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Visa 12.4 - Incorrect Account Number

Transaction was charged to the wrong card account number.

Overview​

Account number errors occur when a transaction is posted to a different card than the one used for authorization, or when credentials are miskeyed.

When This Code Applies​

  • Transaction posted to wrong card
  • Manual entry of wrong card number
  • System error posting to incorrect account
  • Digit transposition in card number
  • Tokenization mapping error

Conditions for Valid Dispute​

Issuer Must Verify​

  1. Cardholder's card was charged
  2. Cardholder did not use that card for transaction
  3. Transaction records show different credentials

Common Scenarios​

ScenarioCause
Multi-card customerCharged wrong saved card
Manual keyed entryDigit transposition
Token confusionWrong token used
Copy/paste errorWrong credentials copied

Time Frames​

ScenarioDispute Window
Standard120 days from transaction date

Representment Options​

1. Correct Account Was Charged​

Evidence required:

  • Transaction records matching card
  • Last 4 digits match
  • Auth record with correct account
  • Customer confirmation

2. Cardholder Used This Card​

Evidence required:

  • Order shows this payment method
  • Customer selected this card
  • Account profile records
  • IP/device at time of selection

3. System Error (Not Merchant Fault)​

Evidence required:

  • Processor error documentation
  • System logs showing correct submission
  • Third-party confirmation

Why This Happens​

Common Causes​

  1. Multiple saved cards - Customer or system selects wrong one
  2. Manual entry - Typing errors
  3. Copy/paste errors - Wrong credentials pasted
  4. Token confusion - Similar customers or cards
  5. Migration errors - Data moved incorrectly

Prevention Strategies​

Checkout Design​

  1. Show last 4 digits - Confirm which card before charging
  2. Card brand display - Show Visa/MC/Amex logo
  3. Confirmation step - "Charge this card?" screen
  4. Default card clarity - Make primary card obvious

System Controls​

  1. Luhn validation - Catch invalid numbers
  2. BIN matching - Verify card type matches
  3. Token validation - Verify token maps to correct card
  4. Auth/capture matching - Same card for both

Manual Processing​

  1. Read-back verification - Confirm number verbally
  2. Double-entry - Enter critical data twice
  3. Limit manual entry - Prefer card reading
  4. Validation before submit - Check before processing

Win Rate Expectations​

Defense TypeExpected Win Rate
Correct account proven85-95%
Customer selected this card70-85%
Wrong account chargedUnder 10%

Common Mistakes​

  1. No confirmation screen - Customer didn't verify card
  2. Ambiguous saved cards - Hard to distinguish cards
  3. Auto-select default - Changed without customer knowing
  4. No last-4 display - Can't verify correct card
  • 12.2 - Incorrect Transaction Code
  • 12.5 - Incorrect Amount
  • 12.6 - Duplicate Processing

See Also​