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Visa reason code 13.1: what it means and how to respond

Visa reason code 13.1 covers merchandise or services not received. Learn who files it, what evidence supports a response, and which deadlines apply.

What Visa code 13.1 means and when it applies

Visa code 13.1, “Merchandise/Services Not Received,” is filed when the cardholder participated in the transaction but neither the cardholder nor an authorized person received the merchandise or services because the merchant was unable or unwilling to provide them. The rule also covers a Visa Commercial Card Virtual Account holder and, depending on the transaction type, the partner responsible for loading funds or converting them to cryptocurrency.

For a dispute to qualify under 13.1, all applicable requirements must be met:

  1. The cardholder participated in the transaction but did not receive the purchase. If the cardholder says they did not make the purchase, the case concerns fraud and belongs under Category 10.
  2. The provider caused the non-delivery. The merchant or responsible partner was unable or unwilling to provide the merchandise or services.
  3. The cardholder tried to resolve the problem before the dispute. The cardholder must contact the merchant or, when applicable, the merchant’s liquidator, the crypto Ramp Provider, or its Conversion Affiliate.
  4. If the merchandise arrived late, the cardholder returned or attempted to return it. A delay alone is not enough when the cardholder kept the merchandise.

The disputed amount is limited to the portion that was not received.

Source for the requirements: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.1, Table 11-89 (ID# 0030313), and §11.10.2.2, Table 11-90 (ID# 0030314).

Even when the requirements above appear to be met, the dispute is invalid if at least one of these conditions applies:

  1. The transaction is an excluded type. This includes an ATM Cash Disbursement, a transaction Visa classifies as Straight Through Processing, the Cash-Back portion of a Visa Cash-Back transaction, or an Automated Fuel Dispenser transaction.
  2. The cardholder canceled before the expected date. The non-receipt resulted from the cardholder’s cancellation, not the merchant’s failure to deliver.
  3. The merchandise is held by customs in the cardholder’s country. The merchant is responsible under 13.1 only when the merchandise is held by customs in the merchant’s country.
  4. The cardholder calls the transaction fraudulent. The issuer must use a Category 10 code.
  5. The complaint concerns quality. If the merchandise or services were delivered but were defective or different from what was promised, the correct code is 13.3.
  6. The balance of a partial Advance Payment remains unpaid. This exclusion applies only when the merchant remains willing and able to provide the merchandise or services after the balance is paid.
  7. The digital asset reached the wallet. If cryptocurrency or another digital asset, such as an NFT, was delivered and the cardholder merely lost access, the case does not involve non-receipt.

Source for the invalidity conditions: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.3, Table 11-91 (ID# 0030315).

In practice, the issuer charges the acquirer, the institution that represents the merchant in the Visa network, for the portion that was not received. The acquirer investigates the case. If it accepts the dispute, it may debit the merchant. If a defense path applies, the merchant gives its records to the acquirer, which responds to Visa.

Source for the effect of the dispute: Visa Dispute Management Guidelines for Visa Merchants, pp. 5–6.

Deadlines for each party under Visa 13.1

1 block represents 30 calendar days.

  1. IssuerWait 15 days before filing the 13.1 disputeThe waiting period starts when the transaction occurs with no agreed delivery date, the cardholder returns or attempts to return late-delivered merchandise, or the merchant cancels the merchandise or services.
    15-calendar-day waiting period
  2. IssuerFile the 13.1 disputeThe clock starts when Visa processes the transaction or the last date the cardholder expected to receive the merchandise or services arrives.
    Up to 120 calendar days
  3. IssuerFile the 13.1 dispute within the absolute limitThe clock starts when Visa processes the transaction.
    Up to 540 calendar days
  4. AcquirerSubmit a Visa-permitted defense pathThe clock starts when Visa processes the dispute.
    Up to 30 calendar days
  5. IssuerRespond to the acquirer’s defenseThe clock starts when Visa processes the acquirer’s defense.
    Up to 30 calendar days
  6. AcquirerRespond to the issuer’s pre-arbitration attemptThe clock starts when Visa processes the issuer’s pre-arbitration attempt.
    Up to 30 calendar days
  7. IssuerAsk Visa to decide the caseThe clock starts when Visa processes the acquirer’s pre-arbitration response.
    Up to 10 calendar days
These are the time limits set by Visa.Your deadline to submit documents may be shorter; confirm it with your acquirer.Source:Visa Core Rules, Tabelas 11-92 (ID# 0030316) e 11-2 (ID# 0030213)

Who files the dispute and what happens next

The issuer, the bank that issued the card, files the 13.1 dispute for the cardholder in VROLVisa Resolve Online is the system where the issuer files the dispute and the acquirer submits the response and case documents.. The merchant does not file or respond to the case directly.

When filing the dispute, the issuer must provide all applicable documents:

  1. Certification of the reason. The issuer confirms what was not received, the agreed date or location, and the cardholder’s attempt to resolve the problem. If the claim concerns the location, the issuer states the agreed address. For late delivery, it records the date of the return or attempted return. If the merchant canceled, it records the cancellation date. For a Commercial Card Virtual Account, it confirms the financial loss. For crypto or an NFT, it confirms that the asset did not reach the wallet address supplied by the cardholder.
  2. A detailed description of the purchase. The description must add information beyond the Clearing RecordThe record sent after a purchase to present the transaction and calculate settlement among the participants., unless the record’s Enhanced Data already describes the merchandise or services.
  3. An explanation for early filing. If delivery was scheduled for a future date, the issuer explains why it filed the dispute before that date.
  4. A cardholder letter in one specific situation. The letter is required only when both conditions occur together: the cardholder disputes three or more transactions at the same merchant on the same card and all of them occurred within the same 30-calendar-day period. One regional exception applies: for a domestic installment transaction in the LAC Region (Brazil), the count is calculated from the original Authorization RequestThe electronic message sent to request approval for a transaction. Under this regional exception, the original request is the reference point for the count..

Source for the filing documents: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.5, Table 11-93 (ID# 0030317).

Before filing, the issuer must wait 15 calendar days when one of these starting events applies: the Transaction Date when no delivery date was agreed, the date the cardholder returned or attempted to return late-delivered merchandise, or the date the merchant canceled the merchandise or services. For MCC 4722MCC stands for Merchant Category Code and identifies the merchant’s line of business. Code 4722 covers travel agencies and tour operators. and agencies that sell third-party event tickets, the wait is 30 calendar days from the service provider’s cancellation. The wait does not apply if it would push the dispute beyond the filing deadline or if the merchant is insolvent or bankrupt.

After the wait, the issuer may file the dispute within 120 calendar days of the Transaction Processing Date or the last date the cardholder expected to receive the merchandise or services. The second calculation cannot extend beyond 540 calendar days from the Transaction Processing Date. For a third-party gift card with no expiration date that is not honored because the third party is insolvent or bankrupt, only the 120-calendar-day period from the Transaction Processing Date applies. In Europe, a travel claim covered by a bonding authority or insurance scheme requires an attempt to obtain reimbursement and a 60-calendar-day wait. The wait does not apply if the coverage is insufficient. If the scheme does not respond within that period, the issuer may proceed with the dispute.

Source for the deadlines and exceptions: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.4, Table 11-92 (ID# 0030316), and Updates and Clarifications to Dispute Rule Language, Article ID AI10681.

13.1 uses the CollaborationThe workflow for Category 12 and 13 disputes. It lets the acquirer respond before the issuer makes a pre-arbitration attempt. workflow. The acquirer has 30 calendar days from the Dispute Processing Date to submit a Dispute ResponseThe formal response the acquirer submits in VROL to challenge the dispute using one of the evidence items Visa permits.. If the issuer rejects the defense, it may make a pre-arbitration attemptThe stage where the issuer must address the acquirer’s evidence before asking Visa to decide the case. within 30 calendar days. The acquirer has another 30 calendar days to accept or decline. If the case remains unresolved, the issuer may take it to Visa arbitration within 10 calendar days.

Source for the workflow and response deadlines: Visa Core Rules §11.2.3, Table 11-2 (ID# 0030213).

Before building a defense, check whether this dispute is invalidProving any one condition is enough to challenge the dispute's validity.
  • The transaction is an excluded type: an ATM Cash Disbursement, a Straight Through Processing transaction, the Cash-Back portion of a Visa Cash-Back transaction, or an Automated Fuel Dispenser transaction.
  • The cardholder canceled the merchandise or services before the expected delivery or service date — buyer’s remorse is not non-receipt.
  • The merchandise is held by customs in the cardholder’s own country — the merchant is responsible only for merchandise held by customs in the merchant’s country.
  • The cardholder states that the transaction is fraudulent — the case belongs under a Category 10 code and is expressly invalid under 13.1.
  • The complaint concerns the quality of merchandise or services that were delivered — that is 13.3, Not as Described or Defective.
  • The transaction is a partial Advance Payment whose remaining balance was not paid, while the merchant remains willing and able to provide the merchandise or services.
  • Crypto/NFT: the asset was successfully delivered to the wallet and the cardholder can no longer access it, withdraw it, transfer it, or access winnings.

Source:Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.3 — Invalid Disputes, ID# 0030315

How to reduce the risk of this code

Visa’s sources do not provide a separate prevention list for 13.1. The controls below come directly from the evidence Visa accepts:

  1. Keep proof showing the full delivery address. Tracking that shows only a city or ZIP code does not qualify as proof of delivery.
  2. Document pickup at the collection point. For a purchase made without presenting the physical card, keep the collection document and at least one acknowledgment from the cardholder or an authorized person: a signature, PINA numeric code used to confirm that the cardholder or an authorized person collected the merchandise., or a collection code.
  3. Communicate and retain the agreed date. The order confirmation should record the delivery or service window. This document shows whether the dispute was filed too early.
  4. Document cancellations, credits, and availability. Keep records showing who canceled and when, whether the services remained available, and the identifiers for any credit or Reversal.

Source for the controls derived from the defense: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.6, Table 11-94 (ID# 0030318), and Visa Dispute Management Guidelines for Visa Merchants, Condition 13.1, p. 37.

Evidence the merchant needs to gather

Prove receipt

The merchant gives the documents to the acquirer, which chooses one applicable defense path and proves it in full in the Dispute Response. The paths are alternatives; the merchant does not need to meet all of them. When a path has multiple requirements, however, all requirements for that path must be present.

  1. Prior credit or Reversal not addressed. Show that the merchant already returned the funds and that the issuer did not address the credit in the dispute. The document must identify the credit or Reversal, the original transaction, the date, and the amount. The ARNARN stands for Acquirer Reference Number. It is the number created in the card scheme to locate a transaction, including a credit or Reversal. or the Transaction IdentifierAn identifier assigned to a transaction so Visa and the participating institutions can locate the correct record. creates that link.
  2. Invalid dispute. Prove at least one of the invalidity conditions listed above.
  3. Cardholder retraction. Provide a letter or email from the cardholder stating that they no longer dispute the transaction.
  4. Services received. Certify and document that the cardholder or an authorized person received the services at the agreed location or by the agreed date and time.
  5. Merchandise delivered. Provide proof of delivery showing the full address. Tracking with a partial address is not permitted.
  6. Merchandise collected without the physical card. Provide the collection document and at least one acknowledgment from the cardholder or an authorized person: a signature, PIN, or collection code.
  7. Merchandise taken in a card-presentA transaction completed with the physical card at the point of sale, rather than online or by phone. sale. Certify that the cardholder took the merchandise at the time of sale.
  8. Delivery date not yet passed. Provide the order confirmation and the date or delivery window that had not ended when the issuer filed the dispute.
  9. Cardholder canceled before the agreed date. Show the cancellation date and that the merchant remained willing and able to provide the merchandise or services.
  10. Partial Advance Payment with an unpaid balance. Show that the balance remained unpaid and that the merchant remained willing and able to provide the merchandise or services.
  11. Flight departed. If the claim is that the flight did not operate, prove that it departed. A manifest with the passenger’s name is required only when the issuer specifically claims the cardholder was not on board.
  12. Future services remained available. Show that the merchant did not cancel the services and that they remained available.
  13. Crypto or NFT delivered. Prove that the asset reached the wallet address supplied by the cardholder and provide the wallet address, a transaction hashAn identifier created by the blockchain network to locate and verify a transfer. For this code, it must be traceable on an open-source website. traceable on an open-source website, or both. This path applies to Dispute Responses processed on or after October 19, 2024.

Source for the defense paths: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.6, Table 11-94 (ID# 0030318); Visa Dispute Management Guidelines for Visa Merchants, Condition 13.1, p. 37; and Updates and Clarifications to Dispute Rule Language, Article ID AI10681.

For Dispute Responses processed on or after April 18, 2026, an additional protection applies. If the merchant submitted proof showing the full address or collection evidence, the issuer may make a pre-arbitration attempt only after reviewing that material with the cardholder and addressing its contents. If the evidence includes a photo, the issuer must address the photo. If it includes a signature, the issuer must address the signature.

Source for the pre-arbitration requirement: Visa Core Rules §11.10.2.7, Table 11-95 (ID# 0031084).

Frequently asked questions

When does a Visa 13.1 chargeback apply?

The cardholder took part in the transaction, but neither the cardholder nor an authorized person received the merchandise or services because the merchant or responsible partner was unable or unwilling to provide them. This code covers non-receipt only. Quality complaints belong under 13.3.

What proof of delivery can support a response to a 13.1 dispute?

The proof must show the full delivery address. Tracking that shows only a partial address is not accepted as a defense. For a card-absent pickup, the collection document must include a signature, PIN verification, or a collection code acknowledging the cardholder or an authorized person.

How long does the issuer have to file a 13.1 dispute?

The standard deadline is 120 calendar days. When measured from the last expected date of receipt, the filing window cannot extend beyond 540 calendar days from the Transaction Processing Date.

How long does the acquirer have to respond to a 13.1 dispute?

Visa gives the acquirer 30 calendar days from the Dispute Processing Date to submit a Dispute Response through VROL. The merchant sends its records to the acquirer, which responds to Visa.

Is the dispute still valid if the cardholder canceled before the expected date?

No. If the cardholder canceled the merchandise or services before the expected delivery or service date, code 13.1 expressly makes the dispute invalid.

What if the cardholder says the transaction was fraudulent?

A fraud claim makes a 13.1 dispute invalid. The issuer should have filed the dispute under a Category 10 fraud code, not 13.1.

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