Network
VisaCode
10.3Response window
30 calendar daysWin difficulty
HardDispute type
FraudVisa 10.3 — Other Fraud (Card-Present Environment): What It Is and How to Respond
Note: 10.3 is a card-present dispute for physical retail.
Visa 10.3 is a catch-all for card-present fraud that doesn't fit 10.1 (EMV counterfeit) or 10.2 (EMV lost/stolen). It covers fraudulent transactions at physical terminals where the card was present but the fraud type doesn't involve EMV liability shift specifically. Common scenarios: a merchant processed a chip card as a manual key-entry (not a chip failure); a card was swiped when chip was available (non-fallback swipe); or a forged signature was accepted for a card-present transaction.
Unlike 10.1 and 10.2, where the EMV liability shift is the defining mechanism, 10.3 disputes arise from other authentication failures or bypasses at the point of sale. Your defence depends entirely on demonstrating that you followed proper card acceptance procedures — chip read where available, signature obtained, no unjustified key-entry.
Can you win this dispute?
Fight this dispute if...
- ✓You have a proper chip authorization — the card was inserted, the chip was read, and authorization was obtained through the chip
- ✓Your terminal processed the card correctly and a customer signature was obtained on the receipt
- ✓Transaction records show the correct card number and no manual key-entry was used
Accept this chargeback if...
- ✗The transaction was manually keyed when the card was physically present and could have been inserted or swiped
- ✗You swiped a chip card when your terminal was capable of reading the chip (non-fallback swipe)
- ✗No customer signature was obtained for a signature-required transaction
Evidence checklist
- ✅ Required
Chip authorization record: Transaction receipt showing the card was read via chip — not swiped or manually keyed. This is your primary defence for 10.3, the same as for 10.1 and 10.2.
- ✅ Required
Transaction receipt with customer signature: The signed receipt showing the customer's signature at the point of sale. This is critical for 10.3 disputes that involve signature verification failures.
- ⭐ Strongly recommended
Terminal configuration log and processor authorization records: Confirm your terminal accepted the card via chip, and that authorization data transmitted to the issuer included chip-read indicators.
Key deadlines
Response window: 30 calendar days from the chargeback notification date.
If the transaction was manually keyed, do not spend time building a defence — the key-entry is the liability trigger and the dispute is not winnable.
Frequently asked questions
What is Visa 10.3 and how does it differ from 10.1 and 10.2?
Visa 10.3 is a catch-all for card-present fraud that doesn't fit the specific EMV liability shift scenarios of 10.1 (counterfeit chip card) or 10.2 (lost/stolen chip card). It covers situations like manual key-entry of a physically present card, swiping a chip card when your terminal could have read the chip, or a forged signature transaction. The EMV liability shift doesn't apply in the same way — 10.3 covers broader card-present fraud scenarios.
When does manual key-entry create 10.3 liability?
If a cardholder physically presents their card but you manually key-enter the card number instead of swiping or inserting it, you take on elevated fraud liability. Key-entry bypasses both the magnetic stripe and chip authentication, providing no evidence that the physical card was present. If fraud occurs, a 10.3 dispute is very difficult to defend.
Why should you never manually key-enter a physically present card?
Manual key-entry of a card that is physically present at your terminal creates significant chargeback liability. It bypasses security checks (chip and PIN or signature), creates no reliable proof of card presence, and tells Visa's system the transaction lacked proper authentication. If the card was stolen or counterfeit, the fraud liability falls entirely on you. Always insert or swipe the physical card.
How does 10.3 differ from 10.4?
10.3 applies to card-present environments — physical retail locations where the card was present at the time of the transaction. Visa 10.4 applies to card-absent environments — online, phone, or mail order transactions where the cardholder was not physically present. The fraud type may be similar, but the transaction context and available defences differ significantly.
Related reason codes
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