Visa's authorization-failure code, chargeable regardless of whether the cardholder is contesting the purchase itself.
Visa 11.3 is, more than most codes, a code about the merchant's process rather than the buyer's behavior. The cardholder often did not file the dispute; the issuer's automated reconciliation flagged the gap between authorization and settlement. The defense is the authorization log, not the customer-facing evidence merchants usually marshal.
How the dispute actually arrives
A merchant receives an 11.3 notification when the issuer's settlement system finds a transaction without a corresponding approved authorization, or with an authorization that does not match the settled amount. The notification arrives through the processor with the original authorization details (or absence) cited, and the merchant has 30 days to respond.
An 11.3 against a card-on-file merchant typically arrives on a renewal where the stored authorization had expired. An 11.3 against an e-commerce seller arrives where partial shipments were not separately authorized. An 11.3 on a force-posted transaction arrives where a merchant pushed through a charge despite an initial decline.
What the issuer is looking for
Issuers reviewing an 11.3 ask one question: is there a valid authorization that covers this settlement. The answer is either yes, with the approval code and timestamp, or no.
Where a valid authorization exists and the merchant can produce the approval code and the matching settlement details, the dispute is generally winnable. Where the authorization expired, declined, or never existed, the case is unwinnable on the merits, and the right move is to issue the refund rather than fight at representment.
For partial or split shipments, incremental authorizations are the relevant records. Each shipment that was authorized separately should have its own approval code; settlement against a missing authorization for a partial shipment is the most common 11.3 pattern in e-commerce.
For card-on-file and recurring arrangements, the cardholder's standing authorization at the point the relationship was established is the relevant record, plus any subsequent re-authorization Visa rules require for changed terms.
Common scenarios merchants see
A card-on-file charge where the original authorization expired before settlement. Authorizations have time limits, and stored credentials need re-authorization at the network's prescribed cadence. If the expiry passed, the case is usually lost.
A force-posted transaction submitted after an initial decline. Force-posting is a recognized practice for limited scenarios in Visa rules, but the merchant must cite the specific provision that permits it. Most merchants who force-post do so without that grounding.
A split shipment where each shipment needed its own authorization and one was never obtained. The defense is documentation of incremental authorizations for the shipments that were authorized. The unauthorized shipment is usually lost.
A recurring charge where the authorization parameters changed and the new charge did not match. Visa requires re-authorization where the amount or schedule changes materially. The defense is the re-authorization record.
What this code is not
Reason code 11.3 is not a fraud claim and not a non-receipt claim. If the buyer says the charge was unauthorized, the dispute belongs under Visa 10.4 (card-absent fraud). If the buyer says the goods never arrived, it belongs under Visa 13.1 (merchandise or services not received). Submitting customer-receipt evidence on an 11.3 misses the question the issuer is asking.
Where this fits in our service
Visa reason code 11.3 is a code we draft rebuttal letters against only where a valid authorization exists. The letter cites the approval code, the timestamp, and the settlement match, plus the specific Visa rule that supports any incremental or recurring posture. Where no valid authorization exists, we will say so before drafting and recommend refunding. If you are reading this because you just received one, you can start with a free first letter.
Official source: Visa rules. Last reviewed 2026-05-11.