ChargebackDesk · Reason codes · Amex F29
Amex reason code F29: Card Not Present
The American Express card member says they didn't authorize a purchase made online or remotely. Amex differs from Visa and Mastercard in one way that matters a lot: a dispute often starts as an inquiry (Amex can generally also charge back up front), and an inquiry you don't answer can become a chargeback you can no longer argue on the merits.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | American Express |
| Family | Fraud (F codes) |
| In Stripe | Usually shown with the reason fraudulent; inquiries show as warning_needs_response |
| Network timeframe | Amex generally gives merchants about 20 days to respond to an inquiry or chargeback (it can be shorter in some places) |
| Your deadline | The due-by date in Stripe — work to that date, not to Amex's own window |
What it means
F29 is Amex's code for disputed card-not-present transactions where the card member denies making or authorizing the purchase. As with Visa 10.4, your answer for a digital product is the record of the buyer's account receiving and using what was bought.
Response deadline
- The deadline that binds you is the evidence due-by date on the dispute in Stripe (
evidence_details.due_by). If you don't respond by then, you automatically lose the dispute — work to this date, not to the network's own limits. - Evidence is effectively a single submission — submit a complete packet, because you generally cannot add to it afterwards.
- Work backwards: aim to submit at least 72 hours before the due-by date.
- Answer inquiries. Amex has reason codes for merchants who don't reply to an inquiry or reply without enough information (for example R13 "No Reply" and R03 "Insufficient Reply"). Under Amex's rules as generally described, an unanswered inquiry can turn into an R13 chargeback, where Amex typically accepts only proof that you replied on time or that you'd already issued a credit — no second chance to argue the merits.
What evidence wins
- Usage by the buying account after purchase. Timestamped logins, lessons, activations, downloads.
- Delivery tied to the card member. Account created with the email on the charge; license or access issued to it.
- Prior undisputed purchases by the same account or card, if any. Repeat buying without complaint is relevant context.
- Customer communication about the product, as complete threads.
- Receipt and product description.
Digital-goods specifics
- Courses: enrollment record plus lesson progress after the purchase date.
- SaaS: sign-in history and created work (projects, documents, API usage) on the paying account.
- Downloads: download events and license activations tied to the buyer's email.
- Memberships: member activity — posts, attendance, messages — after the charge.
The minimum checklist
Same minimum as our fraudulent-dispute guide: ME-F1 post-purchase access event · ME-F2 purchase IP plus an access-log IP · ME-F3 customer name and email from the charge · ME-F4 provable delivery. Below it, we refuse the case.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring the inquiry because "it's not a chargeback yet." With Amex, the inquiry is often your best chance.
- Relying on authorization results. An approved charge doesn't show the card member made it.
- Treating IP as identity. An IP can support account activity; it doesn't identify a person.
Fight or accept?
Fight it when
- The paying account shows real use after the purchase.
- The card member has bought from you before without disputing.
- It's still at the inquiry stage and you have even one solid usage exhibit.
Accept it when
- There's no use, download, or activation after the purchase.
- Your records show signs of account takeover or card testing.
- The amount is smaller than the time it would take you to assemble the evidence.
Accepting a chargeback in Stripe closes it (accepting an inquiry doesn't resolve it — answer it with evidence or a full refund instead). Don't try to refund an open chargeback — the disputed amount has already been withdrawn from your balance, and Stripe doesn't allow refunds outside the dispute process while the dispute is open.
Answering an inquiry? Amex and Discover run the inquiry stage (warning_needs_response). Answer it with your narrative plus the single strongest exhibit: the access-log excerpt for the paying account. Answer it — don't wait for the chargeback. If the card member is right, a full refund resolves an inquiry with no Stripe dispute fee; accepting an inquiry doesn't resolve it.
Want the packet built for you? Start a case. You get a finished, sourced packet, and nothing is submitted without your approval — today you submit it yourself in Stripe, with no Stripe login and no integration. Our fee is 20% of what you recover, charged only if you win. If you lose or we decline, our fee is $0. Stripe's own dispute fees are separate. If a case isn't worth fighting, we'll tell you before you spend time on it.