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Règles relatives aux rétrofacturations : le guide complet à l'intention des commerçants
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- Most card networks give cardholders about 120 days to file, and Visa and Mastercard allow up to 540 days only in specified cases.
- Your provider’s response deadline is far shorter than the filing window, often 7 to 21 days.
- Visa’s VAMP Excessive merchant threshold fell to 1.5% on April 1, 2026, in the U.S., Canada, the EU, and Asia Pacific.
- Mastercard ECM starts at 100 chargebacks and a 1.5% ratio, with fines from month two.
- Winning a dispute does not remove it from Visa or Mastercard monitoring counts.
- Every network sorts chargebacks into reason-code categories, such as Visa's fraud, authorization, processing error and consumer dispute groups.
- Four rule layers decide every dispute: consumer law, network rules, acquirer terms, and your own policies.
- The 540-day cap applies to specific conditions such as Visa 13.1 and never extends your response deadline.
- Regulation Z and Regulation E give cardholders 60-day notice windows, but network chargebacks can still arrive later.
- Mastercard’s Global Merchant Audit Program replaces ACMP on April 1, 2027, and scores fraud and non-fraud disputes together.
Chargeback rules are the card network requirements, consumer laws and acquirer terms that decide when a cardholder can dispute a card payment, which reasons qualify, and what evidence can reverse the dispute.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover each publish their own rulebook. Most give cardholders about 120 days to file, and Visa and Mastercard allow up to 540 days in specified cases.
The stakes keep rising: Mastercard projects 286 million chargebacks worldwide in 2026 and a global chargeback cost of $36.9 billion in 2026, growing to $46.1 billion in 2029 (Mastercard, updated June 2026, research by Datos Insights).
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Who Sets and Applies Chargeback Rules?
Four rule layers apply to every dispute:
- Law sets the cardholder’s minimum rights.
- The card network sets the dispute conditions and time limits.
- Your acquirer or payment service provider sets your working deadline and file format.
- Your own policies supply much of the evidence.
The issuer applies these layers when it decides the case. If you need the fundamentals first, start with what is a chargeback and the chargeback vs dispute vs refund vs representment glossary.
A useful internal case record keeps these roles distinct. Write down the network, processor, reason code, case stage, deadline and owner. Do not treat one processor’s notice as a rule for every card network.
Find the Rules for Your Card Network
Choose the network first, then use the case instructions to confirm your response channel and due date. The table puts each network's filing window next to one acquirer's merchant response window. Your working deadline is much shorter than the cardholder's.
The response column comes from Adyen’s dispute timeframes documentation and count calendar days from the chargeback notice. Other providers set different cutoffs, so treat the column as an example, not a rule for your account.
For code lookup, use the reason-code directory or the network guides to Visa chargeback reason codes, Mastercard chargeback reason codes, American Express chargeback reason codes, and Discover chargeback reason codes. For an unresolved escalation, use the arbitration guide, then reconcile the result with chargeback accounting.
Chargeback Eligibility Rules: When a Cardholder Can File
A chargeback only counts when it meets the network's rules. The issuer should check them before it files. If a case fails them, you can push back and win.
A cardholder can usually file a chargeback only when:
- The claim fits one of the network's dispute conditions or reason codes.
- It is filed inside the window, usually 120 days and never more than 540 days.
- For consumer disputes such as non-receipt or quality, the cardholder first tried to resolve it with the merchant.
- The merchant has not already credited the same amount. See chargeback vs refund for why a second credit is a double loss.
- No liability shift protects the sale, such as 3-D Secure on a fraud claim.
When a case fails one of these tests, say so in your response and attach the proof. Cardholder-side rules are explained in chargebacks vs refunds.
Chargeback Reason Code Categories by Network
Each network sorts chargebacks into a few groups. The group tells you which rules apply and what proof the issuer will take.
Mastercard retired reason code 4859 and folded those cases into other codes, so use the code on your notice, not an old list. The network guides below list every code and what proof it needs.
Choose Evidence by the Disputed Issue
Your first task is to identify what the cardholder is contesting. Use the chargeback reason code as the starting point, then read the actual allegation.
Follow the current case and provider requirements
Choose evidence for the disputed issue
Non-receipt
Non-receipt: line up shipping and delivery records for the order and the recipient.
Description du produit ou du service
Product or service description: keep the offer shown at purchase and records about the claimed mismatch.
Cancellation
Cancellation: compare when the customer asked to cancel with when you billed and served them.
Crédit non traité
Credit not processed: match the promised credit to the refund record and the related messages.
Unauthorized purchase
Unauthorized purchase: collect proof that the cardholder authorized or took part in the purchase, and check whether a liability shift applies.
Do not throw out delivery records just because the case is about fraud. Whether they help depends on the condition and your other evidence.
For Visa card-absent fraud disputes (condition 10.4), Compelling Evidence 3.0 lets you point to the cardholder’s earlier undisputed purchases, and Stripe notes that CE 3.0 eligibility typically translates to a significantly higher likelihood of overturning the dispute. If you suspect friendly fraud, explain the records rather than accusing the customer without support.
Create an attachment index with one line on what each record shows, such as a message that confirms receipt or asks to cancel.
If money already went back to the customer, confirm whether it settled as a refund or a reversal before you argue credit was processed. A chargeback response template keeps the rebuttal letter consistent from case to case.
The 540-Day Rule and Other Filing Limits
Filing limits are rules about the cardholder, not about you. Your own deadline is much shorter: Stripe’s response guidance gives merchants 7 to 21 days in most cases, allows one submission, and treats a missed deadline as a loss.
The 540-day figure is an outer cap, not a standard window. Visa’s dispute rule language for Dispute Condition 13.1 (merchandise or services not received) works like this:
- The issuer must file within 120 calendar days of the last date the cardholder expected the goods or services.
- It can never file more than 540 calendar days after the transaction processing date.
Mastercard has a similar 540-day cap for some cases, such as a service that stopped partway. Neither cap extends your own response deadline.
Record both sources for every case so the longer network number is never copied into your response task:
A saved draft is not a submission receipt. This page covers the rules; for every deadline by network and processor, including Stripe, PayPal and Shopify, see chargeback time limits.
What Changed in Chargeback Rules From 2025 to 2027
Network rules change several times a year. Most recent changes tighten monitoring, not the dispute conditions. These dated changes affect merchant planning now:
Understand Monitoring Separately From Representment
Winning a dispute is not the same as stopping one. Monitoring programs count a dispute when it arrives, win or lose. A recovery report does not prove your monitoring ratio has fallen.
Sources: Visa’s VAMP fact sheet for VAMP and Stripe’s monitoring program documentation for the Mastercard programs.
Mastercard removes a merchant from ECM or HECM after three months in a row below the threshold. For every network’s chargeback threshold limits in one place, including Amex and Discover, see the dedicated guide.
Ask your acquirer which region, exclusions and reporting period apply to you. The VAMP guide explains the Visa program, and Mastercard monitoring needs its own review because it uses a separate metric.
Use chargeback alerts to resolve cases early where you can. Visa excludes disputes resolved through pre-dispute products from the VAMP count. Sending evidence on a filed dispute does not remove it from monitoring.
Where Consumer Law Ends and Network Rules Begin
In the U.S., federal law gives cardholders a right to dispute with their issuer. It does not decide whether the merchant bears the loss. That comes from network rules and your merchant agreement, and network filing windows usually run longer than the legal notice periods.
The practical effect for merchants: a dispute can still reach you through the network after the legal notice period has passed.
For the legal background, see chargeback laws and merchant rights; for the debit and credit specifics, see debit card chargebacks and credit card chargebacks. Wallet and marketplace cases can use a different rulebook. PayPal disputes opened inside PayPal run under the PayPal User Agreement, not card network rules.
PSD3 and PSR: What Has Changed for EU Merchants?
Status checked: November 2, 2026. The EU Council adopted its first-reading positions on the third Payment Services Directive (PSD3) and the Payment Services Regulation (PSR) on October 29, 2026. The Council voting register records this legislative step. It does not make the package immediately applicable.
- Next legislative step: Parliament's second reading. The Council's procedural note records the ECON committee chair's recommendation for approval without amendments; that recommendation is not Parliament's final decision.
- PSR application clock: The Council text provides for entry into force 20 days after Official Journal publication, general application 21 months after entry into force, and application of Articles 51 and 58 on payee verification and related liability after 27 months. Articles 92 and 118 apply from entry into force. These periods come from Article 124 of the Council's PSR text, not from the October 29 vote.
- Your current dispute workflow: For an open card dispute, keep using the applicable law, current network condition and provider deadline. The Council vote creates no immediate new merchant response deadline or reimbursement entitlement.
Scope: EU payment providers and payment-service users across payment methods, including merchants and marketplaces. PSD3 addresses provider authorisation and supervision; PSR addresses payment-service conduct and users' rights and obligations. Recheck the final published acts before assigning calendar implementation dates or changing liability guidance.
Build a Repeatable Response Checklist
- Validate the case
Match the disputed payment to the order and check the allegation.
- Reconcile prior money movements
Check for refunds, credits or earlier disputes before you respond.
- Choose the supported action
Decide whether the records support contesting the case or accepting it.
- Assemble relevant evidence
Tie each file to one disputed fact. Cut anything that does not help.
- Submit and retain confirmation
Keep the submission confirmation with the case record.
- Review the cause and result
Find the message, shipping or payment fix that stops it happening again.
This process supports chargeback representment but following the steps does not guarantee a win. Evidence, eligibility and the issuer's view still matter, and file limits apply too: Stripe, for example, caps combined evidence at 4.5 MB and Mastercard evidence at 19 pages.
Assess Escalation With Your Acquirer
If a case progresses after your response, confirm the next stage and permitted action. The case can go on to pre-arbitration and then network arbitration, based on the network.
Escalation costs real money. Adyen’s documentation warns that a scheme ruling in the issuer’s favor can cost up to USD 600. Stripe collects USD 500 when a merchant contests a Visa or Mastercard compliance dispute, refunded only if the merchant wins.
Before you escalate, weigh the fee, deadline and evidence against the disputed amount. Escalation is not a routine second try.
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Continue learning: Foundations and rules
Use Chargeback Basics and Rules: A Merchant Learning Path to choose the next merchant task in this topic.
- What Is the Chargeback Process? A Complete Merchant Guide: A merchant workflow for intake, evidence, submission, and reconciliation.
- How Does a Chargeback Work? A Step-by-Step Guide: A beginner explanation of the chargeback lifecycle and funds movement.
Sources and scope
Source notes updated: October 18, 2026. Card-payment disputes. Identify the network, region, reason and case stage before applying a rule. Use the due date and time zone on your case notice, not the cardholder filing window.
- Visa: current public rules and editions
- Mastercard: rules and chargeback documents
- Adyen: dispute timeframes by network
- Stripe: responding to card disputes
- Stripe: dispute and fraud monitoring programs
- CFPB: Regulation Z, credit card liability and claims
For a live case, keep the rulebook edition or effective date, the relevant rule and the provider notice.
Foire aux questions
How Far Back Can a Cardholder File a Chargeback?
Most card network chargebacks must be filed within about 120 days of the transaction or the expected delivery date. Visa and Mastercard allow up to 540 days in specified cases, such as goods never delivered. U.S. law separately sets a 60-day notice window for Regulation Z and Regulation E errors.
What Is the 540-Day Chargeback Rule?
The 540-day chargeback rule is an outer filing cap in specified Visa and Mastercard dispute conditions.
Under Visa condition 13.1, the issuer has 120 days from the date the cardholder expected the goods or services, but never more than 540 days from the transaction processing date. It does not set an end date for the whole dispute, and it does not extend the merchant’s response window.
Do Merchants Always Have 30 or 45 Days to Respond?
No. Merchant response deadlines vary by processor, network and case stage. Stripe cites 7 to 21 days in most cases, and Adyen publishes 9 to 40 days by network. Use the deadline in the dispute notice, not a universal 30-day or 45-day window.
Can a Bank Refuse a Chargeback?
Yes. An issuing bank can decline to file a chargeback when the claim falls outside the network’s dispute conditions or misses the filing window.
It can also refuse when the cardholder skipped a required step, such as first trying to resolve a non-receipt or quality problem with the merchant. If the merchant's evidence wins, the issuer takes back the provisional credit.
What Are Valid Reasons for a Chargeback?
Valid chargeback reasons fall into four families, the same categories Visa uses for its dispute conditions: fraud, authorization problems, processing errors such as duplicate charges, and consumer disputes. Consumer disputes include goods not received, not as described, canceled recurring billing and credit not processed. Each family maps to specific reason codes with their own evidence rules.
Are Merchants Liable for Chargebacks?
Merchants are usually liable for chargebacks under their acquirer agreement. The acquirer debits the disputed amount and a fee, and the merchant gets the funds back only by winning representment. Liability can shift to the issuer in some cases, such as fraud on a 3-D Secure purchase that passed authentication.
Who Loses Money During a Chargeback?
The merchant usually loses money during a chargeback. The sale amount is debited, the chargeback fee is rarely refunded even after a win, and staff time and lost goods add to the cost. The cardholder keeps the provisional credit only if the merchant loses or does not respond.
What Are the Visa Chargeback Rules?
Visa chargeback rules sort disputes into four groups: fraud, authorization, processing errors and consumer disputes. Most give cardholders 120 days to file, up to 540 days in some cases. Since April 1, 2026, VAMP flags merchants at a 1.5% ratio in most regions.
What Are the Mastercard Chargeback Rules for 2026?
Mastercard chargeback rules for 2026 keep the 120-day filing window for most conditions. The Excessive Chargeback Merchant program starts at 100 to 299 chargebacks and a 1.5% to 2.99% ratio, and the high tier starts at 300 and 3%. Mastercard’s Global Merchant Audit Program replaces ACMP on April 1, 2027.
Does Winning a Chargeback Remove It From Monitoring?
No. A chargeback win does not remove the dispute from monitoring metrics. Visa and Mastercard count disputes when they arrive, win or lose. Disputes resolved before filing through pre-dispute products are excluded from Visa’s VAMP count.
Are Chargebacks Usually Successful for Cardholders?
Chargebacks often succeed for cardholders, mostly because many merchants never respond. Merchants surveyed for Mastercard's 2025 State of Chargebacks report said they won about half of the cases they fought, so a timely, rule-based response changes the odds.
Can Delivery Evidence Help With a Fraud Dispute?
Delivery evidence can help in a fraud dispute, based on the condition and your other records. It is neither useless nor a sure win. For Visa card-absent fraud, earlier undisputed purchases under Compelling Evidence 3.0 are often stronger.
Where Should Merchants Check Current Chargeback Rules?
Merchants should check current chargeback rules in each network’s primary documents, such as the Visa Core Rules and the Mastercard Chargeback Guide. For a live case, the processor or acquirer’s instructions come first.
Keep Your Dispute Process Current
Maintain one owner for rule updates and one source of truth for case deadlines. Review changes when your acquirer flags them, and recheck monitoring headroom against the 2026 thresholds each month. Then update the evidence checklist your team actually uses.
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