Code13.1TypeConsumer disputeFiling window120 days from the charge or from the last date the goods or services were expected, to a maximum of 540 daysMonitoringDispute count (VAMP)What does Visa 13.1 mean?
The cardholder paid and, in their telling, got nothing: merchandise that never shipped, a service that never started, or access that never worked.
The filing window is the unusual part. The bank can file within 120 days of the charge or within 120 days of the last date the goods or services were expected, up to 540 days after the charge, so a pre-order or a delayed launch can be disputed long after the payment cleared.
What causes a 13.1 chargeback?
- A provisioning failure: payment succeeded, account access didn't.
- A shipped order that never arrived, or arrived after the customer gave up.
- A pre-order or backorder that slipped past the promised date.
- A service dependent on setup steps the customer never completed or received.
Why do subscription businesses get 13.1?
For digital subscriptions, 13.1 is the paid-but-locked-out code. The billing system charged, the provisioning system failed, and the customer's bank heard about it before your support team did.
It is also the code that punishes silent delays. If access or delivery slips, the customers you tell wait; the ones you don't tell dispute. The difference between the two groups is one email.
Can a chargeback alert stop 13.1?
Alerts catch 13.1 before it becomes a chargeback.
The customer contacts their bank first, which is when Visa RDR and CDRN see the dispute. Refund through the alert and it resolves before filing, staying out of the VAMP dispute count. Then find out why delivery failed, because a provisioning bug generates these in batches.
Alerts are one of the two levers here. See how RDR, CDRN and Ethoca work together, and check where your ratio stands before the letter checks it for you.
How do you respond to a 13.1 dispute?
You win 13.1 by proving delivery or access happened. Send:
- For physical goods: proof of delivery showing the full delivery address, matching the address on the order. Tracking with a partial address doesn't count.
- For digital products: access logs, login timestamps, and what the account did after the charge.
- The delivery or activation timeline the customer was shown at purchase.
- Any communication about delays, and the customer's responses.
Your processor sets the deadline, and it varies: Stripe usually gives 7 to 21 days, and Mastercard says processors' deadlines average 10 to 35 days. The date on your dispute notice is the one that counts.
How do you prevent 13.1?
- Alert on the gap: any account that pays and never gains access is a 13.1 forming.
- Confirm delivery and activation in writing, so the customer knows it worked.
- When delivery slips, say so before the customer notices, with a date and a refund option.
- For physical goods, use tracked shipping to the billing address where fraud risk allows.
The cardholder gets 120 days from the charge or from the last date the goods or services were expected, to a maximum of 540 days to file. Your window to respond is far shorter: Stripe, for example, usually gives 7 to 21 days. And the dispute counts the day it files, win or lose, which is why prevention beats response.
FAQ
How long does a customer have to file a 13.1 dispute?
It can run longer than other codes: 120 days from the charge or 120 days from the last date the goods or services were expected, up to 540 days after the transaction. Pre-orders and delayed launches can be disputed months after the payment cleared.
What evidence wins a 13.1 dispute?
Proof of delivery or access: proof of delivery with the full delivery address for physical goods, access and login records for digital products, plus the delivery timeline the customer was shown and any delay communication. If the customer used the product after the charge, that is strong evidence against the claim.
Can chargeback alerts stop 13.1?
Yes. The customer contacts their bank first, so RDR and CDRN see the dispute before it becomes a chargeback. Refunding through the alert resolves it and keeps it out of the VAMP dispute count, and it buys time to find the delivery failure behind it.
Why do digital subscriptions get 13.1 chargebacks?
Provisioning failures: the payment succeeded and account access didn't, or setup silently failed. The customer paid, got nothing, and called their bank. Monitoring for accounts that pay without ever logging in catches these before the bank hears about them.
Checked against Visa's Core Rules (April 2026) and Visa's Dispute Management Guide for Merchants (October 2026). Last reviewed October 23, 2026.
