Reason code · Visa
Visa reason code 13.8: original credit transaction not accepted
Visa 13.8 is about money sent to a card, not taken from it. An Original Credit Transaction, a payout pushed to a Visa card, was refused by the recipient or isn’t allowed by law. The bank has 120 days to file.
Key takeaways
- It’s about payouts. 13.8 applies to money pushed to a card, not to a sale.
- Rare for most merchants. Businesses that send payouts to cards are the ones who see it.
- 120 days. From the payout’s processing date.
What Visa 13.8 means
An Original Credit Transaction (OCT) is a payment sent to a Visa card: a payout, winnings or a transfer. Visa’s rule: the OCT wasn’t accepted because the recipient refused it, or because OCTs are prohibited by applicable laws or regulations.
Most merchants never see this code. It matters to businesses that pay money out to cards, such as marketplaces paying sellers, platforms paying gig workers, or gaming and contest operators paying winnings. If that isn’t you and a 13.8 shows up, ask your processor to confirm the code before you do anything else.
What the customer told their bank
“I didn’t want this payment,” or the bank simply can’t accept it under local law. The bank certifies which one applies. It doesn’t need a complaint about you or a story from anyone.
The time limit
The bank has 120 calendar days from the processing date of the Original Credit Transaction.
Your own deadline is much shorter. Visa gives your bank (the acquirer) 30 calendar days from the dispute to respond. Your processor keeps part of that time, so the due date on your notice is the one that counts.
What kind of proof matters
Very little applies. Visa’s rules let the sending side show only two things: a reversal the bank didn’t account for, or that the dispute is invalid. There is no argument about the merits of the payout.
One common mistake
Confusing a 13.8 with a refund problem. A refund on a customer’s purchase isn’t an Original Credit Transaction. If you refunded a customer and they say they never got it, that’s a different code, usually 13.6. Read the code on your notice before you gather anything.
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