What specific chargeback reason codes do Visa and Mastercard use for recurring supplement subscriptions and their filing windows?

1. What the networks call “cancelled recurring billing” — the specific codes

Visa maps recurring‑billing cancellation complaints into its Customer Disputes bucket under reason code 13.2 (the code that replaced the older “41” label) for situations where a cardholder says they were charged after cancelling a subscription ^{[1] [5]}. Mastercard uses a family of 48xx codes for consumer disputes; the one most frequently cited for cancelled recurring or digital subscription claims is 4853 (“Canceled Recurring or Digital Goods Transactions”), and issuers may also use adjacent 48xx codes depending on jurisdiction and exact claim details ^{[2] [3]}.

2. How the networks describe merchant burden and required evidence

Both networks require merchants and acquirers to show proof when a recurring‑billing dispute is raised: Mastercard guidance explicitly asks for evidence that a transaction was not recurring or that the cardholder cancelled (for example, start date and cancellation records) and sets documentation requirements for responses ^[3]. Stripe and other processors map network codes into dispute categories and describe “Subscription Canceled” disputes as the place where recurring‑billing complaints land, reinforcing that proof of cancellation or clear recurring‑billing consent is the merchant’s primary defense ^{[6] [7]}.

3. Filing windows and time limits — what the sources actually say

Chargeback timing varies by network, reason code and whether the message is issuer‑ or acquirer‑initiated; the sources emphasize that time limits exist but do not provide a single universal window for Visa’s recurring‑billing code in the excerpts provided ^{[4] [5]}. Mastercard’s materials and third‑party summaries note that issuing/acquiring timeframes matter and that acquirers typically receive a fixed window to act — with merchants generally allotted roughly half that time to prepare a response — and one vendor summary states Mastercard gives acquirers 45 days from the date of the chargeback to respond (merchant internal processing time is usually shorter) ^{[3] [4]}. The provided excerpts also show that other niche timeframes exist (for example, prepaid‑card or expiration‑related rules) but these do not directly govern standard recurring‑subscription disputes ^[4].

4. Practical implications for subscription merchants

Merchants selling supplements or other recurring goods should treat Visa 13.2 and Mastercard 4853/48xx as the canonical dispute labels to defend against, and must retain clear records of subscription start dates, cancellation confirmations, retry attempts and communications because networks explicitly request start/cancellation evidence in recurring cases ^{[3] [6]}. Because procedural windows vary and acquirers often receive the formal notice first — with merchants given a shorter internal deadline to assemble evidence — rapid internal workflows and PDF/JPEG‑formatted documentation are repeatedly flagged as operational necessities in network and vendor guides ^{[3] [8]}.

5. Limits of available reporting and contested points

The available sources consistently name the Visa and Mastercard codes for cancelled recurring billing and stress documentation and timing, but they do not present a single definitive Visa filing window for recurring‑billing disputes in the excerpts provided; multiple vendor and network documents note varied time limits by code and region and highlight updates in Mastercard’s rules without publishing a simple, universal deadline in these snippets ^{[1] [3] [4]}. Alternative viewpoints — including issuer practice variation and scheme updates — mean a merchant’s best source for the operative deadline is the merchant’s acquirer or the current Mastercard/Visa chargeback guides for the merchant’s country ^{[3] [9]}.