Code13.7TypeConsumer disputeFiling window120 days from the charge or from when the goods or services were received or expected, to a maximum of 540 daysMonitoringDispute count (VAMP)What does Visa 13.7 mean?
The cardholder canceled merchandise or a service, or returned it under your policy, and the charge stood anyway.
It sounds like 13.2, and the difference matters for your evidence: 13.2 is about canceling a recurring agreement, the subscription itself. 13.7 is about canceling a specific purchase: an order, a booking, a service engagement.
What causes a 13.7 chargeback?
- An order canceled before shipment that was billed anyway.
- A returned product accepted back without the refund following.
- A canceled booking or service where the charge survived the cancellation.
- Cancellation windows or fees the customer didn't know they had agreed to.
Why do subscription businesses get 13.7?
Subscription businesses meet 13.7 at the edges of the recurring relationship: a canceled upgrade, an annual plan canceled inside a money-back window, an add-on order canceled before delivery.
The disambiguation matters for prevention more than for the response, because the bank chooses the code and you answer the one it filed. A subscription cancellation can arrive as 13.2 or as 13.7; either way, the cancellation date against the charge date is the core evidence. A canceled purchase turns on your cancellation policy and whether the charge respected it.
Can a chargeback alert stop 13.7?
Alerts catch 13.7 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. When the cancellation was valid, the money was coming back anyway; the alert decides whether it comes back with a dispute attached.
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 13.7 dispute?
You win 13.7 by showing the charge respected your cancellation policy, or that no valid cancellation happened. Send:
- Proof your cancellation policy was properly disclosed at purchase: online, that means before final checkout, with a click-to-accept button, checkbox or other acknowledgement.
- The cancellation request date against the charge date and the policy terms.
- For returns: the return's status against your return policy, and any refund issued.
- Proof of delivery or service performed, if the customer canceled after receiving value.
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 13.7?
- Honor cancellations instantly, and confirm them in writing with what happens next.
- Refund canceled orders before the customer wonders where the money is.
- Show cancellation windows and fees before final checkout, with a box or button the customer uses to accept them.
- When a cancellation carries a fee, restate it at cancellation time, not just at purchase.
The cardholder gets 120 days from the charge or from when the goods or services were received or 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
What is the difference between Visa 13.7 and 13.2?
13.2 is about canceling a recurring agreement: the subscription itself. 13.7 is about canceling a specific purchase: an order, booking, or service. The evidence differs accordingly: 13.2 turns on the recurring cancellation date, 13.7 on your cancellation policy and whether the charge respected it.
What evidence wins a 13.7 dispute?
Proof that your cancellation policy was disclosed and accepted at purchase, the timing of the cancellation request against the charge, and for returns, the return's status under your policy. If the customer received and used the product or service before canceling, proof of that value delivered matters too.
Can chargeback alerts stop 13.7?
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 when the cancellation was valid, that money was coming back anyway.
How do I prevent 13.7 chargebacks?
Make cancellation instant and confirmed in writing, refund canceled orders promptly, and show cancellation windows and fees before final checkout with a box or button to accept them; Visa allows a link only when it is part of that acceptance. Watch for the pattern of a cancellation that worked followed by a refund that didn't keep up.
Checked against Visa's Core Rules (April 2026) and Visa's Dispute Management Guide for Merchants (October 2026). Last reviewed October 23, 2026.
