
• If the cardholder says a flight did not take place, submit proof the flight departed.
• If the service is booked for a future date, show it was not cancelled and is still available.

Visa's compelling evidence list adds three more items:

• Photos or emails linking the recipient to the cardholder
• Proof the cardholder accessed a digital good or was active on your site around the transaction date
• Proof the same card or device was used in a prior, undisputed transaction

Visa applies that list to card-absent fraud claims (10.4), not 13.1. In a 13.1 response, these items only support your proof of delivery or use. Visa’s Dispute Management Guide for Merchants also says evidence must link directly to the cardholder and the disputed transaction.

What Visa Accepts as Proof of Delivery

A tracking number on its own rarely wins a 13.1 case. Visa’s merchant guide spells out what valid proof of delivery looks like for physical goods.

Two other cases have their own rules:

• In-store sales with no later delivery: certify that the sale happened in person and the cardholder left with the merchandise or received the service at the time of the charge.
• Services: provide records, service logs, or a signed acknowledgement that the cardholder received the service.

Who Carries the Risk When Delivery Fails

Visa puts delivery risk on the merchant, even when a courier, customs office or supplier caused the failure. The guide adds that the cardholder does not have to accept an alternate date, time or replacement service.

Source: Visa’s Dispute Management Guide for Merchants, Condition 13.1.

Evidence for Digital Goods Disputes

Digital merchandise gets disputed under 13.1 more than most categories because there's no physical shipment to point to. Visa’s 13.1 rules list no separate checklist for downloads, so the download and access record is your proof of receipt. For a digital goods dispute, assemble:

• A written description of what was downloaded, plus the date and time of the download
• The date and time the cardholder first launched the software or accessed the content
• The cardholder's IP address and geographic location at the time of purchase
• The device's serial number or identifier, if your system captures one
• The cardholder's name and email address on file

For crypto or NFT sales, Visa asks for proof of delivery to the cardholder’s destination wallet, with the wallet address or the blockchain transaction hash. The IP, device, name and email items above come from Visa’s fraud evidence list, so use them to back up the access record.

Evidence for Travel and Entertainment Disputes

Event ticketing chargebacks and travel disputes need proof the service was actually used, not just purchased:

• Proof the ticket or boarding pass was scanned at the gate or venue
• Documentation that the cardholder earned or redeemed loyalty program points as part of the transaction
• Evidence of additional purchases tied to the same booking, such as a seat upgrade or in-app purchase
• A copy of the terms and conditions as shown to the buyer at checkout

Visa’s merchant guide lists scanned tickets, check-in records and boarding passes as proof a service was used. For hotel chargebacks, room charges such as restaurant or spa use also show the guest stayed. A flight manifest or another record with the passenger’s name can stand in for a boarding pass.

If the cardholder says a flight never happened, show that it took place. If they say they never got a booking confirmation, submit the original email with sender, recipient, date sent and booking details. It must have gone to the address given at booking. Loyalty points and add-on purchases come from Visa’s fraud evidence list, so treat them as support.

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Preventing Reason Code 13.1 Chargebacks

Most 13.1 disputes trace back to a handful of fixable gaps: no shipment tracking, no delivery confirmation, or no advance notice when a delivery date slips. Close them with a few habits:

• Communicate delays as soon as you know about them.
• Ship with tracking and require delivery confirmation on higher value orders.
• Keep your goods and service descriptions accurate.
• Do not charge for goods or services you cannot deliver yet.

See the prevention checklist in the database entry linked above, or our chargeback mitigation guide and ecommerce fraud prevention guide for prevention steps across every reason code. To compare codes across networks, see our guide to chargeback reason codes.

Keeping your chargeback ratio in check matters here too. Disputes routed through Visa Resolve Online that repeatedly land under 13.1 signal a fulfillment problem worth fixing before it triggers a monitoring program.

Automate Reason Code 13.1 Evidence With Chargeflow

Chargeflow assembles the evidence package for each reason code automatically, matches it to Visa's requirements, and submits it within the response window. Pricing is success based: you only pay when the dispute is won.

Frequently Asked Questions

What evidence wins a Visa reason code 13.1 dispute?

Delivery confirmation that shows the full delivery address, tracking records, and signed receipts win most 13.1 disputes when the merchandise or service was delivered on time. Visa does not accept tracking that shows only a partial address.

If the cardholder disputed before the agreed delivery date, evidence of that date resolves it just as fast. If a fulfillment partner ships your orders, agree on a 3PL chargeback evidence handoff so those records arrive in time.

What evidence do I need for a reason code 13.1 dispute on a digital product?

A record of when the software or content was downloaded or accessed, backed by the cardholder's IP address and location at purchase and the device ID or serial number used. For crypto or NFT sales, add the destination wallet address or blockchain transaction hash.

What evidence do I need for a reason code 13.1 dispute on travel or event tickets?

Proof the ticket or boarding pass was scanned at the gate, or that the flight departed, is the core evidence. Loyalty program points earned or redeemed and records of any add on purchases tied to the same booking can support it.

What counts as proof of delivery for a Visa reason code 13.1 dispute?

Visa’s merchant guide says valid proof of delivery for a reason code 13.1 dispute shows the full delivery address matching the invoice, the courier’s delivery status details, and a delivery photo showing where the item was left. Tracking that shows only a partial address is not accepted.

Is the merchant responsible if the courier loses a package in a 13.1 dispute?

Yes. Visa’s merchant guide says the merchant stays responsible for delivery even when a courier or other third party failed to complete it, and goods held by customs in the merchant’s own country remain the merchant’s problem. A shipment still held by the cardholder’s own customs agency is different: submit proof of that status.

Can a cardholder file a reason code 13.1 chargeback before the delivery date?

Only in limited cases. If a delivery date was set, the cardholder generally cannot dispute before that date passes. Without a stated delivery date, Visa requires a 15 day wait after the transaction before a dispute can be filed.

How long do cardholders have to file a reason code 13.1 chargeback?

Up to 120 days from the transaction or expected delivery date, with a maximum window of 540 days for select cases.

How is this guide different from Chargeflow's reason code 13.1 database entry?

The database entry covers what triggers code 13.1 and Visa's standard prevention steps. This guide focuses on the specific evidence merchants need to win the dispute, broken down by business type.