ChargebackKit
American ExpressConsumer DisputeUpdated June 2026

American Express Reason Code C04: Goods/Services Returned or Refused

The cardmember returned merchandise or refused delivery and claims a credit was not applied to their account.

Respond within ~20 days
Winnable with strong evidence

Your strongest argument

The return did not qualify under your clearly disclosed policy, or the credit was already processed.

Evidence that wins a American Express C04 dispute

  • Your return and refund policy accepted at purchase
  • Proof the return did not meet your policy criteria, or that goods were not returned in acceptable condition
  • Refund confirmation and reference ID if a credit was already issued
  • Communication records about the return or refusal

Ordered strongest first — lead your rebuttal with the items at the top.

Not sure you have enough to win?

Run a free 60-second readiness check for American Express C04. Answer a few yes/no questions and get a 0–100 score, a green/amber/red evidence checklist, and your exact response deadline — no signup.

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How processors label this dispute

ProcessorWhat you'll see
Stripereason: credit_not_processed

Where to pull this evidence

Prove you issued the credit, or that none was owed. Here's exactly where the relevant records live in each processor dashboard — gather them free before you build your pack.

Stripe

Dashboard → Payments → Disputes (or the email alert from Stripe).

  • AVS & CVC check results: Open the original payment → Payment details → "Checks" (CVC, ZIP, address).
  • Customer email, IP, and device: Payment → Customer section and the "Risk insights" / Radar panel.
  • Receipt / order confirmation: Payment → "Send receipt" or your order-management system; export the PDF.
  • Refund history & reference IDs: Payment → Timeline shows any refunds with their re_… reference IDs.

Shopify Payments

Shopify admin → Orders → the flagged order → "Chargeback" banner, or Settings → Payments → Manage disputes.

  • Order & fulfillment details: Orders → the order → Fulfillment + Timeline (shows when items shipped).
  • Tracking number & carrier: Orders → Fulfillment → tracking; confirm "Delivered" status with the carrier.
  • Customer info & IP: Order → Customer section; Order → Additional details / fraud analysis for IP and AVS/CVV.
  • Fraud analysis (AVS/CVV/risk): Order → "Fraud analysis" panel shows AVS, CVV, and Shopify’s risk indicators.

Square

Square Dashboard → Disputes (or Balance → Disputes), or the email from Square.

  • Transaction & receipt: Transactions → the payment → receipt; "Resend receipt" for a copy.
  • Card-present / chip details: Transaction detail shows entry method (chip, tap, keyed) — chip reads support card-present disputes.
  • Customer details: Customer Directory → the customer; or the transaction’s customer section.
  • Itemization & amount: Transaction → itemized breakdown to rebut "incorrect amount" claims.

PayPal

PayPal → Resolution Center → the open case (Dispute, Claim, or Chargeback).

  • Transaction details & ID: Activity → the transaction → details; note the Transaction ID.
  • Proof of delivery / tracking: Resolution Center → "Respond" → add tracking number + carrier (PayPal validates delivery).
  • Proof of shipment / service: Resolution Center evidence upload: invoice, shipment receipt, or service-completion proof.
  • Buyer communication: Resolution Center message thread + your own email records with the buyer.

Build a submission-ready American Express C04 response

ChargebackKit assembles your evidence into a formatted, labeled rebuttal pack with the exhibits and response letter card networks expect — pre-mapped to Credit Not Processed disputes.

Build your evidence pack — $19

Or run the free readiness check first.

Frequently asked questions

What is American Express reason code C04?↓
Amex C04 ("Goods/Services Returned or Refused") is filed when a cardmember claims they returned an item or refused delivery but did not receive a credit.
How do I win a C04 chargeback?↓
Submit your return policy as accepted at checkout and show either that the return did not qualify (wrong timeframe, condition, or method) or that the credit was already issued with a processor reference number.
How is C04 different from Amex C02?↓
C02 is a general "credit not processed" code; C04 specifically involves a return or refusal of goods. For C04, your evidence should also address whether the return itself was valid under your disclosed policy.

Where to go next

Build the pack for Credit Not Processed disputes, or dig into the matching guide, template, and processor evidence requirements.

Build the pack for this dispute

Updated June 2026. Reason-code meanings and evidence requirements are sourced from card network documentation and may change; always check your processor dashboard for the exact deadline and label on your dispute.