Visa vs Mastercard Chargeback Process
Key differences in deadlines, evidence requirements, and dispute resolution between the two largest card networks. Updated for 2025 rules.
Visa
Visa has the strictest deadlines in the industry. Missing the window means automatic loss.
Mastercard
Mastercard provides more time, especially for physical goods requiring delivery verification.
Detailed Comparison
| Feature | Visa | Mastercard | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Response deadline (US/Canada) | 9 days | 30-45 days | Visa is much stricter |
| Response deadline (International) | 18 days | 30-45 days | Visa still tighter |
| Physical goods deadline | 9-18 days | 45 days | MC gives more time for shipping disputes |
| Digital goods deadline | 9-18 days | 30 days | MC differentiates by product type |
| Pre-arbitration | Optional | Required before arbitration | Different escalation paths |
| Arbitration cost | $500 | $500 | Same cost |
| Fraud reason codes | 10.x series | 48xx series | Different numbering systems |
| Not received codes | 13.x series | 48xx series | Visa has dedicated category |
Evidence Requirements by Processor
Visa Required Fields
merchantNameorderIdorderDatecustomerNamebillingAddressipAddressAVS resultCVV resultproofOfDelivery (exhibit)
Mastercard Required Sections
merchantNameorderIdorderDatecustomerNameipAddressproofOfDelivery (exhibit)transactionOverview (narrative)riskSignals (narrative)delivery (narrative)policies (narrative)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which processor is harder to fight chargebacks with?
Visa is generally considered harder due to their 9-day response deadline (US/Canada). Mastercard gives merchants 30-45 days depending on the dispute type, allowing more time to gather evidence. However, both require proper documentation and formatting to win.
Do Visa and Mastercard have the same reason codes?
No. Visa uses a numeric system (10.4, 13.1, etc.) while Mastercard uses 4-digit codes (4837, 4853, etc.). The underlying dispute reasons are similar, but the codes, evidence requirements, and narrative sections differ. ProofReturn generates processor-specific templates for each.
What evidence works for both Visa and Mastercard?
Core evidence like proof of delivery, AVS/CVV verification, and customer communications works for both. However, each processor has specific required fields and formatting. Visa requires explicit field names like merchantName, orderId, ipAddress. Mastercard requires specific narrative sections like transactionOverview, riskSignals, delivery, policies.
Why did Visa shorten their deadline to 9 days?
Visa implemented shorter deadlines in 2025 to speed up the dispute resolution process. They believe merchants should have evidence readily available and shouldn't need 30 days to compile a response. This puts pressure on merchants to have better evidence collection systems in place.
Can I use the same response template for both processors?
No. Using a Visa template for a Mastercard dispute (or vice versa) will likely result in rejection. Each processor has specific requirements for fields, exhibits, and narrative structure. ProofReturn automatically generates the correct format based on your processor.
Related Resources
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