A chargeback window is the period during which a cardholder can dispute a transaction, and Visa's standard window is 120 calendar days from the transaction processing date for most dispute conditions. The number that matters in practice is the acquirer's response deadline, which is shorter: 30 days for Visa and 45 days for Mastercard, and the processor's deadline is shorter still, typically seven to twenty-one days for Shopify and nine days for Adyen. Miss the processor's deadline and the dispute is lost by default, whatever the evidence says.
The 120-day clock starts at processing, not delivery
Visa's standard chargeback window is 120 calendar days from the transaction processing date for most dispute conditions, including fraud under condition 10.4, processing errors under 12.x, and cancelled or returned merchandise under 13.2. The clock starts when the transaction was processed, not when the goods were delivered, and that distinction matters for preorders and backorders, where the gap between the two can be weeks.
The exceptions are narrower and shorter. Conditions 11.1 through 11.3, authorization issues, and 12.7, late presentment, carry a 75-day window. Condition 13.1, merchandise or services not received, runs 120 days from the expected delivery date, capped at 540 days from the processing date. A customer who never received a preorder can dispute months after the charge, and the window is measured from when the goods were supposed to arrive.
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The processor's deadline is the one that kills you
The card network's window is the customer's deadline. The acquirer's response deadline is yours, and it is shorter: 30 days for Visa and 45 days for Mastercard to respond to a dispute. The processor's deadline is shorter still, because the processor needs time to package and submit the response. Shopify gives seven to twenty-one days. Adyen gives nine days. The response window in the dashboard is the number that decides the dispute, and it is the one merchants miss most often.
The consequence of missing it is automatic. A dispute that goes unanswered is lost by default, and the funds are pulled whether the evidence was strong or not. Set up the alerts, check the dashboard daily during high-volume periods, and treat a dispute notification as a same-day task, not a this-week task. The evidence does not matter if it arrives after the deadline.
Compelling Evidence 3.0 is the fraud defense that works
Visa's Compelling Evidence 3.0 is the strongest defense against a fraud chargeback, and it is built on history. The merchant shows two prior undisputed transactions, between 120 and 364 days before the disputed one, with matching identifiers: the same device fingerprint, the same IP address, the same shipping address, or the same account login. Two prior transactions with matching identifiers prove the cardholder is the same person who bought before, and that is often enough to stop the dispute.
The evidence has to be collected before the dispute arrives. Device fingerprints, IP addresses, and account logins are not recoverable after the fact unless the store was logging them. A store that keeps those records can defend a fraud chargeback in minutes. A store that does not is arguing from the order details alone, and the order details are the part the fraudster already faked.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a customer have to dispute a charge with Visa?
120 calendar days from the transaction processing date for most conditions, including fraud and processing errors. Authorization issues and late presentment carry a 75-day window, and merchandise not received runs 120 days from the expected delivery date, capped at 540 days.
How long do I have to respond to a chargeback?
The acquirer gives 30 days for Visa and 45 days for Mastercard, but the processor's deadline is shorter: typically seven to twenty-one days for Shopify and nine days for Adyen. Miss the processor's deadline and the dispute is lost by default.
What is Compelling Evidence 3.0?
It is Visa's strongest fraud defense. The merchant shows two prior undisputed transactions, between 120 and 364 days before the disputed one, with matching identifiers such as the same device fingerprint, IP address, shipping address, or account login.
When does the chargeback clock start?
On the transaction processing date, not the delivery date, for most conditions. That distinction matters for preorders and backorders, where the gap between processing and delivery can be weeks.