American Express Reason Code C31: Goods/Services Not as Described
The cardholder received the item but says it was materially different from what was described.
Your strongest argument
The delivered item matched the accepted description, and your return policy was disclosed.
Evidence that wins a American Express C31 dispute
- The product description the customer accepted at checkout
- Proof the delivered item matched the listing
- Return/refund policy accepted at purchase
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 C31. 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.
Check my evidence readiness — freeHow processors label this dispute
| Processor | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| Stripe | reason: product_unacceptable |
Where to pull this evidence
Prove what shipped matched what the customer agreed to buy. 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 C31 response
ChargebackKit assembles your evidence into a formatted, labeled rebuttal pack with the exhibits and response letter card networks expect — pre-mapped to Not as Described disputes.
Build your evidence pack — $19Or run the free readiness check first.
Frequently asked questions
What is American Express reason code C31?↓
How do I win a C31?↓
Does C31 require the customer to contact me first?↓
Where to go next
Build the pack for Not as Described disputes, or dig into the matching guide, template, and processor evidence requirements.
Build the pack for this dispute
Guides for this dispute
Templates 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.