Reason code · American Express
Amex P23: currency discrepancy
P23 means the charge was processed in a different currency than the one the Card Member agreed to be billed in. Amex’s guide lists one response: a refund that already offsets the charge. Some processor documents label P23 differently, so read the description.
What P23 means
P23 is about currency. Amex’s guide says the charge was processed in a different currency from the one the Card Member agreed to be billed in. A customer who expected a charge in US dollars and got one in another currency, or the other way around, is the classic case.
Check the label
Most sources agree on this one. Amex’s own guide, Checkout.com, Stripe and Chase’s processor guide all call P23 Currency Discrepancy. At least one processor document we reviewed prints a different label for P23. If yours does, go by the description on your notice, not the label.
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’s reference guide lists a single response to P23: proof that a refund directly offsetting the disputed charge has already been processed. There’s no list of documents to argue with, so the practical decision is whether a refund is already in place.
It’s a settings problem
Amex’s prevention advice points straight at your systems: process charges in the currency the Card Member expects and will recognize, which Amex describes as part of the multi-currency functionality set up in your point of sale. If your business takes bookings from abroad, or charges in more than one currency, check that the currency shown at checkout is the one that settles.
Quote in one currency and bill in another, and you’ve built the dispute yourself.
The common mistake
Treating P23 as a pricing argument. The customer isn’t disputing the price. They’re disputing the currency. Fix the setting that caused it so the next charge is right.
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.
