Code13.5TypeConsumer disputeFiling window120 days from the charge or from when the goods or services arrived, to a maximum of 540 daysMonitoringDispute count (VAMP)What does Visa 13.5 mean?
The cardholder told their bank that what they were sold was not what they agreed to. Not a fraud claim, and not quite a cancellation claim either: a claim about the terms themselves.
In subscription billing this points to one situation above all: a trial or introductory offer converted into a paid charge, and the customer says the conversion was never made clear.
What causes a 13.5 chargeback?
- Trial terms that lived in fine print instead of next to the signup button.
- A free trial converting at a price or date the customer didn't expect.
- An introductory rate stepping up to a full rate without a reminder.
- Marketing that promised one thing and billing that did another.
Why do subscription businesses get 13.5?
13.5 is the code that prices bad trial UX. Every one of them is a customer who hit the first real charge and felt tricked, whether or not the terms were technically on the page.
The line between 13.5 and 13.2 is worth knowing: 13.2 says I canceled and you charged me. 13.5 says I never understood I would be charged at all. Different claim, different evidence, same root: the customer didn't see the charge coming.
Can a chargeback alert stop 13.5?
Alerts catch 13.5 before it becomes a chargeback.
The customer calls 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 fix the disclosure: an alert saves the dispute, but only clearer trial terms stop the next customer from feeling tricked.
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 13.5 dispute?
You win 13.5 by proving the terms were clearly disclosed and accepted. For a free trial or introductory offer, Visa's rules name two proofs you need together: the customer expressly agreed to future charges at signup, and you notified them at least 7 days before the charge. Send:
- The acceptance record: when and how the customer agreed to future charges, such as the checkbox or button they clicked.
- The reminder you sent at least 7 days before the disputed charge, with its send date. For a trial dispute, Visa's rules name this proof alongside the consent.
- A capture of the signup page as the customer saw it, with the trial price and conversion date visible.
- Usage records showing the customer kept using the service after converting.
- Your refund and cancellation policy as displayed at purchase.
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 13.5?
- Put the price and the conversion date next to the signup button, not in a linked page of terms.
- Send a reminder at least 7 days before the trial converts, with the amount, the date, and a cancel link. Visa's rules make that reminder part of the evidence for a trial dispute, and our guide to Visa and Mastercard's subscription rules covers the timing on both networks.
- Use Visa's End Trial allowance: the first charge after a trial may add wording such as End Trial to the statement line, so the charge explains itself. Visa marks the exact wording optional.
- Make the first invoice say what it is: trial ended, plan started, here is how to cancel.
The cardholder gets 120 days from the charge or from when the goods or services arrived, 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
What is the difference between Visa 13.5 and 13.2?
13.2 is a cancellation claim: the customer says they canceled and were charged again. 13.5 is a terms claim: the customer says they never understood they would be charged at all. Trial-conversion disputes belong under 13.5; post-cancellation rebills belong under 13.2.
Does 13.5 apply to free trials?
It is the code free trials generate. When a trial converts to a paid subscription and the customer says the conversion was never made clear, the bank files it as misrepresentation. Clear pricing at signup and a reminder at least 7 days before the trial converts are the two fixes.
Can chargeback alerts stop 13.5?
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.
What evidence wins a 13.5 dispute?
For a free trial or introductory offer, Visa's rules name two proofs: the customer expressly agreed to future charges at signup, and you notified them at least 7 days before the charge. Add the signup page showing the trial price and conversion date, and usage after the conversion. Without the reminder, that route to winning is closed.
Checked against Visa's Core Rules (April 2026), Visa's Dispute Management Guide for Merchants (October 2026) and Visa's Merchant Data Standards Manual (April 2026). Last reviewed October 23, 2026.
