Reason code · American Express
Amex P05: incorrect charge amount
P05 means the amount you charged differs from what the Card Member agreed to pay. Added fees, taxes, delayed charges and short refunds all lead here. Your answer is proof they agreed to the amount, or an itemized record that supports it.
What P05 means
P05 means the amount is the problem, not the purchase. The Card Member agrees they bought something; they say you charged the wrong amount. Amex’s guide lists causes such as:
- A wrong amount was submitted and never corrected.
- The charge was higher than expected because of an addition error, shipping, taxes, delayed charges or a restocking fee.
- The charge is higher than the customer remembers agreeing to.
- A refund was smaller than expected because of a deduction, such as a cancellation or restocking fee.
What the customer told Amex
“I was quoted one price and charged another.” Or “They kept part of my refund.” The gap between the two numbers is the dispute.
Time limit
Processor guides list this code at 120 days from the transaction date, in line with Amex’s general 120-day window for Card Members (Amex’s word for cardholders).
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
Amex accepts proof the customer agreed to the amount, proof they were told about and agreed to additional or delayed charges on the card you charged, an itemized contract or charge record that supports the amount, or a refund that offsets the difference.
Short refunds count too
Most merchants think of P05 as overcharging. Amex also lists the opposite: a refund that came back smaller than the customer expected because you deducted a fee. If your policy keeps a cancellation fee or restocking fee, the customer’s agreement to that fee is what protects the deduction.
Notice the detail in Amex’s list, too: agreement to delayed charges using the card they were charged to. Agreement to pay isn’t quite the same as agreement to have it billed to that card later.
The common mistake
Agreeing a price change by phone and never putting it in writing. A revised quote or signed change order is the difference between “they agreed” and “they say they agreed.”
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.
