ChargebackDesk · Reason codes · Discover UA02
Discover reason code UA02: Fraud — Card Not Present Transaction
The Discover cardholder says they didn't authorize a purchase made online or remotely. The evidence works like Visa 10.4. The difference is the process: Discover disputes can start as an inquiry, and an unanswered Discover inquiry can become a dispute you can no longer challenge.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Network | Discover (Diners Club cards processed on the Discover network may come through the same process — check the dispute in Stripe) |
| Family | Fraud (UA codes) |
| In Stripe | Usually shown with the reason fraudulent; in our mapping, Discover card-not-present fraud may show in Stripe as 7030 (Fraud Card Not Present Transaction), so your dispute may show that number rather than UA02; inquiries show as warning_needs_response |
| Network timeframe | Discover sets its own windows for cardholders and merchants |
| Your deadline | The due-by date in Stripe |
What it means
UA02 is Discover's card-not-present fraud code: the cardholder denies making or authorizing the transaction. As with any fraud code, you're not arguing about the product. You're showing that the buyer's own account received and used it.
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 the inquiry. An unanswered Discover inquiry can escalate into a dispute you can no longer challenge — the inquiry is your one chance.
What evidence wins
- Post-purchase usage by the buying account — timestamped logins, progress, activations, downloads.
- Delivery tied to the buyer — account creation, license issuance, or welcome-email delivery to the email on the charge.
- Customer communication about the product, as complete threads.
- Prior undisputed purchases by the same customer, where they exist.
- Receipt and product description.
Digital-goods specifics
- Courses: lesson progress after purchase is the core exhibit.
- SaaS: activity on the paying workspace — logins, created work, API calls.
- Downloads: download and activation events for the buyer's account or email.
- Memberships: member activity 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
- Missing the inquiry. If it shows as
warning_needs_responsein Stripe, respond — don't wait. - Leading with AVS/CVC. Valid card details are not evidence the cardholder made the purchase.
- Speculating about motives. Stick to purchased, delivered, used.
Fight or accept?
Fight it when
- The buying account shows real use after the purchase.
- The customer contacted support about the product after paying.
- It's an inquiry and you have a clear usage exhibit — answer it now.
Accept it when
- No use, download, or activation after the purchase.
- Your records show signs of card testing or account takeover.
- 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 buying account. Don't leave it unanswered: an unanswered Discover inquiry can escalate into a dispute you can't challenge. If the cardholder 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.