Visa reason code 13.8: Original Credit Transaction Not Accepted
Visa code 13.8 returns an Original Credit Transaction (OCT) that the recipient refused or applicable law prohibits. See the rules, defense, and deadlines.
What Visa code 13.8 means and when it applies
Visa code 13.8, “Original Credit Transaction Not Accepted,” is filed when the intended recipient’s issuer returns an Original Credit Transaction (OCT)A transaction initiated by the merchant, acquirer, or agent to send a credit to a payment credential or bank account. that was not accepted. This is not a purchase dispute: an OCT puts funds into the recipient’s account, and code 13.8 unwinds that credit.
For the dispute to be valid, all of these context requirements must be met:
- The transaction is an OCT. The funds were sent as a credit to the recipient’s account.
- The issuer filed the dispute on time. The deadline is 120 calendar days from the OCT Processing DateThe date Visa uses to start the filing period for code 13.8. It belongs to the processing of the original credit, not a purchase..
- The transaction is not a Mobile Push Payment TransactionA credit transaction the cardholder starts on a mobile phone or tablet to pay, add funds, or withdraw funds. Visa excludes this transaction type from code 13.8.. This classification makes the code invalid on its own.
Within that context, at least one of these two reasons must apply:
- The recipient refused the credit. The person who would receive the funds did not accept the OCT.
- A law or regulation prevents the credit. Applicable laws or regulations prohibit OCTs for the recipient’s account.
Source for the requirements and two reasons: Visa Core Rules §11.10.9, Tables 11-135 through 11-137 (IDs 0030355, 0030553, and 0030357).
When these requirements are met, the issuer returns the funds to the acquirer that originated the OCT. Code 13.8 does not require the cardholder to have suffered a financial loss. It is also exempt from the USD 25 minimum that applies to travel and entertainment disputes.
Source for the exceptions: Visa Core Rules §1.10.1.1 (ID# 0003287) and §11.4.3, Table 11-5 (ID# 0030219).
The general rule requires a Visa member to accept an incoming OCT unless applicable laws or regulations prohibit it. That acceptance requirement does not cover non-reloadable prepaid cards, certain prepaid cards without cardholder data on file, products with restricted sources of funds, or Visa Commercial Cards. These exclusions do not prove by themselves that an OCT was prohibited: the issuer must still certify one of the two reasons for code 13.8.
Source for the acceptance rule: Visa Core Rules §8.4.2.1, Original Credit Acceptance (ID# 0004062).
If the issue is a promised refund after a purchase, see code 13.6. Code 13.8 concerns an original credit that was not accepted, not a credit the merchant failed to process.
Deadlines for each party under Visa 13.8
1 block represents 10 calendar days.
- IssuerFile the 13.8 disputeThe clock starts when Visa processes the Original Credit Transaction (OCT).Up to 120 calendar days
- AcquirerSubmit a Visa-permitted defense pathThe clock starts when Visa processes the dispute.Up to 30 calendar days
- IssuerTake the case to pre-arbitrationThe clock starts when Visa processes the acquirer’s defense.Up to 30 calendar days
- AcquirerRespond to the issuer’s pre-arbitration attemptThe clock starts when Visa processes the issuer’s pre-arbitration attempt.Up to 30 calendar days
Who files the dispute and what happens next
The recipient’s issuer, meaning the bank of the person who would receive the funds, files code 13.8. In VROLVisa Resolve Online is Visa’s system where the issuer files the dispute and participants submit responses and case documents., the issuer must certify at least one of the two reasons: applicable law or regulation does not allow the OCT, or the recipient refused the credit.
Source for the issuer’s certification: Visa Core Rules §11.10.9.4, Table 11-138 (ID# 0030358).
Code 13.8 follows the Category 12 and 13 Collaboration process. After filing, the acquirer, the institution that represents the party that originated the credit, has 30 calendar days to submit a Dispute ResponseThe acquirer’s formal response to the dispute. It presents one permitted defense ground and the corresponding documents.. The merchant gives its records to the acquirer; it does not respond directly to Visa.
If the issuer does not accept the response, it may start pre-arbitrationThe stage where the issuer asks for another review after the Dispute Response and before taking the case to Visa for a decision. within 30 calendar days. The acquirer has another 30 calendar days to respond. If the case remains unresolved, the issuer may file for arbitration within 10 calendar days, and Visa decides financial responsibility.
Source for the process and deadlines: Visa Core Rules §11.2.3, Table 11-2 (ID# 0030213), and §11.3.1, Use of Visa Systems for Dispute Processing.
Before building a defense, check whether this dispute is invalidProving any one condition is enough to challenge the dispute's validity.
- The transaction is a Mobile Push Payment Transaction — code 13.8 cannot be used in this case.
- The dispute was filed more than 120 calendar days after the OCT Processing Date.
Source:Visa Core Rules §11.10.9.2, Tabela 11-136 (ID# 0030553), e §11.10.9.3, Tabela 11-137 (ID# 0030357)
How to reduce the risk of this code
Visa’s merchant guide does not provide a prevention list for code 13.8. The OCT rules point to two useful controls: before sending the funds, confirm that the product can receive the credit, and retain the identifier, amount, and Processing Date for each OCT. These records make it possible to check the deadline and connect any response to the correct transaction.
If the transfer contains an error, an OCT ReversalThe message that unwinds an original credit that was already sent. Under code 13.8, it supports a defense only when it meets Visa’s conditions and deadline. can prevent the same amount from being returned again through the dispute. To use this reversal, all of these requirements must be met: it must be processed within one business day of the Processing Date; the OCT must not have been initiated as an Online Financial TransactionA format used to initiate an OCT online. Visa’s general rule does not allow an OCT initiated this way to be reversed through this mechanism.; and the transaction must not be a push-to-account OCTAn OCT sent to an account through the Visa Direct Payouts program. Its exceptions and reversals follow a separate guide, not the general OCT Reversal rule..
In addition to those requirements, the reversal must use one of these four reasons:
- Incorrect payment credential. The recipient’s account identifier was wrong.
- Incorrect amount. The credit was sent for an amount other than the correct amount.
- Duplicate processing. The same credit was processed more than once.
- Incorrect transaction code. The transaction was sent with the wrong code.
Source for the requirements and four reasons: Visa Core Rules §8.4.1.6, Original Credit Transaction Reversals (ID# 0026074).
Evidence the merchant needs to gather for a defense
The response must follow one path that matches the facts. Under the Core Rules, the acquirer must prove one of these two grounds:
- The issuer did not address a valid reversal. Gather the reversal processing or settlement record, the OCT Processing Date, the reason used, the amount, and the reference. All of these elements must show that the reversal met the one-business-day deadline, used one of the four permitted reasons, matched the disputed OCT, and came before the dispute.
- The dispute is invalid. Submit the OCT identifier, amount, and Processing Date together with at least one of these items: documentation showing that the transaction was a Mobile Push Payment Transaction or a timeline showing that the issuer filed the dispute after the 120-day deadline.
Source for the two defense grounds: Visa Core Rules §11.10.9.5, Table 11-139 (ID# 0030359). Source for invalidity and the deadline: Tables 11-136 and 11-137 (IDs 0030553 and 0030357).
Visa’s merchant guide provides one additional response: the cardholder no longer disputes the OCT. In that case, gather a dated letter or email from the cardholder that identifies the transaction and clearly states that they have withdrawn the dispute. This option appears in the merchant guide but is not one of the two grounds in Table 11-139. Confirm with the acquirer how it should be submitted in VROL.
Source for the withdrawal: Visa Dispute Management Guidelines for Visa Merchants, Condition 13.8, p. 48.
Confirmation that the credit was posted to the account does not replace any of these paths. Table 11-139 does not list it as a defense. If there was no valid reversal, the dispute is not defective, and the cardholder has not withdrawn it, the acquirer should accept code 13.8 instead of attaching documents that do not meet the rule.
Frequently asked questions
What happens in a Visa 13.8 chargeback?
The intended recipient’s issuer files code 13.8 to return an Original Credit Transaction (OCT) that was not accepted. The funds go back to the acquirer that originated the credit rather than recovering a debit from a purchase.
When does Visa allow code 13.8?
The dispute must be filed on time and cannot involve a Mobile Push Payment Transaction. It must also meet at least one of two reasons: the recipient refused the OCT, or applicable laws or regulations prohibit OCTs.
Does confirmation that the credit reached the account support a defense?
Not by itself. Visa Table 11-139 allows a Dispute Response based on a merchant-issued reversal the issuer did not address or proof that the dispute is invalid. Confirmation that the credit was posted does not replace either ground.
What makes a 13.8 dispute invalid?
Visa states that code 13.8 is invalid for a Mobile Push Payment Transaction. The issuer also misses the deadline if it files the dispute more than 120 calendar days after the OCT Processing Date.
How long does the issuer have to file a 13.8 dispute?
The issuer has 120 calendar days from the Original Credit Transaction Processing Date in all regions.
Must the cardholder suffer a financial loss under code 13.8?
No. Code 13.8 is exempt from the general cardholder financial-loss requirement and from the USD 25 minimum that applies to travel and entertainment disputes.
View all Visa chargeback reason codes or return to Knowledge.