Visa 13.6 / MC 4853 · spec §3.5
credit not processed chargebacks (Visa 13.6): evidence that wins
Visa 13.6 (Mastercard 4853, refund) is the “credit not processed” code: the cardholder says they were promised a refund or credit that never arrived. Most of these are won simply by proving the credit was in fact issued — the strongest evidence is the money movement itself, in your processor’s settlement records.
What actually wins it
The evidence that carries a Visa 13.6.
The network rules that decide this code, in plain language — each claim named to its source and flagged where the source is less than primary.
Prove the credit was issued — settlement records are strongest
The processor batch/settlement record showing the refund cleared usually ends the dispute.
- You win by showing the credit was issued — amount, date, and transaction ID — with the processor batch or settlement record as the strongest proof.Visa 13.6 win condition
- Alternatively, if a refund policy was disclosed at checkout and that policy bars the refund, that disclosed policy is itself a valid defense.Visa 13.6 — disclosed-policy defense
- The issuer is expected to wait 15 days after the return or cancellation before filing a 13.6, so an early filing may itself be premature.Spec §3.5 — 15-day issuer wait secondary source
The fatal mistakes
What loses a Visa 13.6 on sight.
- Asserting the refund was issued without the settlement record to back it — a bare claim of “we refunded it” with no money-movement proof does not carry a 13.6.Spec §3.5 fatal shape
- A discrepancy between the refund amount or date in the letter and the settlement record — any letter–exhibit mismatch is a credibility-killer and blocks the case.Spec §2.3 letter–exhibit consistency
Proof, published
A real Visa 13.6 packet, redacted.
This is the same structure, exhibits, and citations a live Visa 13.6 dispute gets — with every figure fabricated.
The cardholder claims a credit was not processed. Processor settlement records show the refund was issued in full, defeating this Visa 13.6 / MC 4853 claim.
| Amount | USD 60.00 |
|---|---|
| Transaction date | 2026-02-11 |
| Transaction ID | ch_SAMPLE_cnp01 |
| Refund amount | USD 60.00 |
| Refund date | 2026-02-20 |
- Exhibit A — Processor batch / settlement record showing the refund cleared.
- Exhibit B — Refund confirmation sent to the cardholder.
- Exhibit C — Cardholder communications showing the refund was requested and granted.
Fabricated sample data — the only merchant is the fictional Example Threads Co.. Read the complete packet: full letter (HTML) · download PDF.
Honest triage
Should you even fight it?
Almost always fight it when the refund actually cleared — the settlement record is decisive and the packet nearly writes itself. The honest exception is the case where a refund really is owed and was not sent: there, the right move is to process the credit, not to fight. On tiny amounts, weigh the ~$25–50 net-negative floor once Stripe’s $15 + $15 fees are counted.
- ~20% of contested disputes overall (Mastercard 2025 issuer-side data)
- 9–17% on true third-party fraud
- ~44% on friendly fraud
- ~47% on sub-$30 items vs ~28% on $300+
- Stripe's $15 dispute fee plus a $15 'countered' fee (US, since June 2025)
Questions
Straight answers on Visa 13.6.
What is the strongest evidence for a Visa 13.6 credit-not-processed dispute?
The processor batch or settlement record showing the refund actually cleared — the amount, date, and transaction ID of the money movement. It proves the credit was issued, which is the entire question in a 13.6.
Can I win a 13.6 if no refund was ever issued?
Only if a refund policy was disclosed at checkout and that policy bars the refund. Otherwise, if a credit is genuinely owed, the correct action is to issue it — fighting a valid refund claim is neither winnable nor advisable.
Why does the refund amount in my letter have to match the settlement record exactly?
Because any discrepancy between the narrative and the exhibits is a credibility-killer that blocks submission under the letter–exhibit consistency rule. The figures in the letter must match the settlement record to the cent and the day.
Is there a waiting period before an issuer can file a 13.6?
The issuer is expected to wait 15 days after the return or cancellation before filing, so a chargeback raised earlier than that may be premature on its own.
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Flat fee, no success cut. Deterministic evidence selection cited to the network rule, with the letter you can edit and a triage verdict when a case isn't worth fighting.