What this code means
Match the card brand and payment_method_details.card.network_reason_code first. For this row that pair is Mastercard and 4853. The packet category on the default row is not as described. That default is only for a defective, damaged, or not-as-described claim.
In the not-as-described category, the cardholder received something and says it was not what was described, was damaged, or was not genuine. Show the offer they saw, and any return or repair path. Do not send them to the manufacturer and call that a response.
Stripe maps the code, not the sentence. dispute.reason stays product_unacceptable even when the words are “not provided” or “recurring.” A matcher that only reads dispute.reason will not see the difference. The issuer’s narrative does.
Response deadline
Use the due date on the dispute you are answering. In Stripe that timestamp is dispute.evidence_details.due_by. On Shopify, use the evidence due date shown for that dispute. Do not replace either date with the network figures below.
Stripe’s responding guide says the merchant window is usually 7–21 days, depending on the network. Miss it and you lose. If due_by is 0, the bank does not allow a response. You get one submission. You cannot add files later.
Secondary guides cite 45 calendar days from the chargeback processing date for Mastercard second presentment. That is the acquirer clock. Some countries use a shorter limit. It was not re-read from the Mastercard Chargeback Guide in the 2026-10-11 pass. It does not extend due_by or the Shopify evidence due date.
Read the sub-reason first
Stripe’s category map, fetched 2026-10-11, puts all of the following under 4853, and all of them arrive as product_unacceptable. Switch evidence off the narrative. The checklist later on this page is the quality packet.
| Sub-reason on the notice | Evidence to use |
|---|---|
| General defective or not as described. Goods or services were either not as described or defective. | The quality checklist on this page. Description shown before payment, and the return or remedy path. |
| Counterfeit goods. | Authenticity records, still under not as described. Not a fraud packet. |
| Goods or services not provided. Transaction did not complete. | Product-not-received evidence: proof of delivery, access, or performance, or that the agreed date has not arrived, tied to this order. Same evidence as a non-receipt code. dispute.reason will still say product_unacceptable. |
| Cardholder dispute of a recurring transaction. Issuer dispute of a recurring transaction. | Subscription-canceled evidence: cancellation terms as shown, how they were shown, why this charge still stands, and a renewal notice or use after the claimed cancel date. |
| Credit not processed. Timeshares. Credit posted as a purchase. | Credit-not-processed evidence: the credit already issued, or why none was owed, plus the refund or cancellation terms shown before purchase. |
| Addendum dispute. No-show hotel charge. | The disclosed terms for that fee. Not a defective-item essay. |
| Failed travel merchant (Intra-EEA and domestic European only). Digital goods purchase of USD 25 or less. | Read the narrative. Do not assume the claim is about quality. |
A secondary guide says Mastercard discontinued 4841 (canceled recurring or digital goods) and told issuers to use 4853. Stripe’s category map, fetched 2026-10-11, still lists 4841 under subscription_canceled. If the code on the dispute is 4841, answer 4841. If the code is 4853 and the narrative is recurring, use the cancellation evidence and expect dispute.reason to stay product_unacceptable.
Stripe’s defense guide still calls 4855 “Goods or Services Not Provided.” The category map instead labels 4855 “Transaction Did Not Complete.” Both Stripe pages still list 4855. If the live code is 4853 and the narrative is non-receipt, use non-receipt evidence anyway. Do not assume 4841 or 4855 can no longer appear.
Evidence checklist
Use this list when the sub-reason is defective, damaged, or not as described. If the narrative is one of the other rows above, do not stop at this list.
Required
Identify the 4853 sub-reason from the issuer’s narrative before choosing documents.
Stripe field: uncategorized_text.
Write down which sub-reason you are answering. The default documents below are only for defective, damaged, or not-as-described.
For a quality or not-as-described sub-reason: the description at purchase, and the remedy offered.
Stripe fields: product_description, uncategorized_file, refund_policy, refund_policy_disclosure, refund_refusal_explanation, customer_communication, receipt.
Stripe asks for the listing, delivery or acceptance, photos before shipment, digital access logs, pre-dispute messages, and the refund policy agreed at checkout. The category fallback says the same thing in two parts: the description or images shown at the time of sale, and the refund terms disclosed before purchase, including why a further credit is or is not due. Show any attempt to resolve, repair, or replace before the dispute.
Strong
Delivery or use records that show the customer received the item described.
Stripe fields: shipping_documentation, shipping_tracking_number, shipping_date, access_activity_log, service_documentation.
Useful when the sub-reason is quality or nonconformity. Photos of the item before shipment, authenticity records for a counterfeit claim, and download logs for digital goods answer a quality claim. They do not answer a pure non-receipt claim. They are not a substitute for cancellation logs when the sub-reason is recurring. The category fallback also lists uncategorized_file and uncategorized_text for those quality records. uncategorized_file is one file per evidence type, so combine pages.
Weak or not relevant
- Sending only the quality packet when the narrative says goods were not provided, a credit was not posted, or a recurring charge continued.
- Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0. It is a Visa 10.4 rule. It does not apply to Mastercard.
- AVS or CVC results as the answer to a defective-goods claim.
- Assuming legacy code 4841 or 4855 cannot still appear. Stripe’s map still lists both. Match the code on the dispute.
- Telling the cardholder to contact the manufacturer, and treating that as the response.
Stripe evidence fields
Names and types are from the Dispute object. File fields are the ID of an uploaded file. Every field is nullable. Fields for the other sub-reasons are the ones named in the switch table; this table is the quality packet.
| Field | Kind | What the API field is for |
|---|---|---|
uncategorized_text | Text | Any additional evidence or statements. On this code, state the sub-reason you are answering. |
product_description | Text | Description of the product or service sold. For this packet, the description the customer saw before paying. |
uncategorized_file | File | Any additional evidence. One file per evidence type, so combine pages. Use it for the listing or photos shown at purchase, and for pre-shipment photos. |
receipt | File | Receipt or message that notified the customer of the charge. |
refund_policy | File | Refund policy as shown to the customer. |
refund_policy_disclosure | Text | How the customer was shown the refund policy prior to purchase. |
refund_refusal_explanation | Text | Why the customer is not entitled to a refund. |
customer_communication | File | Emails, chats, or a written account of a phone call. Include the pre-dispute attempt to resolve, repair, or replace. |
shipping_documentation | File | Proof of shipment to the address the customer provided. |
shipping_tracking_number | Text | Tracking number. Separate multiple numbers with commas. Stripe expands these with carrier delivery detail when it compiles the packet. |
shipping_date | Text | Date a physical product began its route, human-readable. |
access_activity_log | Text | Server or activity logs proving the customer accessed or downloaded a digital product. Include IP addresses and timestamps. |
service_documentation | File | Proof a service was provided, such as a contract or work order. |
If the narrative is recurring, the cancellation fields are cancellation_policy (file), cancellation_policy_disclosure, and cancellation_rebuttal, plus use or a renewal notice. If the narrative is a missing credit, lead with refund_refusal_explanation and the terms that were shown, not with a delivery scan. Outbound tracking does not prove a credit posted. If the narrative is non-receipt, lead with carrier, tracking, ship date, and address, or with access logs, or with a service date and service document.
Common mistakes
- Treating every 4853 as “not as described” because
dispute.reasonsaysproduct_unacceptable. - Sending the quality packet for “goods or services not provided,” “transaction did not complete,” a recurring charge, or a credit that did not post.
- Answering a no-show or addendum fee with a defective-item essay, instead of the terms for that fee.
- Assuming a digital-goods purchase of USD 25 or less, or a failed-travel-merchant code (Intra-EEA and domestic European only), is a quality claim without reading the narrative.
- Ignoring a live 4841 or 4855 because a secondary guide said the condition moved under 4853. Stripe’s map still lists both. Match the numeric code.
- Sending Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0, or answering a defective-goods claim with AVS or CVC only.
- Sending the cardholder to the manufacturer instead of showing the listing and any remedy you offered.
- Using a delivery scan as proof that a refund posted.
- Treating the 45-day acquirer figure as the date you must hit inside Stripe or Shopify.
Example rebuttal
Facts only, and only for a defective or not-as-described narrative. Brackets are synthetic placeholders. Delete any line you cannot fill from the order. If the narrative is non-receipt, recurring, or a missing credit, do not use this paragraph. Do not add a sentence about how the issuer should decide.
Mastercard reason code 4853. Stripe reason: product_unacceptable. Issuer narrative treated as: [SUB-REASON, such as not as described]. Order [ORDER ID] placed on [ORDER DATE] for [PRODUCT DESCRIPTION]. Listing shown at purchase: [LISTING SUMMARY]. Copy attached. Shipped [SHIP DATE] by [CARRIER], tracking [TRACKING NUMBER], delivery scan [DELIVERY DATE]. Refund terms shown before payment: [REFUND TERMS AS SHOWN]. Customer wrote on [MESSAGE DATE]: [WHAT THE CUSTOMER WROTE]. Remedy already offered or completed: [REPAIR, REPLACEMENT, OR REFUND, WITH DATE], or none because [POLICY THE CUSTOMER DID NOT MEET].
Sources
- Stripe reason-code defense guide. Titles 4853 “Defective or Not As Described.”
- Stripe dispute categories. Every 4853 sub-reason listed above maps to
product_unacceptable. 4841 and 4855 are still separate rows. - Stripe: responding to a dispute. The merchant window is usually 7–21 days. One submission.
- Stripe Dispute object. Evidence field names, and
evidence_details.due_by. - Secondary note on Mastercard 4841. Says Mastercard discontinued 4841 and told issuers to use 4853. Stripe’s map still lists 4841.
- Secondary summary of acquirer response windows. Mastercard cited as 45 calendar days. Not re-checked against the Mastercard Chargeback Guide in this pass.
- Secondary summary of the same response windows. Same 45-day Mastercard figure. Some countries are shorter. Secondary.