Reason code · American Express
Amex C04: goods or services returned or refused
C04 means the Card Member says they returned the goods, or refused them, and never got a refund. Your return policy, how you showed it, and whether the customer followed it decide most of these cases.
What C04 means
C04 covers two situations: the Card Member says they returned what they bought, or they refused it, and either way no refund arrived. Amex’s guide lists the usual causes:
- The customer expected or was promised a refund that never came.
- They were billed before the credit posted to their statement.
- They don’t understand your return or refund policy.
What the customer told Amex
“I sent it back and never got my money” or “I refused the delivery and they charged me anyway.” Find out which one it is first. A return and a refusal call for different proof.
Time limit
Amex’s guide says Card Members (Amex’s word for cardholders) generally get 120 days from the transaction date, and that returned and canceled disputes can follow a different time frame. Processor guides list 120 days from the latest of the transaction date, the date the credit was due, or the date the goods or services were canceled, refused or returned.
Your side of the clock is short. Amex’s own guide tells merchants to respond within 20 days. If you accept Amex through a processor such as Stripe or Square, the processor sets its own date, often a shorter one. The due date on your notice is the one that counts.
What proof matters
For a return: your return policy, how you showed it to the customer, and how they didn’t follow it. Or a written explanation showing the goods never came back. For a refusal: proof the goods or services were actually accepted. And in every case, a refund that already offsets the charge ends it.
Refused isn’t the same as returned
Amex treats “refused” as its own question. If the customer says they refused something, Amex’s guide accepts proof it was accepted: a signed delivery slip for goods, or a screen print showing the service was used if it was delivered online. Usage beats argument.
Amex also gives a simple prevention tip worth stealing: program your terminals to print your return and refund policy on receipts. A policy on the receipt is a policy the customer saw.
The common mistake
Relying on a policy the customer only saw after paying, or one buried on a page nobody opens. Amex’s guide says to post return and refund policies where they can be seen before the transaction, such as near the register or on the checkout page.
Dispute Daddy builds this for you
Upload the notice and your records. Dispute Daddy builds a response around the reason Amex actually gave, and you approve it before you submit. See how the method works.
