Guide
Shopify chargeback reason codes: what evidence each one actually needs
Shopify classifies every chargeback into one of eight reasons, and the reason is not a label — it's the question the customer's bank is asking. Evidence that answers a different question counts for nothing, which is why "I sent the tracking number and still lost" is the most common story in merchant forums. Here is each reason, what the bank is really asking, and the evidence Shopify's own documentation says to send.
Two constraints apply to every reason below. First, if you don't touch the dispute, Shopify still auto-submits a response on the due date built only from order data it can see — your emails and photos aren't in it (details here). Second, uploads are capped at 2 MB per file and 4 MB total, PDF/JPEG/PNG only (full limits here) — so pick the documents that answer the reason code, not everything you have.
Fraudulent
The bank's question: did the cardholder authorize this charge? The most common reason. Delivery proof barely moves it — a stolen card gets packages delivered too. What answers it is identity and consistency evidence:
- Fulfillment date and time
- The billing information the customer used
- The IP address and country used for the order
- Shipping and tracking information
If you reach the customer and they agree to drop the dispute, Shopify's guidance is to have them tell their bank — and still submit evidence, including the statement where they agreed. A dropped-chargeback promise that isn't in the file doesn't exist.
Unrecognized
The bank's question: why doesn't the cardholder recognize this line on their statement? Often a forgotten purchase, a spouse or family member's order, or an unclear billing descriptor. The evidence set matches fraudulent: fulfillment date/time, billing info, IP and country, shipping and tracking. The highest-leverage move is outside the form: contact the customer — many of these dissolve the moment someone recognizes the purchase.
Duplicate
The bank's question: was the customer charged twice for the same thing? If the two charges were for different things, submit:
- An explanation of why there are two charges
- Receipts proving the charges were for different products or services
- Any communication where you told the customer about the two charges
If you genuinely double-charged, Shopify's documentation is blunt: accept the chargeback.
Subscription canceled
The bank's question: was the subscription charged after the customer canceled it — or without the reminder they expected? The winning file proves the cancellation timeline:
- Your subscription cancellation policy
- Emails or notifications sent to the customer about their cancellation
- When and where the customer was informed of the policy
- For digital products: an activity log showing the customer accessed the product after the date they claim they canceled
Note that none of this lives in Shopify's tables — cancellation emails and activity logs are exactly the kind of evidence the automatic response can't include for you.
Product not received
The bank's question: did the goods or services arrive? This is the one reason where delivery proof is the whole case:
- Fulfillment date and time
- Billing information
- Shipping and tracking information
- For digital products: an activity log proving the customer accessed the product
Two specifics worth knowing: Shopify automatically uploads a PDF of all fulfillment events on your behalf for this reason, and — for this reason only — AI-generated insights are included in the submission unless you opt out on the form. Digital sellers should note the activity-log line: with no tracking number in existence, delivery logs, license activations and download IPs are the evidence set.
Product unacceptable
The bank's question: was the product defective, damaged, or not as described? The file should show what was promised and what was sent:
- Fulfillment date and time, billing info, shipping and tracking
- Product descriptions or photos from your store proving the item was as described
- If the customer never tried to return the product before disputing — evidence of that
- If you sent a replacement — evidence of that
Credit not processed
The bank's question: was the customer owed a refund they didn't get? Either prove the refund happened before the dispute, or prove they weren't entitled to one:
- Your refund and return policies, and when the customer was informed of them
- Emails or notifications you sent about the refund
- An explanation of why the customer wasn't entitled to a refund — or the refund record itself if you already issued one
One timing rule from the documentation: after a full chargeback is filed you can't issue a refund anymore — but if it arrived as an inquiry, you still can. If you refunded before the dispute and got the chargeback anyway, that's its own well-worn scenario — covered here.
General
The bank's question: unclear — the dispute didn't fit a category. Shopify's guidance: contact the customer first and find the actual problem. If they agree to withdraw, get the withdrawal letter from their bank and submit it as evidence. Otherwise build the broadest validity case: product details, fulfillment date/time, billing info, IP and country, customer communication, carrier tracking confirmations, and proof of any prior refunds or replacements — selected to fit the 4 MB budget.
The pattern across all eight
Read the lists again and one split stands out: the automatic response can supply the order data (dates, addresses, tracking, IP), but almost every reason's decisive item is a merchant-side document — the cancellation email, the refund record, the activity log, the customer conversation. Those reach the bank only if you put them in the evidence form before the deadline. That, more than any template, is what "responding to a chargeback" means.
Related guides
- What Shopify submits for you when a chargeback deadline passes
- The file limits that quietly reject Shopify chargeback evidence
- Refunded the order, then got the chargeback anyway
- Why Shopify Protect didn't cover your order
Disclosure: Evidkit builds merchant-side chargeback tooling, so dispute forms are what we stare at all day. Everything above was verified against Shopify's own documentation in August 2026 — no product required to act on any of it. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Shopify.