Visa · Consumer Disputes
Reason code 13.6: Credit Not Processed
The merchant issued or promised a credit, accepted a return or cancellation, and the refund never posted to the cardholder's account. The cardholder holds a credit slip, refund confirmation, or cancellation acknowledgment, and is using the dispute to collect it. These cases are usually factually simple: either the credit was processed or it was not.
Issuer filing window
typically 120 days from the date the credit was due or the date on the credit documentation
Merchant response window
typically 20-30 days to respond, depending on the acquirer
Why 13.6 chargebacks happen
- A refund was approved in the support system but the actual gateway credit was never executed.
- Refunds were queued against a MID that was frozen or closed, so approved credits silently failed.
- The credit was processed to a different card or account than the original payment method.
- A return was received at the warehouse but never triggered the refund workflow.
- The refund posted slower than the customer expected, and the dispute was filed during the processing gap.
How to fight a 13.6 chargeback
- Provide the credit transaction record with its date, amount, and ARN if the refund actually processed, which is a straightforward win.
- If the refund posted after the dispute was filed, submit the credit reference and flag the potential double refund for recovery.
- Show that no credit was due under your disclosed policy, such as a return received outside the return window, with the policy disclosure evidence from checkout.
- Document that the returned merchandise never arrived back if your policy conditions refunds on receipt.
- Where the credit genuinely failed to execute, process it immediately and present the correction rather than contesting.
How to prevent 13.6 chargebacks
- Automate the path from refund approval to gateway execution and alert on any credit that fails to settle within its expected window.
- Reconcile support-system refund approvals against processor credit records daily.
- Always refund to the original payment method and card, never by check or to a different card, absent a closed-account exception handled through your processor.
- Tell customers the expected refund timeline at the moment of approval to bridge the posting gap.
- Drain and verify pending refund queues before closing or switching any MID.
- Disclose refund policies conspicuously at checkout so no-refund conditions are enforceable in disputes.
Frequently asked questions
- How long do I have to process a refund before the customer can dispute?
- Visa expects credits to be processed promptly once due, and the cardholder can dispute once a promised credit fails to appear within a reasonable posting period; their filing window runs from when the credit was due. As a working rule, execute the gateway credit the day you approve the refund. Most 13.6 disputes come from refunds that were approved in a CRM but never actually executed at the processor.
- I already refunded but got a 13.6 chargeback anyway. What now?
- Respond with the credit's transaction record, including date, amount, and reference; documented processed credits defeat this dispute cleanly. Timing overlap is common, since customers file while the refund is still posting. If both the refund and the chargeback end up settling, pursue the double credit through your acquirer with both references in hand.
- Can I refuse a refund and still win a 13.6 dispute?
- Yes, when no credit was actually due and your policy was properly disclosed before purchase. Evidence of the disclosed policy at checkout, plus facts showing the return fell outside it, supports a valid defense. What loses is a promised or acknowledged refund that never executed; once your side generated a refund expectation, the dispute is really a collection action you should moot by paying it.
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