Credit not processed chargebacks (Visa 13.6/13.7): proving the refund already happened
These disputes share one story: the cardholder says a credit was due — a returned item, a canceled order, a promised refund — and it never arrived. Visa files them under reason code 13.6 (credit not processed) and 13.7 (canceled merchandise/services, where a credit was expected); Mastercard handles the equivalent under its cardholder-dispute family (reason code 4853). Very often you did send the refund and the cardholder simply disputed before it posted. This is the most document-driven dispute type there is: win it with the refund record, not with an argument.
The exhibit that carries the case
One record outweighs everything else: your processor's refund record showing the Acquirer Reference Number (ARN) — the reference the card networks assign to a refund, which the cardholder's own bank can trace. A refund you can't produce an ARN for is, from the analyst's chair, a refund that may not exist. Build the packet around it:
- Exhibit A — Refund record with ARN. The processor refund detail: ARN, refund date, refunded amount, and the card it went back to (brand and last four digits are enough; never submit a full card number).
- Exhibit B — The original payment. The original transaction record showing the same payment method and the original amount, so the analyst can match refund to purchase line by line.
- Exhibit C — Partial refund math. If the refund was partial, an itemized breakdown: original amount − refunded amount = the amount legitimately disputed, and why the difference stands (items kept, services used, shipping not refundable under the policy the customer saw).
- Exhibit D — Refund-timing communications. The email or message where you told the customer the refund was issued and when to expect it. Customers dispute "missing" refunds most often inside the normal posting window; a dated "refund sent Jul 3, expect 5–10 business days" message reframes the dispute as impatience, not misconduct.
- Exhibit E — The refund trigger. The return receipt, cancellation confirmation, or customer request that started the refund, with dates. This closes the loop: asked → returned/canceled → refunded → posted.
What issuers weigh most
The ARN is the case. The issuing bank can look it up in its own systems, which turns your claim from "trust us" into a verified network record. Second in weight is method matching: the refund went back to the same card that paid — a refund sent to a different card, a store credit the customer never agreed to, or a check they never cashed all invite the analyst to side with the cardholder. Refund date matters too: a refund processed before the dispute was filed is a very different packet from one sent after.
Structure the response like this
- Summary (3–5 sentences). Name the claim and the network record: "Credit not processed. The order was canceled on Jul 2 (Exhibit E) and refunded in full on Jul 3 to the same Visa card ending in 4242 — Acquirer Reference Number [ARN] (Exhibits A, B). The refund predates the dispute filed Jul 18; the customer was told on Jul 3 to expect posting within 5–10 business days (Exhibit D)."
- Timeline. Purchase → return/cancellation → refund processed (with ARN) → dispute filed. The dates do the persuading.
- Exhibits, in reading order. Every claim in the summary points at one exhibit; show partial-refund math as its own exhibit rather than burying it in prose.
| Date | Event | Exhibit |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 24 | Original purchase on the card later disputed | B |
| Jul 2 | Order canceled / return received; refund triggered | E |
| Jul 3 | Full refund processed to the same card; ARN issued; customer notified with posting-time guidance | A, D |
| Jul 18 | "Credit not processed" dispute filed — nine business days after the refund | A |
Mistakes that lose winnable credit-not-processed cases
| Mistake | Why it loses |
|---|---|
| Saying "we refunded them" without the refund record | Unproven refunds lose. The processor's refund detail with the ARN is a two-minute export and the strongest exhibit in this dispute type. |
| Refunding to a different method | A refund the cardholder can't find on the card they paid with reads as no refund. Match the original payment method and show that you did. |
| Skipping the partial-refund math | If the disputed amount exceeds your refund, the difference needs an itemized explanation, or the analyst assumes the whole amount is owed. |
| Refunding after the dispute without saying so | A post-dispute refund may still resolve the balance, but presenting it as pre-dispute proof destroys credibility when the dates are checked. State the true sequence. |
Other reason codes
- Product not received (Visa 13.1): delivery evidence that wins →
- Not as described (Visa 13.3): listing, specs, and receipt proof →
- Fraudulent (Visa 10.4): the card-not-present evidence that matters →
- Canceled recurring (Visa 13.2): terms, usage, and cancellation records →
- The full Stripe chargeback evidence checklist, by reason code →
Have a credit-not-processed dispute open right now?
Parry assembles this packet from your uploads — dispute notice, refund record with ARN, original payment record, customer messages — into a case summary, rebuttal draft, timeline, and labeled exhibits. It's an AI draft: you review every fact and submit it yourself. We never submit in your name, never invent evidence, and the outcome is always the bank's call.
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Parry is not affiliated with Stripe, Visa, or Mastercard. Reason-code descriptions are general information, not legal advice; your processor's dispute notice controls deadlines and requirements. Last updated: October 10, 2026.