4834 – Unreasonable Amount

PREVIEW

A high-level overview

You received this chargeback because you didn’t specify the exact transaction amount before finalizing the purchase. Now, the cardholder thinks the amount is unreasonable.

To use this reason code, all of the following must be true:

• Both the card issuer and merchant were in the EEA, Gibraltar, or the United Kingdom.
• A PIN or other cardholder verification method was not used.
• The transaction amount exceeded what the cardholder could reasonably have expected, taking into account the cardholder’s previous spending pattern, the conditions of the cardholder agreement, and the relevant circumstances of the case.

The chargeback time limit depends on the card that was used for the transaction.

• Maestro transactions: Within 120 days of the transaction processing date
• Mastercard transactions: Within 90 days of the transaction processing date

If you — the merchant — have the required data and supporting documents, you can fight an Unreasonable Amount chargeback. At most, you will have 45 days to respond.

Here are some tips on how to avoid this chargeback in the future.

• Provide the cardholder with an accurate estimate of the transaction amount before charging the card.
• Make sure all transaction amounts are reasonable based on previous bills and the relevant circumstances of services provided.

NOTE

Because this chargeback impacts a small portion of merchants, we aren’t going to elaborate on what causes this dispute or how to respond. If you are a merchant or acquirer and need additional details about this reason code, we recommend you consult the latest version of the Mastercard chargeback guide. You’ll find a section on Unreasonable Amount chargebacks in chapter 2 (dual message system chargebacks).